Female cross-talkers preserve comedic art form

Ji Tian-yu, an actress from Taiwan, retold the tragic romance of Legend of the White Snake, one of China's four great romance legends, through a comedic performance at a Spring Festival gala celebrating the Year of the Snake recently.

Ji, along with Sun Yue from Beijing and Soo Wee Seng from Malaysia, performed cross-talk, or xiangsheng, a Chinese stand-up comedy genre involving humorous conversations, which captivated the audience at a Spring Festival event hosted by China Media Group and broadcast on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

The story of a female snake spirit and a mortal falling in love but ultimately having to part ways, leaving countless viewers with regret, was given a happy ending in the trio's humorous cross-talk. The program was titled A Few More Times In a Thousand Years, symbolizing the wish for the two lovers to meet more often.

"We hope on the day of reunion, the lovers' meeting won't be once in a thousand years, but rather, the two can be together," said Ji, who also wrote the script.

It was inspired by the poignant love story that makes the audience appreciate snakes, rather than typically fearing them, she said. "The White Snake is kind, compassionate, pursues love faithfully, and in the story, we often see her protecting her husband."

Ji said she hopes to share with the world the virtues cherished by Chinese people, including loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness as depicted in the folklore.

Having a natural talent for performance and comedy from the time she was young, Ji developed an interest in cross-talk while listening to performances with her grandfather who moved to Taiwan in 1949 from his hometown Shandong province.

"It's easy to make someone cry. Give him a slap and he'll cry, but making someone laugh is much harder." The comedic aspect of cross-talk attracted her to study the art form.

She became the only third-generation apprentice of the clan of Wu Zhao-nan, who grew up in Beijing, and who brought cross-talk from the mainland to Taiwan in 1949. He later established the first Chinese cross-talk club in the United States and returned to the mainland to further promote the art form.

Her master, Liu Tseng-kai, who ran a cross-talk teahouse in Taiwan and taught many apprentices, was the first Taiwan cross-talk performer to appear on China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala in 2006.

The emphasis on heritage within this master-disciple lineage and the stories of her predecessors gradually led Ji to realize that creating cross-Strait connections through the art form had become a mission for her.

In recent years, Ji has participated in numerous performances and cross-talk competitions on the mainland, becoming familiar and beloved by audiences not only because she is from Taiwan but also because female performers are rare in this industry.

She later founded an all-female cross-talk group from Taiwan, presenting scripts suitable for female audiences, including content based on historical female figures, aiming to promote gender equality and attract a younger audience.

When Ji brought the young female cross-talk performers to the mainland for exchanges, people were curious upon hearing about an all-female cross-talk group.

One member, An Chen-chu, was deeply impressed by a cross-talk performance by Ji and her master Liu that she saw on a TV program as a child. After graduating from college, she sent them letters expressing her desire to learn from them.

In recent years, An has participated in several cross-Strait young actor exchange activities with Ji, performing in Sichuan province, Tianjin, and visiting mainland schools to learn the art training system.

"The first time I stepped onto the stage, my hands were trembling with nervousness, but she made me feel at ease," she said, adding that in the future, she hopes to incorporate more creativity into cross-talk.

Ji also recalls taking young actors from Taiwan to perform at a teahouse in Tianjin, the birthplace of cross-talk. They were nervous and even cried offstage, reminding her of her own experiences performing in Tianjin when she was young. Such experiences have contributed to her growth.

In the future, Ji hopes to establish a cross-Strait cross-talk exchange center to help more young learners. She is also working on producing a TV series, telling the story of her grand master's legendary life in promoting the art form.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn