Talent and hard work can lead to success. Because of her young age, Ji Youfang never had the chance to perform on stage in the troupe. She learned to perform "Hanging Painting" under the famous Huadan actor Jia Yongyuan. In order to practice the chair skill well, she often fell and suffered bruises and swollen face. Jia Yongyuan was so distressed that he asked her to rest for a few days, but she was never discouraged. She fell off the chair and quickly jumped back on. Don't worry about others, don't know, only worry about yourself and don't do anything. When she was 16 years old, Ji Youfang performed on stage for the first time. At that time, at the Zhujiazhuang Temple Fair in Wanrong County, the audience was crowded with people. Her petite body moved and danced on the chair, which was very exciting. The audience cheered and applauded thunderously. She finally The first step to success was taken.
"Hanging Painting" is a part of the traditional Pu Opera play "The Brahma Palace". It plays the role of Yelu Hanyan, an aristocratic girl from the Yuan Dynasty, who falls in love at first sight with Hua Yun, the son of an Orion. She is raped by Hanyan's brother in order to save her. He married a folk girl, and designed Hua Yun to pretend to be a folk girl and marry her. Hanyan accompanied the "bride" on behalf of her brother who was not at home. This play is the representative play of the veteran artist Wang Cuncai, who is famous for his stunts on the stool. Ji Youfang plays Han Yan, and she is different from Wang Cuncai in that she performs the rocker move from a stool to a chair. During the performance, she jumped up and down on the chair with her straight toes, and also performed thrilling actions such as standing on her own as a golden rooster, turning her head to look at the moon, etc., which made the audience enjoy and feel suspenseful. In 1987, the Pu Opera Troupe from Yuncheng area went to Beijing to perform. Wu Junying's "Su San Qi Jie", Wang Yihua's "Yellow Crane Tower" and Jing Xuebian's "Yin Yang River" all caused a sensation in the capital. Although Ji Youfang's "Biao Hua" has also achieved success, experts believe that compared with Wang Xiulan's "Biao Hua", it lacks a lively and simple folk flavor. Wang Xiulan sang Meihu's "Biaohua", which was full of folk songs from the lyrics to the melody. Ji Youfang used Pu opera to sing "Biaohua". Because Pu opera was more flavorful than folk songs, the experts expressed deep regret. As a result, among the four famous actors of Yuncheng Pu Opera Troupe, Wu Junying, Wang Yihua, and Jing Xuebian were all recommended for performances by the Plum Blossom Award, but Ji Youfang failed to do so.
In the face of setbacks, Ji Youfang did not sink. Winning the "Plum Blossom" award is her biggest wish. It was difficult to perform the art of hanging paintings, but she suddenly thought that it would be more exciting if she could perform it on the back of an armchair. In the process of turning this "fantasy" into reality, Ji Youfang put in unimaginable hardships. Whenever she had free time, she would stand on tiptoe and practice over and over again. The blood blisters on my feet came and went, and my socks were often stained with thick blood. The pain was so painful that I couldn't sleep at night. But she survived with strong perseverance. In 1991, her performance on Back of the Chair was a success. In 1992, she participated in the first Chinese Opera Golden Triangle Exchange Performance and won the "Excellent Performance Award".
In addition, Ji Youfang also achieved success in her role as the matchmaker in the traditional drama "The Romance of the West Chamber". The matchmaker she played in "The West Chamber" was different. The matchmakers in previous dramas were too mature, too sophisticated, and inconsistent with their actual age. Ji Youfang never forgets the age of the characters. In the play, he not only shows the wit and kindness of the teenage girl, but also strictly controls the proportion. For example, during the meeting in the west chamber, she locked Cui Yingying into Zhang Sheng's room, thinking that she had done a good thing. In the golden autumn, the cool breeze has turned cold and the night is dark. She vividly performed the cold, scared and comfortable state of mind of a teenage girl in the middle of the night. Suddenly she felt that it had been a long time. When she opened the door, she found that it was bolted inside. She looked into the crack in the door and listened with her ears. She was puzzled at first, and then realized it. I knew I was in big trouble, but I was embarrassed and anxious. The mental journey of a little girl is vividly displayed on the stage. As a classic drama, "The Romance of the West Chamber" has many versions. Once performed in the Pu Opera "The Romance of the West Chamber", it is refreshing. Ji Youfang is eloquent and articulate on the stage. The cute matchmaker stood out on the stage. When the performance came to Beijing, the audience laughed and said that the "local matchmaker from Shanxi" was here. However, after the performance, the image of the "local matchmaker" lingered in people's minds, so much so that when people traveled to Pujiu Temple, as soon as they heard about the matchmaker, they The meeting started with Ji Youfang, and she almost became a real matchmaker.
In 1993, the Yuncheng Prefectural Committee Administration and the Regional Cultural Bureau planned to arrange for Ji Youfang to go to Beijing to win plum blossoms with "Hanging Painting". But just the night before her departure, on her way back from a performance in Xia County, she encountered a car accident and suffered comminuted fractures in six of her toes. A Huadan actress relies on her two dexterous feet to perform on stage. Although the operation was very successful, many people are worried about whether she can return to the stage. In the hospital, leaders and colleagues from the Propaganda Department of the Yuncheng Prefectural Committee, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Administrative Office and the Pu Opera Troupe came to the hospital to visit and comfort Ji Youfang.
Many theatergoers from various counties also visited the hospital, showering her with bouquets of flowers and little poems filled with affection and more of expectation.
Huadan actress is known for her performance. During her 20-year career, Ji Youfang's chair skills, cross-legged skills, fan skills and handkerchief skills are all amazing. She is also full of drama as soon as she takes the stage. . Day and night in the hospital bed, her husband gave her great comfort and encouragement.
After being discharged from the hospital, Ji Youfang started from scratch and began hard training that ordinary people could not imagine. All the hard work paid off, and she not only resumed her normal performances, but also resumed her chair-back posture. In 1996, she starred in the Pu Opera TV series "The Romance of the West Chamber" and won the "Feitian Award"; in 1997, her "Hanging Painting" rocker performance was featured in the CCTV Youth Opera Gala; in 2001, Ji Youfang entered the Chinese Opera Academy as a director She is studying in the Department of Education and is also actively preparing to fulfill her long-cherished wish to win the Plum Blossom Award for many years.
"Hidden Kiln" is a new play based on the folk legend of Liu Xiu's journey to Nanyang. The play tells the story of Wang Mang usurping the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu went to Nanyang to move troops, was hungry and sleepy, and was chased by officers and soldiers. He happened to meet the kiln-burning girl Yin Lihua, and Yin Lihua finally let her hide in the brick kiln to take refuge. In order to win the plum blossoms, Ji Youfang put all his efforts into "Zang Kiln". On December 23, 2003, Ji Youfang went to Beijing to win plum blossoms. "The Romance of the West Chamber" and "Killing the Dog" are unique, and "The Hidden Kiln" has become a masterpiece. She successfully portrayed three characters with different personalities: matchmaker, Cao Zhuang's wife, and Yin Lihua. She was praised by experts as "full of drama" and "a rare Huadan actress." Especially in the Tibetan Kiln, Ji Youfang not only created a unique image of a mountain village girl, but her skills in the clay kiln were also highly praised by experts. On the stage, she used her embroidered shoes to make a trowel. Sometimes she took the lump of mud and wiped it upward on the kiln door. Sometimes she pushed the mud with her steps. Sometimes she skillfully turned over the mud with a knife. Sometimes she held the trowel to collect the mud. She drew lessons from folk dances. She looked like An experienced mason. She was the first to demonstrate the mud wall performance skills on the opera stage, adding new wealth to the art of opera. On March 16, 2004, the selection results were announced, and Ji Youfang won the 21st Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award.
The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold. Although for Ji Youfang, this "Plum Blossom Award" bloomed a little late, the fragrance is even stronger after the frost. She is in her prime, I hope she will have more good plays coming out, and the road of art will never end.