Now verging on her 70th birthday, comic opera singer Daffodil took up an invitation from fellow Yueh drama star Chou Mi-mi to appear in a new production in June this year. Her appearance drew a packed house at the National Theatre.
"Drama is like life, you can't afford to let tragedy or joy get out of hand and either make the audience weep broken-heartedly or let them get absurdly overexcited. This is where the comic role comes in, to help control the general atmosphere of the play." Daffodil's perceptive analysis of the part played by a female comic lead in Yueh drama certainly hits the nail on the head.
As a celebrated player of comic roles, Daffodil of course has a large repertoire of hilarious asides and witty body language on stage. But how did she acquire the stage name of Daffodil?
In Shanghai at the age of 21 or 22 she once appeared in a Yueh drama where she played a brothel madame by the name of Daffodil. There was a scene where the clients visiting the brothel had to draw lots for the limited number of singing girls available. "Right! You've drawn Rosebud . . . Jasmine is yours. . . He's got Narcissus," the madame ticked each off on her list until the last girl had gone. Then another regular customer turned up out of the blue and insisted on joining the draw, so the madame fluttered her eyelashes and quick as a flash threw herself into his arms, declaring: "Lucky you, you've drawn me--Daffodil!" In an instant a storm of applause went up as the audience cheered for an encore: "Daffodil! Give us Daffodil again!" "I was flummoxed for a moment, then I realized it was me they were calling for--me, Daffodil." Since then she always used the stage name Daffodil, and her real name, Wang Hsiu-chen, has gradually been forgotten.
A native of Yin county, Chekiang, Daffodil was born in 1921 into a theatrical family. Her father, Wang Ah-sheng, was an actor in Ningpo with over 100 students studying under him. Daffodil and her only sister grew up at their father's side and absorbed a dozen different genres of local drama.
Daffodil began her formal stage career at the age of nine. "I was only small, but I was very brave. I plucked up courage and gave performances full of charm," she says with a naughty expression. "I learned all the stage walks and body movements by peeping out from behind the backcloth."
In the old days drama apprentices were in for a beating if they failed to follow the master's instructions to the letter. And if you didn't sing loud enough you got a spanking too. Daffodil's mastery of voice and gesture was definitely learned the hard way.
"I was a tortoise, while others were hares," Daffodil opines in allusion to the legendary race between the two animals. For all her illiteracy and despite never having attended formal drama college, she managed to rise to the top in female comic roles through sheer dedication, self-confidence and innate flair.
"I'm eternally grateful for this gift, the one thing that has kept me going," Daffodil reiterates.
Daffodil left mainland China in 1950 and came to Taiwan with the Hu Feng troupe attached to the 87th Army. She toured central and southern Taiwan, as well as the outlying islands, doing troop-cheering shows. Reorganization within the army led Daffodil to hope that the Hu Feng troupe might be transferred to government patronage elsewhere and devote itself entirely to promoting Yueh drama. But internal dissension and lack of funding spelt the troupe's steady decline. Even now Daffodil still regrets that such a fine opportunity to restore Yueh drama was lost.
A native of Chekiang, as was Chiang Kai-shek, Daffodil was often invited to perform at his residence. After one of her performances in 1951, Chiang Kai-shek was stirred with hope for a counterattack on the mainland and took up his pen and wrote the four-character slogan "Let us never forget we are in Chu" (a feudal state that held out under siege). "This was how that famous slogan came into being," Daffodil says with a note of genuine pride. Chiang Kai-shek and his son the late President Chiang Ching-kuo both counted her among their friends.
Chiang Ching-kuo also appreciated Daffodil's performances when he was minister of national defense. He originally intended to bring Yueh drama players under the wing of the military once more, but after he became premier and other officers concerned in the matter were promoted, the proposal was shelved. Another fine chance to revive Yueh drama went west.
In 1988 Daffodil was presented with the Living Heritage Award in recognition of her contribution to Yueh drama. Folk opera scholar Li Tien-k'uei, who teaches at National Taiwan Normal University and Hualien Teacher Training College, comments: "Whenever she appears on stage she carries along the entire atmosphere of the drama and becomes the life and soul of the production."
Vital as it is to pass on the fruits of a lifetime's work, Daffodil has never taken on a student or drama apprentice. "What's the point?" she asks quite frankly. Older audiences are declining, and the younger generation have so many other forms of entertainment to choose from. Of course there is still a hard core of Yueh drama buffs, but how could a new generation of Yueh drama players expect to make a decent living?
Now old enough to be a grandmother, Daffodil is quite worried about the prospects for anyone carrying on the torch after she is gone, although she feels there is little she can do about it. "An outstanding player of comic roles must be gifted with verbal fluency and a great deal of courage. Without that, no amount of training will do the trick." The opera-loving public is going to need more than just one Daffodil.
[Picture Caption]
Daffodil's hilarious gestures often have the audience splitting their sides with laughter.
In her early career Daffodil made a name for herself as a Player of servant and young male roles. (photo courtesy of Daffodil)
During the 1950's when Yueh drama was at its height of popularity in Taiwan Daffodil (standing in photo) was a smash hit with her hilarious brand of comedy. (photo courtesy of Daffodil)
An enthusiastic opera fan took this snapshot of Daffodil in 1959. (photo courtesy of Daffodil)
In June this year Daffodil was as delightful as ever in a performance with Chou Mi-mi.
(Right) Her 60-year stage career has earned Daffodil the title of "queen of Yueh drama comic roles."
Make-up ready and all set for another show, Daffodil has devoted her life to the stage since the age of nine.
Daffodil (second left) with opera stars Hsia Hua-ta (first left), Kuan Ts'ung (second right) and Wang Hai-ling (first right) on a TTV special program for Chinese New Year's Eve. (photo courtesy of Daffodil)
(Above) Daffodil loves to crack jokes, and "tossing a bombshell of laughter into the world now and then" is her Permanent outlook on life.
(Below) On stage Daffodil often ignores feminine modesty for comic effect.
In her early career Daffodil made a name for herself as a Player of servant and young male roles. （photo courtesy of Daffodil）
During the 1950's when Yueh drama was at its height of popularity in Taiwan Daffodil （standing in photo） was a smash hit with her hilarious brand of comedy. （photo courtesy of Daffodil）
An enthusiastic opera fan took this snapshot of Daffodil in 1959. （photo courtesy of Daffodil）
In June this year Daffodil was as delightful as ever in a performance with Chou Mi-mi.
（Right） Her 60-year stage career has earned Daffodil the title of "queen of Yueh drama comic roles.".
Make-up ready and all set for another show, Daffodil has devoted her life to the stage since the age of nine.
Daffodil （second left） with opera stars Hsia Hua-ta （first left）, Kuan Ts'ung （second right） and Wang Hai-ling （first right） on a TTV special program for Chinese New Year's Eve. （photo courtesy of Daffodil）
Daffodil （second left） with opera stars Hsia Hua-ta （first left）, Kuan Ts'ung （second right） and Wang Hai-ling （first right） on a TTV special program for Chinese New Year's Eve. （photo courtesy of Daffodil）
（Above） Daffodil loves to crack jokes, and "tossing a bombshell of laughter into the world now and then" is her Permanent outlook on life.
（Below） On stage Daffodil often ignores feminine modesty for comic effect.
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