James Poy Wong 黃培正
"So the key lies in what we want to do and what we don’t want to, not what is possible or impossible. We must use the power of our unity to not only strengthen ourselves to resist the bad temptations of society, but also use this strength to advance society."
"Impressions" - 1943
印象记
巡游完了，我没有感觉到多大的兴趣。 它总是那么一套，没有改变，没有进步，这大概不能说是中国人的守旧性吧。 我这样想， 因为外国的巡游不也是这样吗？ 总之，人们说是精神的表现，不过我永远看不出 “精神” 来。 事实与形式的表现，还有许多的差别呢。
大舞台剧院的门口张着，吞进许多在外面拥挤着的人，慢慢地我也被挤了进去。 经过开了的内门，那里贴着张 “无票不得入座” 的字条，不过我还记得外门所挂着的牌，是写着有欢迎侨胞参加的字。 很容易就渡过那扇门，中国人好像不喜欢挤了。 走进去一望，座位上只有三成坐着人，但是台上已经有十多个人物，我想大概台上的人物是到齐了。 我走上前面十行左右坐下。 播音机里传出一些唱片的国语音乐，唱片一个个地唱完了。 座位还没有坐满，我听到台上的人说是等人。 我又回想起刚才在门外的情形，人数不多，真好像是中国人不喜欢再挤似的。 我当时自己的解答是时间尚早，而现在我知道这个会中的节目，有好几个人演讲，这大概也是缺乏听众的原因吧。
会终于开了。 唱国歌的时候，青年团的歌咏队出来领导。 这次给我一个非常满意的美感，虽然在座的侨胞有许多人没有唱，但这次很庄严底唱完了。 在华侨每次的集会中，唱国歌的时候，每每中途声音细小，或而简直没有，声音像渐渐死去似的。 故此这次较为美满的成功不能不归功于三民主义青年团的团员的领导。 我不明白为什么中国人这样害怕唱自己的国歌。旧的一代，有部分是拜金主义者没有受过教育的人，他们除了几句粤曲外，连国歌都不会唱。 新的一代，又有部分是自认不是中国人的，这些人会说中国的国歌太慢和太低沈不好听。 大概说来， 我们侨胞总是怕或不敢唱国歌。 我不知道华埠这许多学校应该还是不应该负点责任。 当国歌刚唱完的时候，许多人都鼓起掌来。 国歌是否应该受鼓掌呢？ 在国内是不鼓掌的，我们对它是要尊敬而不只是欢迎的，大概这也带点美国化吧。 不过现在唱完美国国歌后，已经说过是不应该鼓掌的。 无异的，我们这一代受着两种不同的环境影响，所以充满了半中半美的气氛。 将来的一代，不知是要倾向那一方面，我们是作他们过渡的牺牲者。 读完总理遗嘱后，又起了一阵掌声，我感到简直莫名其妙。 我疑着当默念三分钟后会不会有掌声，幸而没有人不知道应该不鼓掌的。
在节目上有些很值得注意的表演，这是歌咏和戏剧。 这部份的游艺都是由三民主义青年团担任。 华埠本有很多团体，为什么单有一个三青出来包办呢？ 是不是他们格外努力，抑或又有别的原因呢？ 或有不属于任何一个团体的，所以当然不知道。 事实上，这歌咏团该得很满意的批评。 假如我没有记错的话，这个三民主义青年团的歌咏团是一个很新的组织，现在居然在第一次上台，（如果我没有弄错的话），就获得了这样好的成绩，我希望他们此后更加努力，更上一层楼。 他们到底唱的是什么呢？ 我相信知道的人也没有几个。 我们固然没有那么好的记忆力，也没有多个识国语的人。 不过音乐告诉我们一些没有文字的思想和观念，由歌声中可以表现出一个国家或民族的性格，现象，和精神。 这些新歌总比那些老调的粤曲进步些，有意义些吧。
我这样想，也希望是这样。现在到了人人望着的最后节目—— 戏剧了。 布景不曾用去多大的时间，观众没有现出不耐烦的态度和声音，所以最先已经给了观众一个好的印象。 幕起了之后，台上有一分钟左右沉默的时间，正好给我们一睹布景的情形。 景和装置是很简单，但是很严密，我没法看出多大的缺点来。 这一层的工作可算是完全成功了。 灯光的分配，在我坐的地方看来也很美满，但不知坐在后面的又怎样，或许要觉得那两只可以转动的发射灯太暗一点吧。
我现在写的是 「印象记」，所以不愿用太过艺术性的标凖来批评这剧。 所选的剧 「放下你们的恩怨」 也很适合环境。 而且加上作者的幽默性，所以更加受观众的欢迎。 演员的声音都很配合他们自己的角色，声浪也很大。 服装方面，我不知道他们是依照剧本 （这是剧本有说明），还是自己设计。 如果是自己设计的话，我觉得有值得讨论的地方。 我想做儿子和女儿的应该穿裤子，这样比较适应环境。 日兵是否有穿蓝色制服的呢？ 我不清楚，但是中国军官，兵，和汉奸的化装却非常成功。 这几个也是剧中动作最出色的演员。 以动作而言，饰日兵的最为成功，这一部要归功道导演的能力。 其次要算中国军官和汉奸了。 无疑的，艺术化一点说来，三个主角—— 母亲，儿子，和女儿不能算是十分成功，动作上还有许多未达到标准的地方。 如果不这样专门地说来，也可以说做得不错了。 当然这三个也是比较难演的角色。 后来我听说饰女儿的还是第一次上台。 所以我们对她抱着很大的希望，愿她继续努力吧！ 全剧的连贯性和动作大概都有很好的成绩，导演这剧的人并没有失败。
整个说来， 这剧没有「夜光杯」和 「雷雨」那般伟大，但这是一出独幕戏。 这剧是否能打破全华埠独幕剧演出的成绩呢？ 我不能够作肯定的回答。 但我知道它比其他的都好过而无不及。 我们不要忘记，三青的戏剧团还是在初发展的时候，这一次不过是序幕式的表演，但是已经获得了这样好的成绩， 将来还大有可观呢。 他们不会从此沈静下去的。 无论戏剧的意义如何，效果如何，真正识得艺术的有多少人呢？ 我们要用戏剧来表现我们的工作，我们的精神，给我们华侨留下一些过渡期间的纪念品，放下为戏剧而戏剧的主义，换上为工作，为社会，为精神而戏剧吧。 这总比较切实一些。
最后我还想说几句，也是为了三青主持一切节目而起的感想。 华埠确实成立这许多团体，聚着许多有为的青年，每个团体都各自独立，没有什么联络。 其中有因为主义不同，也有因为宗旨不同，但是我想断不是没有联合工作的可能， 而且大多数都是青年。 青年人多少都有些相同的性格和信仰，为什么我们要现出这样不团结的现象来呢？ 青年人已经这样想了，成年人和老年人就更加会这样想。 所以这个关键全都系在我们的想做与不想做之间，而不是可能与不可能。 我们要以团体的力量，除了充实自己来抵抗社会的恶劣引诱外，还要用这力量来推进社会。 青年们，放远一点眼光吧！ 更大的团结不是有更大的力量吗？ 这些话不知已被多少人说过多少次了，可是我不怕厌烦地再说一次。
十三日夜
Impressions
The parade was over, and I didn't feel much of an interest. It has always been the same set without any changes or improvement. This probably could not be said due to the conservatism of the Chinese. I think so because isn’t the parade of foreigners the same? In sum, people say it is the presentation of the spirits, but I could never see any “spirit”. There are still some differences in the presentation of facts and formality.
The doors of the Great Stage Theatre were opened, sucking in many people from the crowd outside. I too had slowly been squeezed into it. While passing by the opened inner door on which posted a note of “No seating without ticket,” I remember seeing a sign hung outside with words welcoming the participation of overseas Chinese. Very easily one could pass through that door; Chinese people don’t seem to like crowding anymore. Upon entering, I saw only one third of the seats were filled, but there were more than ten people on stage. I walked to the first ten rows or so and sat down. Some records of Mandarin music were broadcasted from the player, and the recordings were finished broadcasting one by one. The seats had not been fully filled, and I heard people on stage saying they were waiting for someone. I recalled again the situation outside the door earlier. There were not many people; it really seemed like Chinese people no longer enjoy crowding. My own answer at the time was that it was still early, but now I knew the program of this show had quite a few people making speeches. This probably was the reason it lacked audiences.
The show finally began. When they sang the national anthem, the youth choir came out to lead. This time it gave me a lot of pleasant satisfaction, even though many seated overseas Chinese didn’t sing, it was solemnly completed. During every gathering of overseas Chinese, when it was time to sing the national anthem, the voice was always very low and soft, or simply nearly non-existing, and the voice seemed to gradually die down. So the relatively satisfactory success of this time must be credited to the guidance of the Three People's Principles Youth Choir. I don’t understand why Chinese people are so afraid of singing their own national anthem. Among the old generation are some money worshippers who are uneducated. Besides a few lines of Cantonese opera, they don’t even know how to sing the national anthem. Among the new generation are some who don’t recognize themselves as Chinese; these people would say China’s national anthem is too slow and low in tune and it doesn’t sound good. In general, we overseas Chinese are always afraid or don’t know how to sing the national anthem. I don’t know if these many schools in Chinatown should or shouldn’t take responsibility. When the anthem singing is complete, many people applaud. Should the national anthem receive applause? In China, there is no applause. We should revere it, not welcome it. This probably has entailed Americanization. Our generation has been influenced by two different environments, so we have characteristics of partial Chinese and partial American. It is not known to which side the future generation will be more inclined. We serve as their victims passing through the transition. After the will of the Prime Minister was read, there was another round of applause. I felt completely baffled. I suspected whether there would be applause after 3-minutes of silence; fortunately, there was no one who didn’t know it should not be applauded.
There were highly notable shows in the program. Those were singing and drama. This part of the entertainment was taken charge by the Three People's Principles Youth Choir. Chinatown originally has many social groups. Why would the show be solely managed by the Three People's Principles Youth Choir? Was it because they were especially hardworking, or were there any other reasons? For those who did not belong to any social group would not have known. In fact, this choir should receive a very satisfactory evaluation. If I remember correctly, the Three People's Principles Youth Choir is a very new organization. Now, to one’s surprise they are on stage for the first time now (if I was not mistaken) and could obtain such a good achievement. I hope they will strive even harder hereafter to elevate to the next level. What were they singing in actuality? I believe not more than a few had understood. Even though we didn’t have such great memory power, nor had there been many who were Mandarin-proficient, music could inform us thoughts and concepts beyond language. The singing voice could convey the character, phenomenon, and spirits of a country or ethnic group. These new songs are overall more progressive and meaningful than those old Cantonese operas. This is how I think, and I also hope it is so.
Now comes the show everyone has been looking forward to in the program – drama. Setting the scene didn’t take a lot of time, and the audience didn’t show any impatient attitude or voice. So it already has given the audience a good impression. When the curtain lifted, there was about a minute of silence, which was just in time to give us a peek of the set. The stage setting and equipment are quite simple, but very precise and compacted, and I can't see any major shortcomings. This aspect of work could be considered completely successful. The distribution of lighting looked very satisfactory from where I was sitting, but not sure what it was like sitting at the back. Perhaps one may feel that the two rotating emitting lights are a little too dim.
What I am currently writing is my “impression”, so I don’t want to use too many artistic standards to evaluate this drama. The chosen play “Put Aside Your Grudges and Grievances” is also very suitable for the occasion. Moreover, coupled with the author's humor, it is even more popular with the audience. The actors’ voices were all fitting to their own roles, and the sound of their voices were loud. In terms of costume, I don’t know if they had followed the play (based on the play’s instructions), or they themselves designed. If they designed for themselves, I think there are places worthy of discussion. I think the son and daughter should wear pants to be more appropriate for the setting. Do Japanese soldiers wear blue uniforms? I am not sure, but the makeup of the Chinese official, soldier and traitor are very successful. These are also the most well performed actors in the play. In terms of action, the one who plays the Japanese soldier is the most successful. This play should credit the ability of the director. Coming second in place should be the Chinese official and traitor. No doubt, to speak more artistically, the three main characters - mother, son, and daughter- could not be considered very successful. Their acting to a certain extent has not reached the standard. Without speaking of these in professional terms, these could be considered performed alright. Not unexpectedly, these three roles are also relatively harder to act. Later I heard that the one acting the daughter was actually performing on stage for the first time. So we have great hopes for her and wish that she will continue striving. The continuity and movement throughout the play would probably have good scores, and the one directing this play has not failed.
As a whole, this play is not as great as “Noctilucous Cup” and “Thunderstorm”, but this is a one-act play. Would this play break the performance record of all the one-act plays in Chinatown? I cannot provide a definite answer, but I know it is better than all others. We should not forget that the Three People's Principles Youth Choir is still at an early developing stage. This time is just a premiere performance, yet it has already achieved such good results, and it will be promising in the future. They would not become quiet and inactive hereafter. No matter what is the meaning and impact of drama, how many people truly appreciate art? We should employ drama to express our work and spirits, leaving some souvenirs for us overseas Chinese during the transition period.
Finally, I would like to say a few words, which are also my thoughts on all the programs hosted by the Three People's Principles Youth Choir. Chinatown has indeed established many social groups, which gathered many aspiring youths, and each group is independent without any affiliation. Some of them are because of different ideologies, and some are because of different missions, but I think it is definitely not impossible to work together; moreover, most of them are young people. Young people more or less share a similar personality and faith, so why do we have to show such disunity? If young people thought in this way, middle-aged and elderly people would think more in this way. So the key lies in what we want to do and what we don’t want to, not what is possible or impossible. We must use the power of our unity to not only strengthen ourselves to resist the bad temptations of society, but also use this strength to advance society. Young people, let’s put on a farther vision! Wouldn’t greater unity yield greater power? I don’t know how many times these words have been said by so many people, but I am not afraid of getting tired of repeating them again.
Night of the 13th.