Armed with two swords, the fearless huadan (female opera warrior)
glides gracefully through mists of dry ice, creating the illusion of
flyng to Kunlun Mountain on a cloud. When the mist dissipates, she is standing
in frong of a large silk screen painting of a heavenly mountain scene.
Bai performs an intricate sword dance as she searches the hillside
for mushrooms. Soon she finds what she came for
and is about to pick one, when two actors wearing in elaborate costumes and
colourful opera masks emerge from behind the screen.
"Halt!" says the one dressed like a brown deer. "We are the
god-appointed guardians of Kunlun Mountain. No one may take these
mushrooms without permission."
Startled, Bai drops her prize. With a quick cartwheel she retrieves it
with her teeth. The audience claps and falls silent, straining at the
edge of their seats for what will come next. Seeing that the two
warriors are also armed, she attemps feminine wiles and
tries to woo them with coquettish charm.
"Not even one mushroom for a good cause?" she sings playfully and
rolls her eyes at the audience.
"Not one!" booms the actor in the green turtle costume. "And stop trying to use your serpent charm. It won't work on me, I fear. What possible use could a snake spirit have for a mushroom anyway?" he sneers.
"Not even if I tell you it's to save my human husband's life?" Bai
rejoins, growing angry at their show of disrespect.
"Not even then," sings Brown Deer and strikes her with his sword.
"How dare you touch me that way!" she screeches in his face, meeting
his sword with hers. "For being such a cad I will take one anyway."
Bai tries to escape, but Brown Deer and Green Turtle corner her and
push her downstage behind a row of translucent rice paper
screens. Their silouettes appear larger than life, as if they were shadow
puppets, and a furious battle of shadow sword ensues.
When the actors reappear, Bai dances backward and lunges
forward to the agitated tempo of the music, demonstrating her
wushu acrobatic skills with vigorous somersaults, pulls, jumps, kicks
and other improbably postures - no mean feat in a tall headdress and
voluminous robes while weilding two swords. Her agility, precision
and rhythm convey a sense strength and beauty. It appears that she is
winning! The audience roars its approval.
Then White Crane makes her dramatic entrance, a formidable huadan played by renowned Xi Hu actor and wushu master Ji Nu Chi. The other warriors step back in a show of respect and give her the floor. Seeing such a fearsome opponant, Bai holds the precious mushroom firmly between her teeth and prepares to fight to the death to save her husband.
With the grace of the bird whose name she bears, White Crane easily
overwhelms Bai and she finally admits defeat. White Crane raises her
sword to strike the final blow, when cheerful whistling is heard
offstage. She lowers her sword and bows in the direction of the happy
tune.
"You are lucky White Snake. It appears you are destined to live. But
don't ever forget that I could have had your head on a stake."
Bai nods her head in acquiescene and peers curiously at the old man
shuffling toward them.
"Halt White Crane! Halt everyone! How dare you steal from the
gods Lady White! What gives you the right?"
On bended knees, she splutters and stutters an empassioned plea in a
high sing-song voice through tears of desperation and devotion to her
husband.
I-I-I... He-e-e.
That is, you see-e-e.
I love him!
My husband Xu Xian
Means the world to me.
I-I-I...am
Begging-egging-egging
Your forgiveness-ess-ess,
For you see-ee-ee,
I'm in distress-ess-ess
For I've broken Little Froggy's heart in three
And his child - our child
With no father...will grow wild."
"There, there, child. You are a fierce, brave, loyal loving wife and
mother. These are qualities we gods admire! Go now, and take the
mushroom with you. It is truly what my heart desires. Swear you won't
use it to revive any other mortal souls, or tell anyone where it
grows."
Bai sticks out her chin with pride, raises herself to her full height
and bows deeply to the kind-hearted God of the South Pole. Her good
breeding is shown by the graceful, flowing movements of her long
shui xiu (water sleeves).
"I swear! You have my deepest loyalty for this, dear, kind Old Man of
the South. I owe you one and swear your secret will never leave my
mouth. Now I must hurry on my way, but I will never forget the favour
you have done for me today."
The teahouse plunges into darkness for a few short minutes while
stage hands quickly exchange the props for the next scene.
"What an ugly mushroom!" Xiao exclaims.
Bai giggles and sings, "Don't dally, sis. Speed is a must! Xu needs
to drink its broth before his mortal body turns to dust. Please
boil some water while I pulverise the ugly fungus to a pulp. It may
have miraculous healing powers, but it has to simmer for two hours.
"Turns to dust? Then hurry we must!"
Singing in unison, the two snake ladies dance offstage. Acrobats
tumble onto the scene from both wings to lighthearted music,
enlivening the mood, while clowns perform mock death and battle
scenes with shadow puppets. They bow and take their leave when the
ladies return with the miracle brew.
Bai lovingly holds Xu's head in her lap while Xiao forces the bitter
liquid down his throat. After what seems like a long moment of
suspense, the gentle scholar finally coughs and splutters and sits up
straight, holding his head between his hands.
"Oh my poor aching head," he sings in eerie falsetto tones. "I must
have hit it on the floor. I had a terrible dream, Bai. You turned
into a giant white snake right there on the bed!"
"I think it must have been something you ate - or drank! Too much
sticky rice perhaps, or that rank reaglar wine. Your breath still
reeks of it," shey says, wrinkling her nose. "But I don't care
because you're mine."
Bai hugs Xu ecstatically, to his chagrin. Happy to see the couple
reunited, Xiao gives a delighted squeal and dances around them
in circles to the accompaniment of joyous orchestral music.
The stage fades to black on this happy scene and the curtains close.
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Bai Long
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