Two Stage Sisters Page #3

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to sit down and discuss this.

"A Tragic Life and a Lavish Funeral"

I never stood up for Sister Shuihua.

I was fooled by that villain Tang.

I was taken in.

Sister Chunhua, I know you feel terrible.

You're angry. Cry, or talk about it.

I don't understand why she died.

There are people who take pleasure

in others' misfortune.

They wrote about her in the newspapers

but they distorted the facts.

An actress like my sister...

is now leading a depraved life.

Everyone envies and congratulates her.

Miss Zhu, I may not be right...

but this is what I think.

In your eyes, she leads a depraved life.

but others may think it's the path

to success for an Opera Queen.

Before Shang Shuihua died...

she understood she was

a willing beast of burden...

that she was a money

tree. Perhaps most people

don't understand that.

They may even want to be deluded.

The other day you said you'll protect

the living...

and avenge the dead.

I think this is of utter importance.

Our sisters must understand what is right

and what is wrong.

If the majority people are of one mind...

have one standard of truth...

then the people oppressing us

will be crushed by us,

no matter who they are.

The door to her heart is opening wide...

ready to be washed clean by torrential rain.

She wants to sing new songs...

she wants to start a new life.

The Year 1946

Teacher Wang, I've seen the films

and plays you told me about.

We sisters would like to follow

their example.

"Eyebrows raised, coolly

I face a thousand pointing fingers"

"New Year's Sacrifice:

Xiang Lin's Widow"

This is a character from one

of Lu Xun's stories.

He portrays the suffering

of Chinese women

under the old feudal system.

She was widowed twice,

so people thought she brought bad luck.

I read this short story.

The plays opens next week.

There are so many people.

Can we get tickets?

I got tickets!

I waited for three hours!

Commissioner Pan is not pleased you're

producing "New Year's Sacrifice"

He wants you to think of a way

to close it down.

Commissioner Pan will make sure

the Japanese deal is yours.

It looks good for you.

Aren't you bored

staying at home?

I've decided to give you

a theatre company...

so you can sing again.

What do you think?

I don't want to sing.

I'm out of practice.

You'll never change. You'll always be

a country girl.

Starting from tomorrow

you'll be training.

Are you listening?

Attention everyone, Manager Tang's wife

will return to the stage.

You must let her have the theatre

to sing in.

Let her? Who says so?

Who? Manager Tang said so.

Are you joking? Our contract

hasn't expired yet.

The theatre belongs to everyone.

The boss wants to stop this weird play

you're putting on.

Did you know?

"New Year's Sacrifice,

adapted from the story by Lu Xun"

Who is this guy Lu?

He's sent by the Communists!

Chunhua...

I said you must leave the theatre.

I won't leave. Our sisters theatre troupe

wants to perform.

No one will bully us.

Didn't you already accept Mrs. Tang's money?

And you're performing with them?

Yuehong still has no theatre.

You're playing both sides.

I'll break your legs!

You dare to bully her?

Your letter.

Let's not perform this new play.

You're not afraid of this letter?

It's just one frightening letter.

We've had many encouraging letters

about our new play.

This entire drawer is full.

Let me keep it.

You're not afraid to put on the play,

but what about the theatre?

We're threatened with bullets.

Even our own sister, Yuehong,

is forcing us out.

- I'm waiting for two tickets.

- Got them. Let's go inside.

- Are there still tickets?

- No.

I have one ticket.

- What row?

- Fifth row.

I lift my head to ask the blue sky.

Are there really spirits and ghosts?

Oh, blue sky...

there's no rejoicing...

Zhu Chunhua worked hard on this opera.

The plan is to stop the play.

It's up to you.

Is there a hell?

Man does not speak...

man does not speak.

Half believing, half doubting...

it's difficult to understand.

Like dreaming, like waking...

leaving the world of men.

Sister Chunhua, your performance

was really good.

Did you see the gestures

I used to grab Xiang Lin's wife?

Look at the gestures I used

to play the old woman.

Like this, I grabbed. Like that, I pushed.

Then she got on the sedan chair.

She parades her wealth,

washing her face in a gold basin...

but Yuehong's no better than us.

Xiao Xiang!

Who wants it? You've sold yourself

to the foreign countries.

And you help that Tang

undermine the sisters.

Sister Chun.

From now on we go our own separate ways.

Alright.

Whether water or mud, or lake or pit,

I must take that road.

Manager Tang, I'd like to

have a little talk with you.

Our contract hasn't expired yet.

True, but your permit has.

The play has been banned.

Yuehong hasn't been on stage for a year.

Now she's staging a comeback.

You're sisters.

Why not work together?

These are fine words.

It mustn't be this way.

If you don't sing in this garbage play...

I'll ask her for a favor...

so you two sisters can perform

together in the theatre.

A favor! One must distinguish between

good and evil as a person and as an actress.

If one cannot separate good from evil,

what favor can they do?

How ungrateful!

Fine. What a waste of time!

Bah! Actresses!

If we only had a theatre of our own!

Why is the play banned?

What are you looking at?

Totally unreasonable!

"Contract for the Shanghai

Co-operative Opera Troupe"

When we sisters sang opera in the past...

we had to endure a lot of difficulties.

Since you explained the hows

and whys to us...

so many sisters have come out

of the darkness into the light.

Now that progress is possible in this era,

the era asks us sisters to participate.

We two must participate.

Today I have some news to report.

We Shanghai Opera sisters

are going to hold joint performance.

We'll build our own theatre

with the ticket profits.

This is a co-operative initiative.

That was quick!

Now we sisters are really united.

We can accomplish anything!

We discussed the program...

and we want you to adapt...

this book opposing government brutality.

When we have our own theatre one day...

we can raise our heads high

performing on stage...

and off stage we will be

be bold and confident people.

We'll never again serve

people like Manager Tang.

The Xinhu Theatre is a small stage...

society is a large stage.

Behind Tang's boss is yet a bigger boss...

and behind that big boss are the Americans.

They control this large stage.

If the world is not changed and

the big bosses aren't defeated,

we cannot have our own true stage.

The big bosses who control us

will not willingly leave the great stage.

The current revolutionary situation is

developing rapidly.

If we are to be successful,

we must kill the enemy.

They will certainly fight desperately...

using their man-eating system...

to keep us from joyfully playing our part.

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