 Ma
Shih-tseng was a Cantonese opera actor in China. He was born in Shunde,
Guangdong, China in 1900. In 1917, he attended Cantonese opera classes in
Guangzhou. In the 1920s to 1950s, he performed in Cantonese opera and Cantonese
movie in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Southeast Asia. In 1955, he returned
to Guangzhou from Hong Kong to join the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Troupe.
Ma was able to perform in several set roles including civilized martial man,
scholar-warrior, young scholar, supporting female, clown and male warrior. He
later developed “beggar’s slang” or "Ma's slang" - a partly sing and partly
speech way of performing. This unique slang gained great popularity.
Ma Shih-tseng led the movement by taking up pens to modernize old librettos and
write new operas to the popular taste during the 1920's and 1930's. According to
the system then in place, accomplished actors would form troupes of his own; as
troupe leaders, he had ready-made outlets for their creative ventures.
Moving beyond the traditional opera repertoire known as the "18 scripts of
Jiang-hu," he and other new writers drew inspiration from a variety of sources:
religious myth, Chinese history, Western novels and plays, and contemporary news
items. At the same time, he was active in the Chinese movie business.
Early Years
Ma Shih-tseng's grandfather Ma Zhao-mei was a tea merchant in Guangzhou. Ma
Shih-tseng lived with his father Ma Gong-quan and mother Wang Wen-yu during his
childhood. In 1907, their family business collapsed, and they moved to Wuchang
to live with his great grand-uncle Ma Zhen-yu. Ma Zhen-yu was a traditional
Chinese school master and thus, little Ma Shih-tseng had the opportunity to
study. In 1911 Xinhai Revolution broke off in Wuchang. Ma family returned to
Guangzhou. Ma continued his study in a high school in Guangzhou. He began to
have the interest in opera, participated in school organized opera performance.
Before he completed his high school study, Ma was sent to Hong Kong to work as
an apprentice by his parents. Ma was unbearable the shop owner and others'
humiliations, he returned to Guangzhou to join Chen Kuang-nan's Opera Troupe to
study opera play. He had good establishment with the master and very soon he
started his stage performence life and gave himself a stage name of Guan Shi-chang.
Career
In 1918, Ma's master sent him to Singapore to join the Qing Wei-xin Opera Troupe. Ma
left the troupe after the troupe master broke his promise. Ma joined Yao
Tian-cai Opera Troupe and changed his stage name to Feng Hua-zi. He was doing
very well but later the local performers iced him out in many plays. Ma became
unemployed. He roamed about between the troupes, work as miner, shopkeeper and
medicine seller.
In 1919 Ma was employed by Ping Tian-cai Opera Troupe to act as the third young
scholar. He was promoted to the second young scholar. Later Ma and one of the
performers Xiao Xiang-feng formed a new opera troupe. He changed his stage name
to Ma Shih-tseng.
In 1923 Ma Shih-tseng returned to Hong Kong from South-east Asia. He performed
in Ren Shou-nian Opera Troupe. Many of his plays were appreciated by the
audiences. In summer 1925, after Ma Shih-tseng gained his reputation and became
a prominent figure in Cantonese opera, he left Ren Shou-nian Opera Troupe to
organize Da Tian-luo Opera Troupe.
In spring 1931, Ma Shih-tseng signed a one-year contract to perform in San
Francisco, United States. He returned to Hong Kong in 1933 to organize a new
troupe called Taiping Opera Troupe.
Later Years
Ma Shih-tseng married Hong Xian-nu in 1944, their son Ma Ding-sheng is a famous
military and news commentator. On December 14, 1955, Ma Shih-tseng and Hong
Xian-nu returned to Guangzhou. In 1956 Ma was appointed as the leader of
Guangdong Opera Troupe.
In November, 1958 the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theater was formed. Ma Shih-tseng
was appointed as the chief. In 1959, the troupe was invited by North Korea's
Prime Minister Kim Il Sung to perform in Pyongyang. In October 1959, the troupe
performed
in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the formation of People Republic
of China in Beijing.
In the first half of 1960, Ma Shih-tseng was appointed as the teacher of the
China Drama Art Class in Beijing. In 1961, Ma and Hong lead the China Cantonese
Opera Troupe to give a visiting performance at Viet Nam.
In summer 1962, Ma Shih-tseng performed "Qu Yuan" for Premier Zhou En-lai, He
Long, Chen Yi and Vice-Premier Nie Rong-zhen. This was his last stage
performance. In 1963, Ma Shih-tseng was suffered from trachea cancer. He was
admitted to Zhongshan Medical Hospital. In 1964, Ma was transferred to Beijing
Tongren Hospital. On April 21, Ma Shih-tseng passed away.
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