追夢的人 The Dream Pursuer: Fu-yen Chen
前言
人活在這個世界上，每天都必需為生存、生活打拼，不少人在個人、家庭、朋友和工作之外，心中還存有一個夢。所不同的，有的人一生都是做夢的人，有的人是追夢的人。
海外崑曲社的前社長陳富烟，就是一個積極追夢的人，而且帶領了一群朋友一起追夢。
陳富烟和朋友們所追求的夢，就是要把優美典雅的崑曲移植到美國的土地上，讓這株飄香數百年的蘭花在美國藝術的百花園裡繼續散發幽香。海外崑曲社的成立成長就是這個夢的實現。
陳富烟 1988年至1996年擔任海外崑曲社社長。2012年8月12日因病逝世，享年71歲。
陳富烟小傳
陳富烟是台灣新竹人，出生於一個清貧的家庭，是六個兄弟中的老三，從小書唸得最好。初中畢業後他選擇上師範學校，因為可以當公費生，減輕家庭的負擔。畢業後到小學當音樂老師，認識了同在學校教音樂的鄧玉屏，也就是他日後的妻子。幾年後，二人一起考入台灣師範大學音樂系，陳富烟主修音樂理論，鄧玉屏主修聲樂。畢業後，二人申請赴美留學深造。到美國後，二人結為連理。陳富烟獲康奈迪克州衛斯理恩大學獎學金，修讀民族音樂學博士學位；鄧玉屏進入紐約曼哈頓音樂學院修學聲樂。1970年，鄧玉屏獲曼哈頓音樂學院聲樂碩士學位。1976年，陳富烟獲衛斯理恩大學民族音樂學博士學位。
在求學期間，兒子陳鳴皋，女兒陳凌相繼出生。生活和學業之外，還要養兒育女，在那段時期，二人備嘗生活的艱辛。
1978年，鄧玉屏憑著她優美的女中音歌聲，被紐約大都會歌劇院聘請為合唱團團員。此後一直在歌劇院工作，直到2009年退休。陳富烟獲音樂博士學位後，始終找不到理想的音樂方面的工作，
不得已轉入電腦行業，由於認真負責，後來升為主管。日後他提及轉業之事，曾說“我們家裡不可能兩人都搞音樂，鄧玉屏能繼續追求藝術，已經夠幸運了，所以我就改了行。”
陳富烟與崑曲結緣，是在攻讀博士學位的時候，經朋友介紹，跟從著名崑曲家張元和、張充和姐妹學習崑曲的唱念做表，還跟張充和學崑笛。曾經登台與張元和合演“驚夢”，並為張充和的表演擔任笛子伴奏。
1988年，著名崑曲藝術家汪世瑜應加州大學伯克利分校邀請，來美演講表演。加州曲家張元和、徐櫻等寫信給東岸的崑曲愛好者，希望為汪世瑜安排幾場演出。在張元和、張充和的學生陳富烟、陳安娜，徐炎之和張善薌的學生張惠新、王希一，徐櫻及李方桂的女兒李林德，以及錢寧娜、黃錦等一批崑曲朋友的努力下，先後在哥倫比亞大學，皇後區奧本戴爾圖書館及華埠孫逸仙初中，為汪世瑜舉辦了三場演講示範。由汪世瑜和旅居加州的崑曲演員黃美榕，介紹表演“驚夢” “琴挑”和“思凡”選段。這是崑曲專業演員首次在紐約表演崑曲，贏得所有曲友、觀眾和哥大著名中國文學教授夏志清的熱烈掌聲和喝彩。
12月18日，在陳富烟家中為汪世瑜舉辦送別餐會，大家都為演出成功深受鼓舞，當即決定成立海外崑曲社，宣揚崑曲藝術。陳富烟被推選為社長，陳安娜為副社長，黃錦為財務。汪世瑜和黃美榕成為崑曲社藝術顧問。
崑曲社的組成者包括崑曲研究者、崑曲專業演員和崑曲愛好者。崑曲社的宗旨是研習、保存、傳揚中國傳統崑曲。
1989年，陳富烟與財務黃錦規劃起草崑曲社組織章程，正式向紐約州政府申請立案。崑曲社海外崑曲社成為美國第一個依法成立的非營利崑曲藝術機構。以後又向聯邦稅務局申請免稅資格，並申請紐約州藝術基金會和國家藝術基金會的補助。1990年，來自上崑的史潔華、蔡青霖，浙江崑劇團的聞復林，蘇州蘇崑劇團的尹繼芳陸續加入崑曲社。1991年成立崑曲傳習班。
1992年至1995年，來自上崑的王泰祺、吳德璋、沈曉明、塗畹芳、劉傑、王雨生、殷海宜、郭毅、壽文強；來自江蘇崑劇院的錢洪明、王振聲、季志良、錢冬霞以及南京少年京劇院的張立才、王煥如夫婦都先後加入崑曲社，成為駐社藝術家。
為了讓願意長住美國的崑曲演員能取得合法的居留身份，在崑曲示範表演外，還擔任崑曲傳習班老師，負責教導崑曲愛好者唱念做表等崑曲基本功，1992年起，陳富烟、黃錦、陳安娜等陸續為多位旅居紐約的崑曲專業演員辦理簽證、申請綠卡。
崑曲理念之爭
陳富烟在攻讀民族音樂學博士學位時，先後訪問了紐約區的幾個主要京劇票房。對一般業余票房的活動方式和表演重點曾做過仔細記錄和研究。
日後聽他提起，在那個時期，紐約主要京劇票房都由業余票友組成，並負責行政工作，財務管理，以及制作表演。聚會時，一些人跟著胡琴吊嗓子，一些人聊天、喝茶、吃零食。有時還打撲克牌或搓麻將。表演時，主要演員都是業余票友，專業演員大多擔任配演、配角或龍套。
由於長期對音樂的追求和執著，陳富烟對藝術和藝術家非常尊重。崑曲社成立以後，陳富烟始終堅持兩個原則：
一。正式公演必須由專業演員擔任，為的是“把最好的崑曲藝術展現給觀眾”。
演員、樂隊和舞台工作人員都有報酬。
二。行政工作由曲友負責，人人都是義工，為的是節省有限的經費。
這兩個原則在道理上是正確的，但是與中國戲曲界的傳統和實際情況卻頗有距離。
一般京劇票友、崑曲曲友都喜歡登台表演，擔任主角，並不考慮自己的藝術水平。工作時，有的拿錢，有的不拿錢。基本上都很隨意，沒有硬性的規定。
曲社有了這些原則，有的人自然不能接受。崑曲社先後發生過兩次大地震，一些成員因此離開曲社。當時有的社員覺得陳富烟太固執，做事不夠靈活。
十二年前，陳富烟曾因胸腺癌開刀。病愈以後，體力大受影響。他每天打太極拳、打坐兩小時，很注意保養。新澤西的冬天又冷又長，讓他覺得身體不適。幾經考慮，他和玉屏決定搬到溫暖的加州去。兩個多月前，他們在加州找到一個理想的住處。我看見鄧玉屏臉書上新家的照片，心裡想他們一定正忙著搬家。萬萬沒有想到突然接到鄧玉屏的電郵“我所愛的富烟現在天國“（My beloved Fu-Yen is now in Heaven。)
初聞他的噩耗，我好幾天沉浸在哀傷中，並由他的病，想起了自己的病。真如曹丕在《與吳質書》中所言“既痛逝者，行自念也！”但是當我回顧和他並肩工作的那些日子，想起了他的許多堅持，我突然醒悟這個沉默寡言，事業和他終生喜愛的音樂並不相關的人，其實是一個積極的追夢者，在追夢中他實現了自己的音樂理念，並為我們這些愛好、尊重崑曲藝術的人，創造了一個可以追夢的小小世界 — 海外崑曲社。
正是由於陳富烟的堅持，許多年後，為崑曲社帶來了一些意想不到的成果：
一。與一般戲曲社團相比，崑曲社的正式演出一直保持相當的水平。
二。崑曲社的工作人員和專業演員關系比較穩定，作風也比較單純正派。
三。崑曲傳習班的學生在老師們的悉心教導下，基本功比一般的業余曲友扎實。
四。傳習班學生中，有一些人積極參與行政、管理工作，將來可以把老一輩的工作接下來。
想到這些，我真慶幸有富烟這樣的曲友兼戰友。雖然天人遠隔，我想我們還是會繼續追夢！
陳安娜記 2012年8月21日 於紐約
附錄
崑曲社成立至今，總共舉辦了超過兩百場演講示範和公演，其中由陳富烟負責制作的有如下活動：
1993年4月 “秋江”“游園”“小宴”“寄子” （紐約佩斯大學）
1993年12月 演講表演“琴挑”“活捉” （康州衛斯理恩大學）
1995年10月 演講表演“借扇”“下山” （馬裡蘭州陶森大學）
1996年11月 演講示範、表演“山門”“下山” （紐約州柯比大學、貝茲大學）
以下大型公演由台灣文建會資助：
1994年5月 《崑曲之美》 （紐約台北劇場）
1994年10月 《昭君出塞》 （紐約台北劇場）
1997年9月 《春草闖堂》 （紐約台北劇場）
1998年5月 《崑曲社成立十周年公演》 （紐約台北劇場）
1999年11月 《潘金蓮》 （紐約台北劇場）
2002年4月 《漁家樂》 （紐約台北劇場）
除以上演出外，還與張惠新、王希一共同制作三屆《海華文藝季崑曲公演》
（1993年6月；1994年5月；1995年6月）。
Introduction
Living in this world, every day we have to work hard in order to survive. Many people, in the midst of personal life, family, friends, and work, have dreams in their hearts. Some remain dreamers throughout their life, while some are dream pursuers.
Mr. Fu-yen Chen, former president of the Kunqu Society, was an active dream pursuer who also led a group of friends to pursue a dream.
The dream Fu-yen and his friends pursued was to transplant the elegant and classical kunqu theatre to the soil of the U.S., letting this orchid continue to emit its fragrance among the numerous flowers in the garden of American arts. The founding of the Kunqu Society was the realization of this dream.
Fu-yen was president of the Kunqu Society from 1988 to 1996. He passed away due to illness on August 12, 2012, at the age of 71.
A Short Bio of Fu-yen
Fu-yen was a native of Hsin-chu in Taiwan. Born into a financially underprivileged family, Fu-yen was the third child among his six siblings and excelled in school. After graduating from middle school, he chose to enter teachers’ college so that he would receive a fellowship and reduce his family’s financial burden. After he graduated from college he became a music teacher at an elementary school where he met future wife, Theresa Teng. A few years later, Fu-yen and Theresa passed the entrance examination and were admitted to the Department of Music, National Taiwan Normal University, with Fu-yen majoring in music theory, Theresa in voice. After graduation they came to the U.S. to pursue advanced degrees and became husband and wife. With a scholarship offered by Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Fu-yen studied ethnomusicology, while Theresa was admitted into Manhattan School of Music to continue her training in voice. In 1970 Theresa earned her master’s degree, and Fu-yen his doctorate..
During those years of study, their son Morgan and daughter Lynn were born. Fu-yen and Theresa therefore had to juggle living, studying, and raising children; life was not easy.
In 1978, with her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice, Theresa became a member of the choir of the Metropolitan Opera where she worked until she retired in 2009. Fu-yen, after graduating with his doctorate and unable to find a suitable position in music, changed his career to information technology. Through devotion and hard work, he was promoted to manager. Years later he talked about the decision to change his career path: “It was impossible for both of us to have a music career. It was really fortunate for Theresa to continue to advance in the arts, and so I decided to change mine.”
Fu-yen first encountered kunqu while he was studying for his doctorate. Through a friend’s introduction, Fu-yen learned the performing skills of kunqu from Ms. Yuan-ho Chang and Ms. Chung-ho Chung, two renowned kunqu practitioners. He also learned flute playing from Ms. Chung-ho Chang. He performed “An Interrupted Dream” with Ms. Yuan-ho Chang and played the flute to accompany the performances of Ms. Chung-ho Chang.
In 1988, Mr. Shiyu Wang, a distinguished kunqu master, was invited by University of California, Berkeley, to visit the U.S. and give lectures and performances. Ms. Yuan-ho Chang, Ms. Ying Xu, and others in California wrote to kunqu lovers on the east coast and suggested that some public events be arranged for Wang’s visit. Through the efforts of Fu-yen, Anna Chen Wu, both students of Ms. Yuan-ho Chang and Ms. Chung-ho Chang; Ms. Grace Wang and Mr. Hsi-i Wang, both students of Mr. Yan-chi Hsu and Ms. Shan-hsiang Chang; Ms. Lindi Li Mark, daughter of Ms. Ying Xu and Mr. Fang-gui Li; Ms. Ning-na Chien; Mr. John Hwang; and others, three lecture-demonstrations were held respectively at Columbia University, Queens Library in Auburndale, and Dr. Sun Yat-sen Middle School. The events featured kunqu master Wang and Ms. Meirong Huang, a kunqu performer residing in California who introduced and performed sections from kunqu classics: “An Interrupted Dream,” “The Zither,” and “Longing for the Mundane World.” These events marked the first kunqu performances by professional kunqu performers in New York and won enthusiastic responses and applause from amateur kunqu practitioners and the general public, as well as Professor C.T. Hsia, a famed professor of Chinese literature at Columbia.
On December 18, 1988, a farewell banquet for kunqu master Wang was held at Fu-yen’s residence. Inspired by the success of the events, those who were present decided to found the Kunqu Society to introduce and promote the kunqu art. Fu-yen was elected as the president, Anna the vice president, John the treasurer, and Mr. Wang and Ms. Huang the artistic advisors.
Members of the Society include kunqu researchers, professional kunqu performers and amateur kunqu enthusiasts. The mission of the Society is to study, preserve, and promote the classical kunqu art.
In 1989, Fu-yen and John drafted the by-laws of the Society and formally registered with the New York state; the Kunqu Society thus became the first legally recognized non-profit kunqu organization in the U.S. Afterward the Society obtained tax-exempt status from the federal government and began to receive funding support from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1990, Ms. Jiehua Shi and Mr. Qinglin Cai of the Shanghai Kunqu Troupe, Mr. Fulin Wen of the Zhejiang Kunqu Troupe, and Ms. Jifang Yin of the Suzhou Sukun Troupe joined the Society. In 1991, the Kunqu Workshop was established.
From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Taiqi Wang, Mr. Dezhang Wu, Mr. Xiaoming Shen, Ms. Wanfang Tu, Mr. Jie Liu, Mr. Yusheng Wang, Ms. Haiyi Yin, Mr. Yi Guo, and Mr. Wenqiang Shou of the Shanghai Kunqu Troupe; Mr. Hongming Qian, Mr. Zhensheng Wang, Mr. Zhiliang Ji, Ms. Dongxia Qian of the Jiangsu Kunqu Troupe; and Mr. Licai Zhang and Ms. Huanru Wang of the Nanjing Youth Jingju Troupe joined the Society and became its resident artists.
In order to stay in the U.S. and obtain legal status, the resident artists not only participated in kunqu lecture-demonstrations, but also became instructors of the Kunqu Workshop to teacher amateur kunqu practitioners basic kunqu performing skills. Beginning in 1992, Fu-yen, John, and Anna handled the artists’ visa and residency applications.
Disputes over vision and directions for Kunqu
When Fu-yen was studying for his ethnomusicology doctorate he conducted field trips, interviewed several jingju amateur clubs in the New York area, and carefully documented and researched their activities and performances.
As he remarked later on, during that time the major jingju clubs were organized by amateur practitioners who, in addition to staging performances, took charge of administrative and financial matters. At their gatherings, some would practice singing with huqin (the lead musical instrument used in jingju), while others chatted leisurely, drank tea, ate snacks, and sometimes played cards or mahjong. In performance, the main characters were amateur practitioners with the professionals in supporting or supernumerary roles.
Through his long-term interest and devotion to music, Fu-yen was very respectful of the arts and artists. Ever since the founding of the Society, Fu-yen always insisted on two principles:
First, the cast of formal performances had to be composed of professional performers so that “the best kunqu arts will be presented to the audience.” Performers, musicians, and stage crew were to be compensated for their work.
Second, the administrative work was to be handled by amateur kunqu practitioners on a voluntary basis for the sake of the budget.
The two principles were correct in reasoning, but distant from the tradition and actual practice in the theatre world.
In general amateur practitioners of jingju and kunqu enjoy performing on stage and playing the lead roles without considering their own artistic levels. For backstage work, some accept money for their efforts while others don’t, according to their own wishes, not following set rules.
The principles of the Society were predictably not accepted by some people. Two “earthquakes” occurred within the Society, with members leaving. Some thought Fu-yen was too stubborn, not flexible enough in managing the Society’s affairs.
Twelve years ago, Fu-yen had an operation for thymic carcinoma, which has continued to affect his physical wellbeing since recovery. Fu-yen practiced taichi and mediated for two hours daily, very careful about his own health. The long and cold winter in New Jersey made him felt physically unwell. After some consideration, he and Theresa decided to move to California’s warmer climate. A little over than two months ago, they found an ideal new home there. I saw pictures of their new home on Theresa’s Facebook page, thinking that they must have been busy moving. Thus it was a shock to receive an e-mail from Theresa with the line: “My beloved Fu-Yen is now in Heaven.”
After I received the terrible news of Fu-yen’s passing, for several days I sunk into sadness. Thinking of his illness led me to consider my own. As Cao Pi wrote in “A Letter for Wu Zhi”: “While aching for the deceased, I thought of my own life.” But when I thought back to those days when I worked together with Fu-yen, remembering those principles he insisted upon, I suddenly realized that Fu-yen, with his laconic personality and in a career unrelated to his love for music, was actually an active dream pursuer. It was in his pursuit of the dream that he realized his ideas about music and created for those of us who love and respect the kunqu art a small world, the Kunqu Society, to continue to pursue the dream.
Fu-yen’s persistence has led to, years later, several unexpected achievements for the Society:
First, when compared with our peer organizations, the Society maintains a certain artistic level in its formal performances;
Second, the Society maintains a stable relationship between its administrative staff and professional performers as we deal with matters in a simple, straightforward manner.
Third, with the care and teaching of the workshop instructors, students of the Kunqu Workshop have acquired firmer foundation of basic skills when compared with other amateur practitioners.
Fourth, several workshop students who have actively participated in the administrative and managerial tasks of the Society will be able to take over the workload from the older generation.
With these thoughts in mind, I feel very fortunate to have had Fu-yen as a fellow practitioner of kunqu, a fellow soldier in battle. Although we are now two worlds apart, I think we will continue to pursue the dream!
By Anna Chen Wu, August 21, 2012, in New York
Appendix
Since its founding, the Kunqu Society has organized more than two hundred lecture-demonstrations and performances. Among them Fu-yen organized the following activities:
April, 1993: Performance of “The Autumn River,” “A Stroll in the Garden,” “A Banquet for Two,” and “Entrusting the Son” at Pace University
December, 1993: Lecture-demonstration of “The Zither” and “Taken Alive” at Wesleyan University, Connecticut
October, 1995: Lecture-demonstration of “Borrow the Fan” and “Fleeing Down the Mountain” at Towson University, Maryland
November, 1996: Lecture-demonstration and performance of “The Mountain Gate” and “Fleeing Down the Mountain” at Colby College and Bates College, New York
The following performances were supported by the Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan, and performed at the Taipei Theater, New York:
May, 1994: The Beauty of Kunqu
October, 1994: Zhaojun Leaving Her Country
September, 1997: Spring-grass
May, 1998: The Tenth Anniversary Performance of the Kunqu Society
November, 1999, Pan Jin-lian
April, 2002: Joy of the Fisherman
In addition to the above performances, Fu-yen also co-produced “The Overseas Chinese Arts Festival: Kunqu Performance” with Ms. Grace Wang and Hsi-i Wang in June, 1993, May, 1994, and June, 1995.
