Liu Baoluo (1907-1941) was a Chinese drama
actor as well as a theater activist. He was born into a poor family in
Changsha, Hunan Province.
Liu went to the Changsha Normal
School in 1925 where he began to accept the progressive
theories. After the failure of the First Civil War in 1927, Liu was discontent
with the dark Kuomintang (KMT) government and left for Shanghai to seek the truth. When he passed by
Nanjing in the autumn of 1928,
he watched a lot of dramas like Tragedy on the Lake and began to love
this art form. In the autumn of 1929, he joined the Shanghai Art Society led by
the Communist Party. In the drama All quiet on the West Front, he acted
as the hero Paul. His vivid and enthusiastic interpretation of the
character was very much admired by the audience. Hence he changed his name to
Liu Baoluo (Paul in Chinese).
In the spring of 1931, Liu was the secretary
of the Left Wing Dramatist League, and later he promoted the left-wing dramas
and organized a lot of performances in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Meanwhile, he also performed in a
lot progressive dramas. In July 1932, he was arrested due to his active work in
promoting progressive dramas. After he was freed in the winter of 1935, he
continued to engage himself in progressive dramas. After the War of Resistance
Against Japan, together with Shao Quanlin and Yu zhongwu, etc., he organized a
mobile troupe to perform in a lot of places in the east of Zhejiang Province. As an actor, a playwright and a
director, he produced a lot of patriotic dramas, reflecting China's resistance against the invaders.
In the spring of 1940, Liu went to the
revolutionary base led by the New Forth Army and once directed the New Forth
Army Troupe. In January 1941, he was the dean of the Opera Department of Central
China Lu Xun Art School, where he trained a lot of dramatic talents. Meanwhile,
he also created a lot of dramas reflecting the life of the revolutionary base.
During this period, he did some experimental work on drama, which contributed
significantly to the drama movement of the base. Unfortunately, Liu died in a
firearm discharge accident during a performance in
1941.