Quite a few of the old artists were tortured to death or committed suicide. The new generation may be better acrobats, but this does not mean they are good exponents of Chinese opera.
梅派傳人言慧珠，就因拒演樣板戲「白毛女」，備受凌虐而不堪其辱，有天穿著「貴妃醉酒」的行頭，頭上掛著「我要唱戲」的牌子，自殺身亡。其他演員也有很多處境淒涼，瘋的瘋、死的死，劫後餘生的也只能求自保，無暇顧及藝事。