I gave Li Yuexian a row of "Life and Death Cards" probably in 1959. At that time, she was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, but she was already a top student of the young actors of the three troupes of Jin Opera in Taiyuan City. She is very simple, dressed in an ordinary way, usually does not like to talk, and is not tall. Looking at the appearance seems to be some distance from the people in the play. But she studied very hard, her voice was very good, and everyone said that she was a good piece of material.
When I was the director of "Life and Death Card", I first familiarized the actors with the script. At first, I thought that her culture was very low, and this Huang Boxian's drama was very heavy, and she would probably be very difficult. Unexpectedly, rehearsals began a few days later, and she read all the lines fluently at the beginning. It can be seen that she is very serious and has made a lot of effort. She has a lot of spirit in acting and enters the role quickly. On the rehearsal floor, when I explained the script to her, analyzed the characters, and made demands on the characters' performances, she listened carefully. After I was prompted, she could quickly design several figures and steps according to the director's requirements, and she was very bold in her acting. "Grabbing cards" is a heavy scene in the whole play, and there are six big ups and downs in this scene alone. This requires the actor to accurately understand the psychological activities of the characters and accurately express each emotional ups and downs. At first, she didn't grasp it very well, I said it again and again, she listened patiently every time, and after listening to it, she thought about it for a while and then started again. But the painful emotions in her character's heart still did not meet my requirements, and I criticized her. After work, I can't eat well and can't sleep, and I can't say anything all day. Not angry with the director, but racking his brains to figure out the role, and then going to the rehearsal hall the next day, the complex came out at once.
This man is like this: he is strong in art, willing to study, and has a spirit of disbelief. Coupled with her good basic skills and passion for acting, she can pass at one point at the critical moment. "Life and Death Card" has been performed for a long time after it has been staged, on the one hand, the foundation of people's scripts is good, and another reason is that Huang Boxian, played by Li Yuexian, has passion and character, which has touched the audience's heart.
It has been more than thirty years since the first rehearsal of "Life and Death Cards". Li Yuexian is still acting in this play, and I heard that every performance is still very popular, for many reasons. Probably her acting passion is the main thing.