Beijing News (reporter Liu Zhen) September 24, is the 111th anniversary of the birth of Cao Yu, a famous playwright, theater educator and the first president of the Beijing People's Art Theater in China. The newly completed Cao Yu Theater of the Beijing International Theater Center, directed by Pu Cunxin and Tang Ye, and starring Gong Lijun, Bai Hui, Li Hongtao, Wang Junqi, Chen Hongxu, etc., also chose to premiere on such a commemorative day, which undoubtedly represents a tribute to the old dean Mr. Cao Yu.
Stills from the new row of "Thunderstorm". Photography by Li Chunguang
Mr. Cao Yu's "Thunderstorm" is a household name in China and has been put on the stage in various art forms. In the words of director Pu Cunxin, this new row is not simply to reinterpret the story, but also to dig deep into the text resources of Beijing Renyi. "This script of the old dean must be performed forever." Pu Cunxin, who once played Zhou Ping in the play, has always had a "thunderstorm" dream in his heart: "The idea was four years ago, and two years ago I really started to prepare." We once introduced "The Wedding" of the Belarusian State Model Theatre, which is the 17th version of the play arranged by their troupe. I think we can also have many versions and different interpretations of "Thunderstorm". This is the attitude of our people. ”
In this new version, Pu Cunxin, who once played Zhou Ping, was "upgraded" to the old master Zhou Puyuan, and at the same time "upgraded" by Gong Lijun, who once played Prosperity, and Bai Hui, who once played Si Feng, this time they became Lu Shuping and Fanyi respectively. Familiar actors, familiar roles, but the relationship between actors and roles, roles and roles, all give the audience an imaginary, but unexpected feeling.
Zhou Puyuan, played by Pu Cunxin, as a feudal parent who once had experience in the West, has Western-style ideas in educating children and many other aspects, so that people can see that it is no longer the indifferent and stereotypical Zhou Puyuan in the past understanding, but a complex character who is open and depressed; Lu Ma, played by Gong Lijun, behind the hidden tolerance, is more tenacious and independent; the prosperity played by Bai Hui is more extroverted and bold, and her cry from the bottom of her heart is more tragic; Lu Gui, played by Li Hongtao, is no longer only the treachery of small people. Instead, it is more of a father-daughter relationship with Si Feng, and more of the rationality of this character in his own position.
At the same time as "Thunderstorm", the opening work of the Renyi Small Theater in the Beijing International Drama Center - O'Neill's classic "Desire Under the Elm Tree", this work is co-directed by Ren Ming, The Jungle, due to the mingjia, Zheng Yunlong, Li Lin, Luo Xi, Liu Yi, Zeng Yongyi and other Beijing renyi young actors and special guest actors to form a new lineup, whether it is the charm of the play itself, or the new interpretation of the second creation, this work is highly anticipated.
Stills from Desire Under the Elms. Photo: Li Chunguang
Yu Mingjia, the actor of "Aibi" in the play, said when sharing his performance insights that acting is actually acting logic, and each of her psychological bases is shown to the audience little by little, stringing together the dots and becoming a clear line. "There are many sides to Aibie in my heart, she faces this man, there is a girl's side, a lover's side, a young woman's side, and a mother's side, her complex emotions must be clearly displayed to the audience, so that the audience can understand her behavior." 」 The male protagonist of the play, Ibn, played by Zheng Yunlong, has both the fragility and sensitivity of the tragic character's heart, and the external fierce outbreak full of dramatic tension. Between the ups and downs, you can see the rich layers of the actor's portrayal of the character, "I have been looking for the inner basis of Ibn, what is behind his melancholy and depression. This is not the performance method of life drama, but also a lot of imagination. For example, his feelings for his mother have always been like faith, and with these inner emotions, he can explode in an instant. Zheng Yunlong said, "Only by self-investment can we impress the audience." ”
Stills from "Home". Photo: Li Chunguang
On the same day, it was integrated with the Beijing People's Art Theater, accommodating the dramatic memories of generations, witnessing the exploration of the new Chinese drama industry and the brilliant Capital Theater, and also ushered in its 65th birthday on this day. On September 24, 1956, "Sunrise" rehearsed by the Beijing People's Art Theater was staged at the Capital Theatre, which marked the capital theater as the exclusive theater of Beijing Renyi. At this time, the "Home" written by Ba Jin, written by Cao Yu and directed by Li Liuyi, which is being staged, together with the first two works, constitutes a new situation of "three plays performing together and standing on three feet". Zhao Xingmin, a 75-year-old audience member, said in an interview with the Beijing News reporter that he has watched plays at the Capital Theater since he was young, and now he has the privilege of witnessing the completion and opening of two new theaters. "Mr. Cao Yu is the old dean of Beijing Renyi, and today is his birthday, and continuing to stage his classic works in the place where he once worked is not only the inheritance of the spirit of Beijing Renyi, but also the best memorial to him."
Beijing News reporter Liu Zhen
Edited by Wu Longzhen Proofreader Liu Jun