The Paper's reporter Wang Yi
On April 7th, the newly created drama "Iron Flow Eastward" produced and performed by the National Drama Theatre of China held a press conference in Beijing. The play will be staged at the National Theatre Theatre from April 13 to April 17 as the opening play of the 7th China Original Drama Invitational Exhibition.
"Iron Flow Eastward" performance poster
The drama "Iron Flow Eastward" is based on the novella "The Last Electric Wave" (first published in "People's Literature" issue 07, 2018), written by Zha Wenbai and Zhong Ming, directed by Cha Wenhao, stage designer Zhang Wu, lighting design Huang Yi, actors Hou Yansong, Tian Zheng, Wang Ting, Chu Shuozhong, Zhang Zhenyuan, Wang Bihan, Li Mengnan, etc., which can be described as an excellent combination of creative and performance forces, striving to create a bloody and touching anti-war drama with one heart, and shaping a credible and respectable New Fourth Army "Iron Army" "Group portraits.
The People's Literature Award works are adapted, and the red blood is continued
The drama "Iron Flow Eastward" tells the story of a grandfather with Alzheimer's disease who suddenly declares "I am a martyr". Sun Tzu was surprised, and by observing his grandfather's words and deeds, he gradually unveiled the mystery of his identity - in 1941, the third regiment of the Anhui Central Independent Division was blocked from advancing eastward, and was besieged by the Japanese in the White Horse Mountain, and it was urgent to contact his superiors through the radio. The announcer who assisted the three regiments was a well-skilled but unconvincing victory against the Japanese, and their encounter was like a stubborn stone smashed into a hot iron stream, and sparks splashed...
When talking about "The Last Radio Wave", ji Yu, the author of the novel, once introduced that his parents are veterans of the Signal Corps of the New Fourth Army. After the death of his parents, when he was sorting out the relics, he found a set of "Selected Historical Materials of the East China Military Region of the New Fourth Army and the Signal Corps of the Third Field Army", so he had the idea of writing a novel. In Ji Yu's view, the biggest difference between "The Last Radio Wave" and the "Eternal Wave" is that "both wrote about the radio, but strictly speaking, "The Eternal Radio Wave" is not yet about the life of the signal soldiers, it is about underground work, and "The Last Radio Wave" is about how a regiment of our army broke out after the Anhui Incident, was besieged at White Horse Mountain, and how to get in touch with the superiors and finally highlight the story of the siege after the Anhui Incident. ”
The main creative team communicated with the original author many times, consulted a large number of historical materials and memoirs of the signal soldiers on the basis of the information and background provided by the novel, and collected style on the ground and visited relevant people, gradually making the characters in the play more plump and three-dimensional in the process of in-depth excavation.
Screenwriter Cha Wenbai Wang Haochen photographed
Screenwriter Cha Wenbai changed his draft several times and strived for the most accurate stage expression, "Some of the lines in the play are derived from the last words of real martyrs, such as 'life is odorless, death is smellless, enough', heroic martyrs should not be unknown, they should be remembered and praised by future generations." In his opinion, "the theme of the drama cannot be an empty slogan, it must be implemented on the characters." As the protagonist, how does Ang Lee carry the theme and deepen the theme? When one soldier after another fell down and there was no hope of breaking through, it was a sentence inspired by the words of Gu Regiment Commander Daigo, who inspired Li Anben, "It is not because I see hope that I insist, but I insist on seeing hope." ’”
Director Cha Wenhao was interviewed by the media wang Haochen
From playing Deng Zhongxia in the TV series "The Age of Awakening" to directing the drama "Iron Flow Eastward", director Cha Wenhao has the innovative power of young creators who dare to break through, and at the same time has the responsibility of young party members to be honest and steadfast. After two years of preparation for the play, he led the team to overcome many difficulties, and the crew was suspended several times due to the epidemic, and he never slackened. In order to understand the combat life of the signal soldiers, he visited many former military sites, visited scholars from the Historical Research Association, invited radio experts to carry out teaching, and led the crew to create down-to-earth. "The spirit of the Iron Army needs to be passed on from generation to generation, and this drama is to erect a monument for martyrs and a legacy for the people." The creative team should twist into a rope, trust and support each other, adhere to the integrity and innovation, and create an excellent work with heart and soul. ”
The "all-male class" gathers iron streams and creates hero group portraits
"Iron Stream Eastward" is an "all-male class" tough guy play without female characters, and there is not even "opponent and enemy" in the play. In this regard, screenwriter ChaWenn Bai introduced, "Without female characters, the drama may be devoid of color; the absence of opponents and enemies also seems to mean the loss of the opposite of the conflict." But I think that's exactly what will be the hallmark of the show — it doesn't matter if the color is missing, it's even more terrifying to have no features. To make a bold attempt on the stage of the play, it starts with throwing away the clichés. When 30 male actors converge on the stage into a rushing iron stream, unstoppable towards the goal, this poetic scene is the climax of the drama. ”
Actor Hou Yansong Wang Haochen photographed
Hou Yansong, a national first-class actor of the National Drama Theatre and winner of the Plum Blossom Award, and Tian Zheng, a veteran actor of the National Drama Theatre, jointly played the announcer Li Anben in the play, and their respective performance styles added a point of view to this role. Since recommending the original novel to the theater two years ago, he has been fully promoting the creation of this drama, and solemnly submitted an application to join the party during the rehearsal period, reflecting the reverence of a literary and art worker for the Chinese Communist Party in practical actions.
Actor Tian Zheng Wang Haochen photographed
Tian Zheng, who has rich stage experience, emphasizes the need to impress the audience with real performances, and believes that every actor in this drama is very important, and everyone together constitutes a group portrait of the Iron Army, and no individual can show such a magnificent courage and strength.
Actor Wang Ting, Wang Haochen, photographed
It is worth mentioning that Tian Zheng shared the stage again with Wang Ting, an "old comrade-in-arms" who had been separated for 17 years, in this drama, and the two had cooperated in "Visitor on the Iceberg". This time, Wang Ting played the leader of the three regiments in the drama "Tieliu Eastward", and he has portrayed many police and tough guy roles, and he is called by the director as the "best candidate" for this role, and he will use the Sichuan dialect to portray a hero who leads the soldiers to break through in a desperate situation. Wang Ting said, "Trade-offs and beliefs are the most important spiritual qualities in Gu Tuanchang, and I hope to pass them on to the audience. ”
Chu Shuozhong, an actor who played Gu Wenchang in the drama "Gu Wenchang", played the role of Du Shuozhong, a returned overseas Chinese, who has knowledge and great righteousness, and hopes to let the audience experience the power of patriotism from that generation through this role.
Actor Zhang Zhenyuan Wang Haochen photographed
Zhang Zhenyuan, who is studying Chinese opera for the first time, said that this cooperation with the artists of the National Drama Theatre is a very beneficial experience, "I have learned a lot of experience in performance from the teachers of Mandarin actors, and I am very impressed by the teachers' handling of performance details every time." Zhang Zhenyuan plays Xiao Chaihuo in the play, and whenever he stands on the stage as a young soldier, his heart is full of sense of mission and pride.
Rehearsal photo taken by Wang Haochen
The "Image Mountain" can be regarded as a choreographic innovation, conveying the admiration for the martyrs
On the surging news reporter to observe the rehearsal scene, the stage design Zhang Wu moved one white brick block after another on the stage, arranged into Morse code symbols, and these codes formed the white horse mountain in the play. At the press conference, director Cha Wenhao introduced that the "image mountain" composed of Morse code on the stage was a highlight of the play. The audience can follow the development of the plot and see it as the trench of the White Horse Mountain against the Japanese Kou; as the chaotic brain of the protagonist Lee Ann When he was ill; or as a monument to the martyrs after liberation." Through the turntable and the change of light and shadow, its form at different angles is like the rhythm of ticking when the power is generated. In short, with the change of stage poetry, we can derive a very rich connotation. This is the breakthrough of the main creative team in terms of narrative and choreography. ”
Rehearsal photo Photo: Wu Yunfei
In Cha Wenhao's view, "This rhythm is the hope of the white horse mountain warriors, who hope to contact the organization through telegrams and break out of the siege to continue eastward; this rhythm is also the best blessing of all the actors, who have good wishes for the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people, and convey their admiration for the martyrs in the circular time tunnel composed of Morse code." ”
Rehearsal photo Photo: Liu Ziyu
The drama "Iron Flow Eastward" was created during the new crown epidemic, after many suspensions and restarts, Wang Qihan, Deng Jiao, Wu Junda, Liu Ziyu, Zhang Ruochen and other young actors of the National Drama Theatre were not afraid of hardships, with knee pads to train their bodies, crawling and rolling in the rehearsal field, pouring their efforts to overcome all difficulties, and striving to show the vigorous vitality of contemporary young actors on the stage. The work is about to usher in the test of the audience and the market, at the end of the press conference, all the creators jointly expressed the hope that the play will create a good heroic image that can be sung and wept, "can touch the audience's heart, trigger the audience's resonance, and set up a monument for the hero tree." ”
Group photo by Wang Haochen
Editor-in-Charge: Liang Jia Photo Editor: Chen Feiyan
Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang