"Full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears", the jewel in the crown of classical Chinese literature, "Dream of the Red Chamber" has attracted generations of readers. After being adapted in various forms such as opera, film and television, musical theater, the whole book "Dream of the Red Chamber" was put on the stage of contemporary drama, created by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, and divided into the upper part of "Spring and Summer, Prosperity of the Wind and Moon" and the lower part of "Autumn and Winter, Eating All the Birds" and presenting it to the audience. The performance lasted more than six hours, showing the life of a family that was at its peak.
Last night's first appearance was in the upper part, on the stage, the pages of the book that were turned on three sides slowly rose, and the sky was full of red... The prelude to the "Joy of The Extreme" opened the heavenly wealth of the Rongning Erfu's fiery cooking oil and flowers. The Yuan Concubine was enthroned, creating a grand view garden for provincial relatives, and in the scenery of flowers and beautiful flowers, there was a faint figure of sorrow.
"Standing in mid-air" to re-examine "Dream of the Red Chamber"
The entire stage designed by Liu Xinglin is based on white, which responds to the saying in "Dream of the Red Chamber" that "the land is really clean after falling into a white expanse", and is supplemented by red, showing the symbolic significance of the joy of the Grand View Garden after the funeral, joy and sorrow.
"It's about this life, and what is foreseen is the future," the original "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a rare novel that first "spoilers" the ending and then "dismantles" the fate. The same is true of the drama "Dream of the Red Chamber", where the audience can "glimpse" the fate and ending of some characters in advance.
The whole drama breaks the linearity of time and space in the telling, based on the relationship between the characters, the relationship between people and the family, politics, society, the dialogue between dreams, illusions, mirrors and reality, the past, the present and the future, etc., with the struggle and association of people and fate to restructure the work, so that time and space can intersect at any time, and the actors and characters are also withdrawn from time to time, re-examining time and space and fate.
A piece of history, two major families, the friendship of the three people of "Jia Daichao" and the fate of all sentient beings - the synthesis, condensation and reorganization of the original storyline make the emperor's tome more three-dimensional, calm and rhythmically presented on the drama stage. The drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a poetic tragedy with classical themes, and it is also a stage work that conforms to contemporary aesthetics and interpretations. The issue it leaves to today's people is how to effectively integrate material life and spiritual life, and implement the affectionate life posture into the daily life cultivation.
Screenwriter Yu Rongjun said that the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" is the raw material, and the script is his "dictionary", which is the interpretation of what is thought, thought and chosen from the perspective of contemporary people. In the work, the classic scenes such as "Bao Dai's First Sight", "Too Illusory Realm", "Reading "Huizhen" Together", and "Liu Grandma Entering the Grand View Garden" that are well known to the audience have injected new interpretations and expressions while presenting the appearance of the original work to the greatest extent, "Hoping to be able to 'stand in mid-air' with the audience to re-examine the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" and make the classic glow with new vitality." ”
"No Dirt": The pursuit of the inner spiritual integrity of "Dream of the Red Chamber"
"Dream of the Red Chamber contains Chinese traditional Oriental philosophy and is a great tragedy in the true sense. It reflects the confrontation between people's free will and irresistible fate in survival," cao Yan, who directed the play, believes that Jia Baoyu experienced the spiritual rebellion of "people" and the internal conflict of the deep cultural environment. People's "reading" today is a kind of purification in the face and experience of tragedy, looking for the possibility of spiritual detachment. The direction of the drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" is to try to open the spiritual world of "Dream of the Red Chamber", show the spiritual map of all sentient beings, and pursue the integrity of the inner spirit of "Dream of the Red Chamber".
In the creation of the drama "Dream of the Red Chamber", the design of the body is produced by the collision of opera elements and modern dance elements, and a large number of opera and modern dance training is carried out in the early workshop to help the actors establish classical charm. Chen Shan played Jia Baoyu, Fu Yawen played Lin Daiyu, Li Li played Xue Baochao, Ding Meiting played Wang Xifeng, Tian Shui played Jia Mu, and Li Chentao, Zheng Ping, Gao Rong, Wen Yang, Yang Ziyi, Wu Jing, Li Jiatong, Yang Jingran, Mai Duo and so on participated in the starring.
All the character costumes in the play are made of white, and a large number of traditional Chinese fabrics such as silk and ramie are used, and modern and simple cuts and designs are made on the basis of classical Chinese costumes. Costume designer Yang Donglin said that "no scale" is his aesthetic tone setting for this character modeling creation. White seems simple, but it is all-encompassing, and Bao Yu has a pure place in his heart that he hopes to never be eroded by the world. According to the identity, personality and fate of the characters, supplemented by national colors such as cinnabar, crimson, daisy, and crow green, it is intended to construct a unique aesthetic world of this version of the drama "Dream of the Red Chamber". The music takes the theme of dreams and leads the audience into a new "dream in the Red Chamber".
Tonight will premiere the next part of "Autumn and Winter: Eating Birds". The whole performance will end in the extremely prosperous, prosperous, rich and surging, leading the audience to appreciate the full Chinese aesthetics. The audience can follow the people in the play to travel through the dreams of life, experience the spiritual shock of "love", and feel the ups and downs, beauty and disillusionment. In the emotional field, we observe reality, resonate, and think.
The upper part of the drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" "Spring and Summer, Wind and Moon Prosperity" will be staged on September 2, September 7, September 9, September 15, September 17, September 23, the second part of the "Autumn winter • Eat the Birds Return" performance will be performed on September 3, September 8, September 10, September 16, September 18, September 24, the full performance will be performed on September 4, September 11, September 12, September 19, September 21, September 25, the full performance has been sold out, Only a small number of tickets remain for this show.
Stills were provided by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
Author: Tong Weijing
Editor: Wang Xiaoli