The burlesque drama "Eight Feet in the Air" focuses on the "old house plus ladder" jokes and mixed feelings

Stills of "Eight Feet In the Air" taken by Zu Zhongren

"The funny smell is strong!" "It's especially rare to see so many funny comedians." "I have mixed feelings, and I really hope that our community can also install the elevator as soon as possible." A burlesque play "Eight Feet in the Air", the audience smacked out their own life conditions. A few days ago, "Eight Feet In the Air" brought by Shangyi Drama Club was once again staged at the Hongqiao Art Center, and this round will be staged for five times.

The curtain opens, and the huge spiral staircase occupies almost the entire stage, allowing the audience to see the core conflict of the play at a glance. Zhou Laichun, an octogenarian on the sixth floor, had no choice but to send his sick old lover to a nursing home. In order to let the elderly "get up and down", the government began to promote the people's livelihood project of installing elevators in multi-storey houses, and Hua Yi, secretary of the housing party committee, ran around for this purpose. However, this incident has triggered contradictions among the old neighbors up and down, especially by the resolute opposition of the residents on the first floor: Ah Er, the owner of the onion oil cake shop, is worried that his livelihood will be difficult to protect; the shrewd Bao Liping feels that the residents on the ground floor who installed the elevator have suffered a big loss and proposed huge compensation... This elevator became the fuse that triggered the conflict in the neighborhood.

These neighbors who live next to you and me are played by comical celebrities Gong Renlong, Xu Haili, Wang Wenli, Zhou Yilun, Luo Wenlian, Ren, Xue Wenbin, Chen Yongqing, famous drama film and television actor Yu Ya, and new generation actors Shao Yi and Chen Yijia. "Eight Feet in the Air" not only carries the feelings of the old Shanghainese, but also carries the aspirations of the new Shanghainese.

Is the sympathetic mutual assistance between the old neighbors only in the memories of the old house? Is it each person's self-interest, or is it a joint effort to recover a long-lost neighborhood affection that is difficult to measure with money? Such a topic of people's livelihood naturally carries a strong dramatic conflict, but if it is a burlesque genre, how to shake out one dense burden after another? Director Shen Gang's secret is to grasp the characteristics of the characters, each character can find a counterpart around, "a man with a small family, a woman who is 'thirteen points shy', very lifelike", through the interpretation of professional actors, natural jokes are repeated.

The play departs from the style of a report drama and incorporates elements of drama and comedy. In Shen Gang's view, if it is only to state social issues, it cannot be made into a work of art. Just like the installation of elevators, although the current policy is constantly tilted, it is still difficult. "We can use love to slowly melt the ice, call for the beauty of human nature, and hope to have even the slightest impetus to this matter." 」 Shen Gang said.

In the topic of people's livelihood at the two sessions in Shanghai this year, "old house plus ladder" is definitely a high-frequency word. The government work report made it clear that one of the main tasks in 2021 is to "do practical and detailed door services, and complete the installation of 1,000 elevators in multi-storey residences". The burlesque plays are highlighted by keeping up with current events and reflecting the advantages of the moment. Since its premiere last year, "Eight Feet in the Air" has won the "2020 Shanghai Excellent Private Theater Group Exhibition" Outstanding Repertoire Award, and has also been invited to perform in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places.

In this round of performances, the main creator added a new policy of old houses and ladders in the plot, yuan dong, president of Shangyi Drama Club, said that this year is the opening year of the "14th Five-Year Plan", and "Eight Feet in the Air" will continue to be polished and improved, creating an excellent play that can reflect the spirit of Shanghai, reflect the concerns of people's livelihood, and be popular with the people. Reporter Zhao Yue