The Peking Opera "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" created and rehearsed by the Hebei Peking Opera Art Research Institute will be unveiled at the Shijiazhuang Grand Theater from April 18th to 20th. Recently, the play is in full swing rehearsal, and the reporter visited the rehearsal site to reveal the highlights of the play in advance.
Follow the traditional procedure and incorporate elements of Allegro and dance
"Baiyangdian is a good scenery, and the lotus flowers are full of fragrance. The turquoise reeds are like the ocean, and the fish and rice towns of the plains are thousands of miles. With the reverberation of beautiful and cheerful opera songs, a group of lotus pickers carried baskets in their hands and were busy picking lotuses by the water. They shuttle among the lotus leaves, their steps are light, there are talking and laughing, and there are people rowing on the lake not far away, like a vivid pastoral picture. The peaceful and warm scenes make people yearn for it.
According to Wang Liyi, the physical design of the play, this is the opening scene of the Peking Opera "Little Soldier Zhang Ga". There are not only fierce war scenes in the play, but also a warm side, which reflects the living environment of Baiyangdian. In a peaceful environment, people cast nets, rowed boats, and picked lotuses, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. At the beginning, the foreshadowing was beautiful, which played a role in contrasting with the later war, and reflected the peace and beauty of the Baiyangdian environment. In the play, according to the design of the plot and character movements, dance elements are added to perfectly express the situation and the emotions of the characters, giving people a sense of substitution.
"The story of Little Soldier Zhang Ga has become a classic, influencing several generations, how to make a breakthrough in the Peking Opera "Little Soldier Zhang Ga", we want to have a new way of expression. Li Huiqin, the director of the play, said that the role of Allegro Liu is used as the main line of the whole play, and he is not only a character in the play, but also the teller of the story, promoting the development of the plot. At the same time, the traditional art of Allegro is integrated into it. In addition, on the basis of following the traditional procedures of singing, reading, doing, and playing in opera, some scenes also conjure up the expression of modern dance, reflecting a sense of fashion. ”
The props restore the history and combine the virtual and the real with the stage
In the background, props teachers are fiddling with two long earthen guns, the handles of which are wooden, the wood cracks are obvious, stained with mud, and the metal gun barrels are rusty, full of historical vicissitudes.
Liu Jianwei, the prop designer of the play, told reporters that this prop earthen gun is called a big lifting rod, which is used on the ship, and it is deliberately made old in order to reflect the sense of age. "Because this play is a red repertoire and represents inheritance, we still want to get as close to history as possible. ”
The reporter learned that in order to show this story more realistically, at the beginning of the creation, the main creators went to Gazi Village, Baiyangdian Yanling Team Memorial Hall and other places to collect style. "At that time, we also asked the docent of the Yanling Team Memorial Hall for the items used by the Yanling team. Like a big lifting pole, it is used by the Yanling team. The two bamboo stretchers next to them are also modeled after the stretchers of the time. Liu Jianwei introduced that they have been polishing these props, following history, restoring the real thing as much as possible, and doing some artistic processing according to the stage effect, hoping to create a thick sense of history through these props.
Liu Jianwei also revealed that the stage design of the play combines virtual and real, with both abstract and concrete sets, allowing the audience to have an immersive viewing experience. For example, when there is a plot of Gazi blocking chimneys and wrestling in the play, the stage design cleverly makes a slope-style eaves, which looks like a house from a distance, and has a stronger sense of substitution. In addition, there are many places that reflect the regional characteristics of Baiyangdian, for example, the basket in the hands of the actor has lotus pods, lotus leaves, and the appearance of reeds on the stage, etc., so that it can adapt to the performance form and achieve the effect of prominent characters and vivid images.
Liu Zhigang, vice president of the Hebei Peking Opera Art Research Institute, said that at the beginning of the creation of the play, the main creative staff was organized to go deep into the Baiyangdian area to interview and collect style, understand the local customs, history and culture, and carry out a script expert seminar to discuss and study how to tell the classic story of "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" well. The premiere time is getting closer and closer, and the actors are also intensively rehearsing and synthesizing with makeup, stage design, lighting, and sound, repeatedly polishing the details, and striving to present the most perfect stage effect, hoping to be loved by the audience.