On the curtain, the huge image of Yongding Gate spreads out, and the rough black and white tones pull the time and space back to the 50s of the last century. When the performance bell rings and the lights come on again for a short time, the hutongs are staggered, the eaves are stacked, and the silhouette of Yongding Gate is reflected on the skyline, creating a beautiful view of the southern city of old Beijing. On the evening of May 1, the Beijing People's Art Theater's annual original Beijing-style drama "Yongding Gate" will usher in its premiere at the Capital Theater.
Innovate and break through the state of stage design and performance
"Yongding Gate" is the first original drama launched by Beijing Renyi this year, written by Liu Jinyun, the second dean of Renyi, and directed by Tang Ye. For more than two hours of script, Liu Jinyun carefully polished it, deleted thousands of words, wrote thousands of words, and revised dozens of times, large and small. He used his concise pen power to bring through the historical changes from the 50s to the 80s of the last century, and launched the contest and chase between the policeman Xiao Dali and the "teacher" Feng Jingbo, and the power of faith throughout the play.
Whether it is Xiao Dali, Feng Jingbo, Yan Xueyan, or all kinds of people, etc., the portrayal of the characters in "Yongding Gate" points directly to the heart, opening up another layer of spiritual world outside the real space. "The actors are constantly jumping in and out, having a heart-to-heart exchange. Tang Ye introduced. "Yongding Gate" continues the traditional advantages of Beijing Renyi in Beijing-style works, but there are innovations and breakthroughs in performance status and stage design. This time, "In the Yongding Gate" uses a double-layer turntable to complete all scene changes in the flow. The layered spatial structure is full of details that can stand up to scrutiny, the costumes worn by the characters, the changes to the surrounding buildings, and the titles of the posters on the walls are all close to the narrative era. At the end of the play, the curtain is lowered again, and the Yongding Gate on it becomes colorful, and 30 years of time have passed, sealing the joys, sorrows, gatherings, and dispersions that have occurred on this hot land.
The young actors performed the spirit of Beijing-style opera
"What "Yongding Gate" wants to show most is the changes in society and people in the changing times. Tang Ye said. She and many people in Beijing Renyi affectionately call Liu Jinyun "uncle": "Uncle writes plays very freehand, just like a line, but we need to fill this line completely, enrich it into full stage content, and then present it to the audience." "Vivid and distinct character creation is very important, and young actors such as Yang Mingxin, Miao Chi, and Yuan Yu have filled in flesh and blood for many characters: the persistent Xiao Dali, the transformed Feng Jingbo, and the bright Yan Xueyan...... In the view of Miao Chi, who plays Feng Jingbo, Peking opera does not only mean the Beijing flavor in language, but also grasps the "unique spirit".
Tang Ye said frankly that although the crew of "In the Yongding Gate" went to the place where the story took place, many traces have long been washed away by the long river of time. The theater arranged a lot of desk work for everyone, invited experts to give lectures, and organized actors to visit the archives to consult materials and watch documentaries, especially "to see the spiritual outlook of the people of those years". Yuan Yu, who plays the famous Peking Opera actor Yan Xueyan, reads the biographies of the masters of the past in detail, and touches the purity of "dare to speak, dare to do, dare to take responsibility" through the physical charm close to them between the lines. Yuan Yu also specially asked the famous performing artist Li Shengsu for advice, observed her every move in performance, teaching and daily life at close range, and recorded the rhyme of Li Shengsu's poems, practiced at work, and listened to after work. In the play, Yuan Yuxiao, who has liked Peking Opera since childhood, shows his skills, which is a highlight worth looking forward to.
It is reported that the current round of performances of "Yongding Gate" will last until May 12.