The front hall of the National Theatre of China was crowded, and before the performance began, the "mobile library" outside the theater and the different "school visit instructions" recorded by the various characters in the theater had already drawn the audience into the plot. The free house catalogue that has been carefully crafted into the "Zhiheng Middle School Admission Guide" is full of details, allowing fans to gain all kinds of surprises. Under the dimming of the field lights, the controversy caused by a new school rule, the five characters with their own opinions, and the eleven loud debates made the audience on and off the stage fall into deep thought.
From May 10th to 19th, the Mandarin version of the drama "Principles", authorized by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, produced by nine drama artists, written by Kwok Yongkang and directed by Zhu Hongxuan, ushered in the first round of performances at the Mandarin Theatre as the repertoire of the 9th China Original Drama Invitational Exhibition. In the past, every work staged by nine drama artists would arouse a flood of responses from the audience, and the strong speculative nature of the "campus fable" of "Principles" has stirred up endless heated discussions. How does a person become a "person"? This is not only the focus of attention of teachers and students on campus, but also the spiritual exploration of everyone outside the theater.
The common pursuit of promoting the cooperation between the two places to adapt the best works
The creation of the drama "Principles" originated from a student assignment by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre playwright Kwok Wing-hong on the theme of "The Conflict between Law and Human Feelings" when he was a student at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Such an enduring problem has long been debated in the history of thought, but how to implement the abstract conceptual dispute on the theatrical stage? Kwok chose to return to the secondary school campus, starting with a new school rule. This is a past he experienced when he was a teenager, and many years later, as a creator, he put this old campus incident on the stage, so that the opposing concepts of "legal principles" and "human feelings" are incarnated into specific characters. The new principal arrived with the task of "improving the school's performance", but because of the style of "principle first, human feelings second", he was frequently blocked in the implementation of the new school rule of "wearing sportswear when playing on the playground". The vice principal, the director of teaching, and the young and ignorant students, everyone's "principles" are gradually revealed with the twists and turns of the story, which also makes this ideological meeting on campus a self-oriented exploration.
The play has attracted strong attention and acclaim, and has won many awards such as Best Screenplay nomination at the Hong Kong Theatre Libre Awards, Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, Best Screenplay of the Year at the Jing'an Modern Theatre Valley One Drama Awards in Shanghai, and Best Screenplay in Hong Kong at the Asia Academy Creative Awards 2022. The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre also held an online live screening of "Principles", and the director of the nine-member play, Chu Hongxuan, became one of the countless audiences of the play.
Zhu Hongxuan believes that the most touching point of "Principles" lies in "truth": "'Truth' does not mean that it needs to correspond to which year or place in real life needs to be restored, and the sincerity and complexity that always exist in human nature transcend specific time and space. This eternal pursuit of "truth" has made "Principles" resonate with audiences of different ages and backgrounds, and has also made Guo Yongkang and Zhu Hongxuan "pen pals". After sincere communication with each other, the nine drama members were authorized by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and Zhu Hongxuan personally served as the director of the Mandarin version of "Principles", bringing this work to the mainland stage with a new look and cast. For Zhu Hongxuan, who has always directed his own screenwriting works in the past, the reason why he likes "Principles" is because "the script is solid, full of speculation and exploration of the 'good' in human nature, and it is a good script with social care and construction significance."
The mutual fit and respect, as well as the same pursuit of "truth" and "goodness", make the cooperation smoothly promoted. From the Cantonese version to the Mandarin version, the Principles have gained new vitality. Guo Yongkang was deeply moved by this: "The value of a screenwriter lies in whether the work can find a soulmate, which is the most important thing. Zhu Hongxuan also felt a strong resonance from this work. The core of the past works of the nine drama artists, I actually don't know how to summarize it. Now I find a phrase in the Principles, 'Choose the good and be stubborn'. ”
Zhu Hongxuan said: "In the future, we are willing and look forward to working with more outstanding screenwriters, directors and other creators to create mature works and promote a healthier industry ecology." ”
The multi-cast combination expresses rich human nature
The news of the Mandarin version of the drama "Principles" by nine people has attracted attention from all walks of life, and after the tickets were opened, all 9 performances were quickly sold out, and an encorel was arranged, which was still hard to find. With the current box office appeal of the nine drama players, it is completely possible to make a large theater repertoire that can accommodate more audiences, but Zhu Hongxuan still chooses to perform "Principles" in a small theater. She said, "The original performance of this work was completed by director Fang Junjie, and it was a small theater repertoire at that time, with a minimalist stage, but the expression was delicate, I liked it very much, and I also hoped to maintain the close sense of communication and interaction in the small theater and the feeling of watching the performance." Zhu Hongxuan hopes that the whole performance will bring the audience the feeling of sitting on campus and on the court together, breathing together and feeling each other.
In terms of the script, Zhu Hongxuan made minor revisions and adjustments after full communication with the screenwriter, replacing some lines with local characteristics in the Cantonese environment with content that is more suitable for performance in the mainland, while retaining its humorous color and role in the play. Zhu Hongxuan also carefully selected 7 outstanding actors for "Principles", many of whom are old friends who have worked with the nine members of the drama before. Each actor wrote a "character biography" of thousands or even tens of thousands of words for the role he was going to play, and recorded a "rehearsal diary" in the rehearsal hall every day, fully devoting himself to this emotional and rational creation.
Everyone in the play is real and multifaceted: Principal Yang played by Ren Yijie seems to be unkind, but he also has his own hidden history behind sticking to his principles; The students have a flamboyant personality, but they can't help but shed tears when they face the departure of Vice Principal Chen played by He Yufan; Teacher Cai, the teaching director played by Li Jialong, is like a sword shadow when he resists power, but he is full of warmth when facing students. It is particularly worth mentioning that in the Hong Kong version of "Principles", Fu Mingzhen, the president of the student union who speaks uprightly, and Liang Jiawen, the editor of the student newspaper who is steady and thoughtful, are played by two actors, a woman and a man; The Mandarin version of "Principles" uses a more diverse cast combination - Ren Zhenhui, Luo Qiyue, Xu Wenxin, and Wen Ziqi play Fu Mingzhen and Liang Jiawen respectively in different scenes, and the gender and role are interchangeable, and each combination also brings a new chemical reaction. In this regard, Zhu Hongxuan believes: "People are rich, and I don't want them to be confined to a single gender portrayal. ”
There is no standard answer, which leads to multi-dimensional thinking
The most touching thing about the Principles is that they do not give the so-called answers. After the fierce exchange of views, the introspection and questioning about education, growth, and dilemma choices not only exist between teachers and students in the play, but also stimulate the audience's multi-dimensional thinking. The power of speculation leaps like a shuttlecock in the wind, flying out of the stage and out of the story, becoming an aftermath for the audience.
"As a secondary school teacher, I was very touched by the fierce conflict between different educational philosophies presented in the Principles." After the performance, a teacher in the audience shared his feelings. The audience also said that as a mother whose children are experiencing their school days, this story touched and inspired her greatly, "Children will eventually grow up, and it is the common responsibility of the school and parents to teach them how to make choices and how to be responsible for themselves." The drama of the Nine is my utopia, and every story they tell, no matter how twists and turns or hardships in the process, can ultimately give me a little light and continue my hope for the world. ”
The audience swimmingdan said that he shed tears at the end, and the touch was not because it triggered memories of campus life, but because of some concrete and abstract questions, "For example, there is only one life, do we have the courage to bear all the consequences of our choices?" Do you have any regrets about your past life, and do you have no regrets? Thinking of these self-questioning questions that are difficult to answer, I understand more why this play is like a 'school fable'. ”
Song Baozhen, director of the Drama Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Arts, believes that "Principles" guides the audience to look at problems from different angles and perspectives, making speculation more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Yang Qianwu, director of the New Literature and Art Organization Working Committee of the Beijing Dramatists Association, commented: "Principle" is a very good and wonderful play, its conflict is not a simple conflict between good and evil, but a real inward and in-depth excavation, it can be said to be a campus fable beyond reality, it will make the audience care about some more profound issues than reality, some issues that may need more young people to think about. ”