Fang Xu, a dramatist who adapted six Lao She works in eight years: It is worth it to do this for a lifetime

Eight years of adapting six Lao She works, Fang Xu is considered to be a dramatist who focuses on adapting Lao She's works. From "My Life" trying to play a one-man show, to "Divorce" challenging a double play, to "Erma" using an all-male class lineup, Fang Xu has formed a unique "Fang's Drama" style with a subversive adaptation. This year marks the 120th anniversary of Mr. Lao She's birth, and his sixth adaptation of Lao She's work", "Niu Tianqi", will be staged at the Tianqiao Art Center from December 25 to 29.

Fang Fei photographed

First encounter By chance, he starred in Lao She's works

Fang Xu was born in 1966, the year Lao She died. "A senior said, your boy was born for this in this life, I recognize!" Fang Xu said.

Growing up with his grandmother living in the hutong, the old Beijing plot in his bones made Fang Xu naturally fall in love with the Jingweier master Lao She. "I'm a native of Beijing, I'm familiar with the lives of his characters, and I love his humorous language with a Beijing flavor." Fang Xu said that he was a less serious person and did not like the things of the Eight Classics of Zheng'er, which was spiritually in line with Lao She.

After graduating from Chinese opera, Fang Xu acted in film and television dramas for several years. By chance, the first time he returned to the drama stage, he met "Lao She". In 2006, Shi Ke found Fang Xu to rehearse the "Camel Xiangzi" segment for the Centenary Performance of Chinese Drama, although it was only 12 minutes, Fang Xu came from the crew to rehearse it 6 times. The plot of old Beijing, rooted in the blood, and his personal feelings for Xiangzi, let Fang Xu regain his enthusiasm for the drama stage. After that, he not only starred in the drama directed by Lai Shengchuan, but also began to try to make his own plays, and this "theater newcomer" who was not confused at the age began to emerge in the theater circle. In 2011, he finally ushered in his masterpiece , "My Life". And this time, it is because of Lao She.

"My Life" is Fang Xu's favorite Lao She work, and he didn't know how many times he watched the movie of the same name starring Shi Hui that year. Once, a producer approached Fang Xu and asked what themes could be used to make a one-man show, and Fang Xu blurted out: "My Life"! At that time, Fang Xu did not know much about one-man shows, but he was full of enthusiasm and wanted to "try it".

"I've seen people like this in my life," Mr. Fang said, adding that the policeman in "My Life" may be the shadow of a neighbor in the courtyard where he lived as a child, and he wants to move the story into the theater. Later, at the Nanluoguxiang Drama Festival, Fang Xu stood on the stage alone and performed for more than 100 minutes, and this performance was eight years. In July this year, 53-year-old Fang Xu gave a sealed performance of "My Life" at the Capital Theatre. That night, in the audience's endless applause, he returned to the scene again and again, folded his hands to express his gratitude to the audience, and said affectionately: "My physical energy may no longer be able to perfectly interpret this one-man show, I hope that young and middle-aged actors will continue to perform this play!" ”

Explore Play on stage to unlock the magical imagination

After the small achievements of "My Life", Fang Xu successively put four Lao She works of "Cat City", "Divorce", "Erma" and "Lao She Rush" on the stage. Among them, "Divorce" is Fang Xu's most satisfactory adaptation at present. This novel does not have a story of ups and downs, and it is not easy to change. At that time, Fang Xu was almost gritting his teeth to fight, and Lao She's eldest daughter Shu Ji also pinched a sweat for him. However, Fang Xuyi, who has never followed the rules, has no hesitation, "'Divorce' is Mr. Lao She's favorite work, and this reason is enough." ”

The story is not wonderful, and the flat and direct narrative is certainly not good. What to do? Fang Xu was a little worried, sitting on the edge of the computer for two days and not being able to hold back a word. One day, he suddenly thought of Mr. Lin Zhaohua's advocacy that "Chinese drama should learn from opera." In Chinese opera, a horse whip may be a horse, and shaking a piece of silk is a sea. Since opera can be freehand, why can't drama work?

With this idea, Fang Xu tried to learn from the performance method of opera, and directly changed "Divorce" into a double play, so that the two protagonists could speak and act. A banquet in a Western restaurant, originally there were more than a dozen people, Fang Xu and another actor acted as both a narrator and a performer, lively and lively without compromising the integrity of the plot, which Shu Yi called "the most magical adaptation". "My Life", "Cat City Chronicles" and "Divorce" have been on the stage and received enthusiastic responses, and Fang Xu's golden signboard of "Lao She Professional Household" has been established.

"Since the beginning of 'Divorce', I have basically felt the pulse. The empty stage is actually a very magical box, as long as there is imagination, everything is possible here. When it came time to row "Two Horses", Fang Xu played with the all-male class. He used five male actors to play dozens of roles, and even Wendu's mother and daughter also used male actors to play in reverse strings. Once after dinner, everyone was rehearsing the ambiguous play between Lao Ma and Mrs. Wen Du, Su Xiaoyue, who played Miss Wen Du, improvised the tune of the music box, and Liu Xinran, the Qiandan actor who played Mrs. Wen Du, immediately danced the eight-tone doll dance, the effect was unexpectedly good, and everyone said in unison, "Out of the work!" Fang Xu's rehearsal hall is often full of laughter, "I have a game mentality when I make plays, only in this way can the imagination be opened, and most of the novel ideas are produced in a relaxed state." ”

Transformation The new drama "Cow Heavenly Gift" focuses on doing it behind the scenes

This year is the 120th anniversary of Mr. Lao She's birth, in order to realize Mr. Shu Ji's wish for many years, Fang Xuchuang ranked the sixth Lao She work "Niu Tianqi". But this time, Fang Xu no longer performed on stage, and he single-mindedly did the behind-the-scenes. He carefully polished the script for more than five months, "The very difficult point in the adaptation is that Mr. Lao She's works often like to talk about the narrative, and often the part of the discussion is better than the part of the narrative, but the part of the discussion is difficult to say from the mouth of the characters in the play." In a hurry, I activated the door pier at the door of Niu Tianci's house, Niu Tianci played by Guo Qilin and the 'door pier' play played by Yan Hexiang are good friends inside and outside the play, and the relationship between the characters is very interesting. ”

In order to visualize Niu Tianci's experience from birth to adulthood, this time Fang Xu tried a new way of playing "puppet combination". He not only designed a stage installation in the form of a puppet on the stage set, but also showed the age change of Niu Tianci through "puppet combination".

In fact, as early as the rehearsal of "Erma", Fang Xu had the idea of retreating behind the scenes. It was just that at that time, the investors and the audience did not agree, and Fang Xu hardened his scalp on the stage, and there were more than sixty performances in one performance. When it came time to rehearse "Lao She Rush", Fang Xu took the initiative to reduce his own role, and this time "Niu Tianqi" directly did not go on stage. Fang Xu laughed, "The audience has preconceived notions, once a play changes actors, they will not adapt, so this time I will not 'dig a pit' for myself at all." ”

In Fang Xu's view, directing and acting are completely different types of work. Actors need to be particularly emotional, physically and mentally integrated with the character, the emotional concentration is extremely high, and the director needs to be rational and calm. The frequent switching between the two states made Fang Xu feel a little divided. Now he wants to do it wholeheartedly behind the scenes. "I think people should still do things purely."

Someone reminded him to be careful not to get his "card" in a label, and Fang Xu didn't think so. "The premise of creation must be interested, even if you have been doing Lao She's works, there are endless treasures to dig up." He also revealed that he may adapt Mr. Lao She's "Zhenghong Flag" next. "It's rare for a person to be able to do one thing in a lifetime, isn't it?"

Source: Beijing Daily

Reporter Guan Yiwen

Process Editor: Sun Yujie