[The last newly created literati drama "Yu Chenlong"]
Over the years, in line with the political situation, honest officials have become a popular theme, and novels, TV series, and operas have rushed to compete for glory and excitement. After the famous Shang Changrong's Peking opera "Honest Officials In Jackie Chan" sounded, many kinds of dramas followed close behind, and even the four major zizi in Shanxi Province were transplanted into this play. The relevant leader of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial CPC Committee said to Xie Tao, if you consider Yu Chenlong, you see that Xie Tao's face is difficult, and the leader emphasizes that we can write another script.
Xie Tao took up this job and hurriedly turned to Mr. Zheng Huaixing, the screenwriter of "Fu Shan Into Beijing". Unexpectedly, Mr. Zheng refused: I'm sorry, I don't do your political proposition, I'm not interested!
How can this be done? Xie Tao first consulted with his lover Tao Chen. At this time, Tao Chen was the vice president of the theater, and it was difficult for him to get rid of his responsibilities. He said: Or should I go to Fujian for a run and ask Teacher Zheng in person? So Tao Chen did not dare to delay, and invited the old minister who had always cared about the theater to join him and immediately bought the road south.
Teacher Zheng is also a person in love, and his heart has softened in the face of a pair of pious northern guests who are wind and dust servants. He said: I have thought about it, I want to write about Jackie Chan, I only write about what happened after he was demoted to Huangzhou, a civilian book was born in Jackie Chan. If you agree, I will write; if you do not agree, it is over.
The two agreed in unison: agree, agree! Our leaders have also said that we will write a new script.
Zheng Huaixing quickly wrote the first draft, and after several revisions, there was a performance draft.
The director is also fixed: the general director Cao Qijing, the director Xu Chunlan, are all well-known personality directors.
Zheng's script is indeed from a master, a reversal of the old cliché of "honest officials", tightly clinging to the central event of Jackie Chan's "Huangzhou Quorum", with a rigorous structure, a rich plot, and a progressive layer of dramatic conflicts; the characters have distinct personalities and full of drama; the lines are vivid, refined, depressed, beautiful, and profound, rich in philosophy of life.
Xie Tao read the script well and was overjoyed. First of all, Xie Tao had great concerns, there have been three newly created literati dramas successful in the front, especially "Fu Shan Into Beijing" is famous all over the world, Yu Yin is still strong, what if the performance is not good than Jackie Chan? So many kinds of dramas, so many family chewed steamed buns, especially the famous Mr. Shang, has already played Yu Jackie Chan so well, how can I come up with a new one? How interesting is it to surpass the first three plays? ...... However, after reading Mr. Zheng's "Yu Chenlong", Xie Tao's eyes lit up, his mood was wide open, and a new and seductive theatrical character image stood in front of him and waved: Xie Tao, you so-called famous Jin opera girl Xusheng, dare to challenge me? Xie Tao, a young man who has always been competitive and competitive, was once again inspired by "Yu Chenlong", and his blood rushed and his fists were rubbed. She began to carefully ponder Why did Yu Chenlong, who cut his post for the people, still worry about the country and the people, care about the world, and seek the welfare of the people of Li after he resigned? Over and over again, I experienced a similar inscription written by Teacher Zheng for "Yu Chenlong": "Although the outgoing shi can help the head of the Qian, the cloth can also be used for the country." "Cloth cloth Yu Jackie Chan is not Yu Jackie Chan who is an official, but Yu Jackie Chan who has been dismissed from the official, so this play is not written as an 'official', but a 'person'. Being an official and not an official also has the responsibility, and being an official and not being an official is also loyal to the people! Yu Chenlong set an example - only by doing a good job can he be the 'first in the world's honest officials'. Xianzai, Shengzai, Lü Liangyu Jackie Chan! ”......
Xie Tao said: Once felt pressure, but now full of responsibility and mission, determined to break through themselves and play "Yu Jackie Chan". After reading the script, I thought that as soon as people mentioned Jackie Chan, they thought of his honesty, in fact, honesty is only his background, and the courage to take responsibility is his personality characteristic. I asked myself, where are the highlights of Jackie Chan as a "person" in addition to the image of a "clean official"? He doesn't dwell on some small things, sticks to his faith, can flex and stretch, and has to have a big pattern of heart, right? He "wisely earns silverfish officials" to eliminate harm for the people, and he must have great wisdom as a person, right? He is warm and loving to the people, and he must have a generous kindness, right? ...... We have to firmly grasp these things that are different from Fan Jin, Zhu Maichen, and Fu Shan!
In order to play "Yu Chenlong" well, Xie Tao not only paid a lot of effort this time, but also cut off a hair with tears, but sought to look realistic. Mother Xie and her good son were the most distressed. Mother Xie said with regret: Xie Tao, your fetal hair mother has not shaved, you just shaved off a long hair?
Xie Tao wiped away his tears, thinking that this was no longer the case. She was thinking: Mr. Fu Shan is wearing a su dao robe, and isn't the cloth robe after the dismissal of The cloth robe also a su Dao robe for Jackie Chan? Will it be repetitive in appearance? Mr. Fu Shan has a kind of "harmony and difference" of elegance, while Yu Chenlong is a frank mind of "not arguing", both have a kind of indifference to personal fame and fortune, a kind of moral responsibility of a scholar to the world, how to perform the difference between the two? She fell into deeper artistic thinking...
Xie Tao said: When I went to consult Cao Dao and Xu Dao with so many "difficult problems", they did not give me the answer immediately, but said, Xie Tao, you think about it yourself, mobilize your own artistic accumulation, how to use the stage language rich in Jin opera characteristics to show the deep character of the characters? How to apply stylized opera performance techniques to the expression of characters' hearts and behaviors naturally and appropriately? How to make the audience in the infection of Jin opera art, trigger beneficial thinking about history and the value of life...
It is precisely under such clever inspiration that Xie Tao, with a proactive artistic mentality, step by step into Jackie Chan's inner world, eat through his rich and complex human nature, and grasp the "this one" in the typical image.
However, in the specific guidance, Cao Dao and Xu Dao grasped Xie Tao very tightly, and in response to the requirements of the script, a singing word and a sentence of confession were strictly required, and even did not let go of an accented expression. Cao Dao said, "Where are the characters, in the context of the script, every sentence and every sentence and song represents a layer of meaning, which seems to be an attitude towards specific events, which is an expression of action in pursuit of their own ideals and beliefs." "Even the music, the singing voice, including the details of the instrument and the orchestra, the directors will put forward high requirements, including the guidance plan they designed themselves will be repeatedly overturned, changed again and again, and constantly innovated."
Xie Tao said very movingly: Rather than the strict requirements of the directors, let us strive for excellence and dare not slacken off in the slightest, it is better to say that the personal charm of an artist in his 70s makes us respect and inspires us to work hard.
It is worth mentioning that Mr. Liu Heren has re-innovated in the design of the singing voice. He is particularly meticulous in his handling of the core vocals. For example, a "flat" singing "along the way to the Yellow Spring where there is a hotel, before dying when the last time to relieve the wine hunger ...", let people feel that Yu Jackie Chan on the one hand firmly believe that everyone will go down the mountain to attach, on the other hand, he looks down on the fate of persuasion, he will be asked to be chopped, singing with the unique low euphemism of Jin opera, vigorous and desolate, before the arrival of the three o'clock in the afternoon, Yu Jackie Chan's inner grievances, misery, loss and strength and other multiple emotions are vividly displayed. In an exhortation to the inspector, "Officials must be more in awe, once they abuse their power like beasts... If you want to keep the society permanent, you must treat the people with leniency and strictness. This paragraph, with the theme music of the whole play as the singing voice, admonishes and exhorts in the thick and deep, inspires people in the melodious haunting, and then ends with two sentences of "scattered board", "It is better to kill a life than to save a life, a human life is as heavy as a mountain!" Turn sharply to "flowing water" and sing "To clean up the hearts of the people is not to rely on the sword, but to rely on the officials and honesty." There will be a reward for the tyranny of the people, although the sky is silently watching! With the voice cavity of "high-pitched and tragic" and "passionate", Jackie Chan's simple personality and gentleman's radiance and personality charm will be pushed to a deeper and higher realm, thus pushing the whole drama to a climax.
Kung Fu pays off. One point of hard work, one point of harvest. The final performance of "Yu Jackie Chan" was a hundred feet away, and then it went one step further and achieved a great success beyond the ideal and expectations. Xie Tao was awarded the "Special Contribution Award" at the 27th Shanghai Magnolia Theatre Awards.
【Value Assessment of Four Newly Created Literati Dramas】
Jin opera female Su sheng Xie Tao has four newly created literati dramas in a row, such as spring thunder over the sky, spring rain, in the Chinese contemporary drama scene, unique, refreshing, it is not too much to say that it is a little deafening. Xie Tao's Jin opera legend has also become a contemporary Chinese drama legend, which provides new ideas and new models in many aspects, such as creative ideas, theme selection, performance programs, stage music, etc. Such a contribution is much more valuable than this play.
Many people are curious to ask: Why did Xie Tao fall in love with literati drama?
Writer Zhou Zongqi also asked in person: Xie Tao, why do you arrange four bookish plays in a row?
Xie Tao said: After acting in dozens of plays, I somehow have an interest in literati dramas, and I may feel that I am quite good at my own drama, right?
Yes, Xie Taonu, dressed as a scholar, from appearance to singing and dancing, especially the Sven and fierce humanistic atmosphere that radiates from the inside out, is really like an ancient Chinese scholar and gentleman. Next, Zhou Zongqi and Xie Tao talked about Qu Yuan, talked about Sima Qian, and talked about how many outstanding Chinese literati with brilliant stars, and Xie Tao's admiration was overflowing with words.
Zhou Zongqi said: If you come to play Qu Yuan, it will definitely be another shocking work.
Xie Tao said that Peking Opera is building Qu Yuan, take a look, if you have a chance, I would really like to try. Her longing and confident eyes moved the listener.
Today's Xie Tao should understand that the Chinese literati group is an advantageous and powerful group, and the intellectual elite among them is the backbone and conscience of society. They inherit and carry forward the cultural tradition of scholars and gentlemen formed since the pre-Qin Dynasty.
Mr. Lin Peng, a famous folk thinker, said: The so-called study of Chinese culture consists of two parts, one imperial culture and one gentleman culture.
In today's view, which culture has more essence and less dross, and which culture has more dross and less essences? Which culture is advanced and which culture is backward? Which culture should be criticized and discarded, and which culture should be carried forward? This is obvious. As a theatrical art, it is reasonable to criticize the decadent imperial culture and promote the culture of scholars and gentlemen who advance with the times.
So, what are the core values of the gentleman's culture? It is to publicize the royal way, to consider the life of the world, to consider the direction of society and history, and not to consider only for one family, one surname, one country and one place. "Soldiers take the world as their duty", "The world rises and falls, and the husband has the responsibility"; abide by personal dignity and freedom, think independently, boldly criticize, live in peace and happiness, emphasize righteousness over profit, "the poor cannot be moved, the rich and noble cannot be adulterous, and the mighty cannot be bent"; people who aspire to meritorious service, morality, and words and do "three immortals"; "the waist is half-written, and the heart is worried about the world"; "The adult treats me with the state soldier, and I will repay it as a national soldier"; the husband acts, regardless of right and wrong, on the success or failure of obedience, regardless of the success or failure of the world, on the whole world; heavy friendship, heavy promise, "The soldier dies for the confidant "At the cost of his life... And so on and so forth. The reason why the four literati plays, especially "Fu Shan Enters Beijing" and "Yu Chenlong", are shocking and thought-provoking, and have a powerful charm to attract the audience, it is from Fu Shan and Yu Chenlong that the spiritual brilliance of the gentleman culture is reflected to varying degrees, which is difficult to see in the previous operas that preach foolish loyalty and filial piety.
Of course, Xie Tao deeply understands the culture of shi junzi and successfully practices it in theatrical performances, and also benefits from the words and deeds of a large number of predecessors such as Zheng Huaixing, Xu Di, Cao Qijing, Liu Heren, Lei Shouzheng, Zhao Aibin, Xu Chunlan, etc. Their artistic virtues and deeds full of the ancient style of shi junzi have become the only benchmark for Xie Tao to move forward step by step and grow successfully. (Author Zhou Zongqi)
(To be continued)
Source/"Face to Face with Historical Celebrities" WeChat public account