China News Service, Beijing, March 30 (Reporter Gao Kai) On June 12 this year, Beijing Renyi will celebrate its 70th anniversary. On the evening of the 29th, with the performance of the classic play “Thunderstorm”, the “Performance Season Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Beijing People’s Art Institute” officially kicked off.
Over the past 70 years, Beijing Renyi has cultivated generations of artists with more than 300 works and created history together with generations of audiences off the stage. “Opening the curtain is the real thing”, the best way to commemorate the history of Beijing’s arts and crafts is to continue to present wonderful performances to the audience.
It is reported that in the next three months, there will be more than ten repertoires covering various themes of ancient and modern China and foreign countries, including “Cai Wenji”, “White Deer Plain”, “Tea House”, “Ruan Lingyu”, “Mutiny”, “Sunrise” and “Our Jing Ke” and so on will have to meet with the audience.
Starting with the well-known “Thunderstorm” is enough to reflect the weight of Beijing Renyi’s entire commemorative performance season. This masterpiece by Cao Yu, created in 1933, is not only a well-deserved peak work in the history of Chinese drama, but also a house-watching show and “ballast stone” of Beijing Renyi. After 68 years of more than 600 performances, it has been passed down to the present day.
Although this play is staged almost every year, director Gu Wei still puts forward new demands on the whole group. “We must attach importance to the classics, fear the classics, and cherish the classics. Whether it is a young actor, a middle-aged actor, or a retired old actor or director like me, whoever encounters “Thunderstorm” is lucky.”
“When director Xia Chun’s grandma took him to see “Thunderstorm”, he was determined to devote himself to the drama career. When I was in junior high school, I was deeply shocked when I watched “Thunderstorm” by Mrs. Zheng Rong and Mrs. Zhu Lin. As a teenager , I was moved by the atmosphere of the performance and the real feelings of the characters in the play, so I decided to embark on the road of drama.” Talking regarding the charm of “Thunderstorm”, Gu Wei said that this work has influenced generations of directors and actors, and at the same time It also affected a group of audiences who entered the theater. “It is our responsibility to inherit it.”
The classic play “Thunderstorm” is on stage once more, photo by Shi Chunyang
A Zhou mansion, eight main characters, each of which has been given a strong pen and ink by the author, which is why “Thunderstorm” can be enjoyed repeatedly.
“Why do the audience continue to watch our performance when they are familiar with the story, because they see how we vividly interpret the characters on the stage.” From playing the role of the young master Zhou Ping in 2004, to upgrading the old master Zhou Puyuan in 2020, he also serves as the co-director , By this year, Wang Ban has “lived” with Zhou Mansion for 18 years. “I can talk to myself.” Wang Ban said with a smile.
In fact, forgetting the eldest young master and investing in the master is what Wang Ban has been focusing on in the past two years. The diversity of Zhou Puyuan’s performance was his original intention, “because Cao Yu wrote regarding complex people, profound people, and people who deserve compassion.” What the audience saw on the stage was not an indifferent person in the traditional sense. But a parent, a father, a person with a sense of “loneliness”.
Actor Zhang Pei, who played Fan Yi on the stage for the third time, is already a mature actor on the Renyi stage. Zhang Pei said that he is most grateful that the Renyi stage can “wait for people’s growth.” Repeatedly approaching the characters, I was able to experience something deeper. “The rhythm of the characters is not technical, but psychological. We show the inner rhythm so that the audience can understand it.” Zhang Pei said that if she were to use one word to describe Fanyi, it would be “scream” , to perform her “thunderstorm”-like character on the stage, so that the audience can understand her.
Liu Zhiyang, a young actor who played Zhou Ping for the second time, called this performance a “dream fulfillment” for himself. “I want to use sincerity first, and give my heart to the opponent and the audience.” Not putting the so-called “label” on the character is his way of shaping the character, “Let people believe and experience his spiritual world.”
It is reported that this round of “Thunderstorm” will continue until April 10. (over)
【Editor: Yuan Jingjing】 Return to Sohu, see more
