China News Service, Beijing, January 21 (Reporter Gao Kai) At the beginning of the new year, the Beijing People's Art Beijing-style drama "Under the Red Flag" recently appeared on the stage of the Capital Theater. This round of performances will continue until the Spring Festival.
February 3 this year is the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Lao She. From "Longxugou" to "Teahouse", from "Camel Xiangzi" to "Under the Red Flag", Lao She's works have accompanied Beijing People's Art Company all the way. Mr. Cao Yu once said that the life of Beijing People’s Arts was partly watered by Mr. Lao She’s hard work. According to reports, Beijing People's Art Theater will perform "Under the Red Flag" at this time, which is a tribute and tribute to this literary giant, which was once known as the "Guo Lao Cao" theater.
Beijing People's Art Theater "Under the Red Flag" is on stage again. Photographed by Li Chunguang
Different from previous Lao She’s works on the people’s art stage, the original work of “Under the Red Flag” was not completed when Mr. Lao She passed away. It was edited by Mr. Li Longyun, the playwright who had created “Xiaojing Hutong” and other Beijing-style dramas. Continuing and adapting.
The work is narrated from Mr. Lao She’s first perspective, depicting the life style of Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty before and after his birth, and telling the fate of the nation a hundred years ago in the form of group portraits. In the second creation, directors Feng Yuanzheng and Yan Rui focused on respecting the spiritual core of the original work and highlighting humanistic care, giving the work a more modern interpretation. Although the play is a Beijing-style children's play, there are no traditional elements such as courtyards on the stage. Instead, you can see symbolic red roofs and other mobile devices at a glance. The actors' performances also break the traditional space restrictions and generate multi-dimensional dialogues.
Beijing People's Art Theater "Under the Red Flag" returns to the stage. Photographed by Li Chunguang
In the play, "Lao She" connects all beings in the capital in the late Qing Dynasty on the stage in the form of bystander and narrator. His stage performance highlights the "sense of participation" and "sense of presence" of "Lao She". "I think when Mr. Lao She wrote this play, he must have been involved and incorporated his own feelings. So we hope that Mr. Lao She can use emotions to communicate with the characters in the play on the stage. At a certain moment, he is looking down at the time. Everything." Feng Yuanzheng said.
Beijing People's Art Theater "Under the Red Flag" returns to the stage. Photographed by Li Chunguang
In addition to Pu Cunxin and Mr. "Lao She" played by Yu Zhen on the stage, the biggest feature of this work is the vivid stage group portraits. Father played by Yang Lixin, aunt played by Liang Danni, eldest sister and mother-in-law played by Wang Qianhua, Yun Weng played by Wang Gang, Zheng Weng played by Fu Jia, Lao She's mother played by Wu Shanshan, Fuhai's second brother played by Liu Hui, Bo Shengzhi played by Lei Jia, etc. A number of characters appear in turn, and in a short time, all living beings of the era are portrayed. Yan Rui believes that "the foundation of an actor's performance is love." Because he understands the author's love for the characters in the play, everyone on the stage is fresh and vital.
Synchronized with the premiere of "Under the Red Flag", Beijing People's Art Theater held a special exhibition "Commemorating the 125th Anniversary of Lao She's Birth" in the audience hall of the Capital Theater.
The exhibition specially displays the manuscripts and character introductions of Lao She's "Longxugou", books published during the Republic of China, stage design drawings of theater plays, performance instructions, and information on "Teahouse"'s multiple overseas tours, including a total of 7 display cabinets. Combined with 6 display panels and 12 banners, the audience can have an in-depth understanding of Mr. Lao She's works and his deep friendship with Beijing People's Art Theater while watching the performance.
This round of performances will last until February 13th. (End)
