It is already noon, and the first floor of the lobby of the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution is still crowded with people. The excited children looked around and admired the aircraft, missiles and other meritorious weapons, but when they walked through the display and approached an iron anchor, the atmosphere became solemn. It comes from the "Zhenyuan" ship of the Beiyang Navy of the Qing Dynasty. It is an unforgettable scar left by a painful national memory.
The crew of "Deng Shichang" walked into the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution. Photo by our reporter Fang Fei
html On April 17, with only 10 days left before the official premiere, the crew of the National Center for the Performing Arts' original drama "Deng Shichang" broke away from the final intense rehearsal and walked into the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution. The year 2024 is the 130th anniversary of the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. 130 years ago, the Beiyang Navy suffered a disastrous defeat and the entire army was annihilated. In the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the "Zhiyuan" ship sank, and the leader Deng Shichang died heroically. The anchor of the "Zhenyuan" ship was After the war, it was taken to Tokyo, Japan, and displayed in Ueno Park for show. It was not until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War that Japan was forced to return the anchor to China."This anchor is like a ringing alarm bell." Wang Lei, the star of "Deng Shichang" said. In the play, he went through Deng Shichang's life of youth determination, youth joining the army, and middle-aged sacrifice for the country; in the museum, facing the real history, Wang Lei had mixed feelings: "The young people of our generation must remember the lessons of blood. We must continue to work hard for the prosperity of the country."
The crew of "Deng Shichang" talked with Niu Guanjie. Photographed by our reporter Fang Fei
During the visit, the National Center for the Performing Arts' "Classic Art Lecture" column invited the crew of "Deng Shichang" and Niu Guanjie, associate professor of the Department of History of Renmin University of China, to hold a lecture in the museum titled "Having Public Enough to Strengthen the Power of the Navy" ” public lecture activities. On the one hand, it is the historical facts that actually happened, and on the other hand, it is the processing of artistic imagination. Niu Guanjie talks with the director of "Deng Shichang" Wang Xiaodian and the actors about the past and present. Drama has the magical power to "resurrection" characters recorded in historical records. Three actors, Wang Lei, Zhang Yechuan, and Guan Dongtian, performed a confrontation between Deng Shichang, Li Hongzhang, and Ding Ruchang in the play, making their respective positions clear. Tao Lai. Ding Ruchang, played by Guan Dongtian, is particularly intriguing. He was hesitant between Deng Shichang and Li Hongzhang. He appreciated Deng Shichang's ambition to serve the country, but he was reluctant to let go of Li Hongzhang's kindness. However, in the end, he decided to go to war resolutely, saying " Ruchang couldn't stand this cowardice." This brought a hearty ending to a life that had been endured for a long time. Guan Dongtian grasped Ding Ruchang's emotions very well. The "complexity" of this character is what makes the portrayal so wonderful.
drama clip display. Photo by our reporter Fang Fei
According to director Wang Xiaodian, this is one of the greatest charms of drama: “A flesh-and-blood person on the stage is trying his best to interpret another person’s life to you. This kind of beauty can only be felt in the theater. "Wang Xiaodian found that there were many children at the lecture. She encouraged everyone to enter the theater more and enter the world of art in the future, because the influence of beauty and the infiltration of art can accompany people throughout their lives.
