Beijing Opera "My Life", produced by the Beijing Performing Arts Group and the Beijing Opera Troupe, is a 2024 Communication and Exchange Promotion Funding Project of the National Arts Fund and a 2023 Communication and Exchange Promotion Funding Project of the Beijing Culture and Art Fund. It was recently opened at the Shijiazhuang Grand Theater Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei tour. The play is adapted from Mr. Lao She's novel of the same name. It tells the story of the struggle of being a human being through the ups and downs of "my" life in the old times. It truly shows the sadness of the low-level people who are unable to control their own destiny in the context of the outdated and turbulent old society. .
The play sings out the reality and heaviness of the world in a humorous way, full of deep affection and love for the world in the laughter and curses. Director Bai Ailian believes that the Beijing opera "My Life" is not a work that completely reproduces the novel, old Beijing, or the era, but a creation with the artistic characteristics of a small theater and contemporary expression. "Therefore, this drama has The theme, meaning search, and style must be explored and extended.”
In the just past “Beijing Opera Troupe’s 40th Anniversary Exhibition of Excellent Plays” event, Beijing Opera “In This Lifetime” became a masterpiece. The favorite work of college students, as a small theater play, the whole play is innovative in both form and music. Cui Di, director of the Beijing Opera Troupe, said that the use of the "paper man" element is the most impressive innovation in the play. In the play, the protagonist "I" was once a paper craftsman. The screenwriter Hu Mingshuai refined a group of "paper figures" made by "I" and used them throughout the play in a form similar to the "chorus" in ancient Greek dramas. In addition, most of the repertoire uses light, witty, humorous and rap-heavy tunes, which not only have the characteristics of Beijing Opera, but also fit the character's personality. The musical instruments include cajon and mouth organ for the first time. In addition, in order to expand the influence of music, the curtain call of the play was released separately by the theater troupe, which was very popular among young people.
Graduates from the Beijing Opera Class of 2018 at the China Academy of Opera took part in the rehearsal and performance of the opera "In This Lifetime". The young actors inherited the tradition, studied the script, deeply understood the original work and the main idea of the script, boldly broke through the previous performance style, and opened up a innovative and modern path for the Beijing Opera Small Theater space.
Dai Bing, Chairman of the Beijing Opera Troupe and Secretary of the Party Branch, said, “2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei becoming a national strategy. Currently, the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei has entered a stage of all-round, high-quality and in-depth advancement. , this tour of Beijing Opera "In This Lifetime" will work together with local cultural and tourism departments to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. "
It is reported that Beijing Opera "In This Lifetime" in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. The tour will be staged in Tianjin, Langfang and other places in May and June.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Guo Jia
editor/Cui Wei
