She is like a candle, burning herself to illuminate the future of children in mountainous areas; she is like charcoal fire, warming countless poor families with blazing love; she is like a lotus, the fragrance is far away and the beauty is clear, the pavilion is pure and green, and the lotus root is offered before it falls down, leaving behind A pure and beautiful life... On June 14th and 15th, the National Peking Opera Company's new modern Peking opera "Old Auntie" premiered at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater in Beijing. The play is based on Gong Quanzhen, the fourth national moral model and "the most beautiful struggler", and tells her life story of adhering to the original mission of a Communist Party member, working hard and conscientiously, teaching and educating people with love, and serving the people.
Performance poster
“Old Aunt” Gong Quanzhen is the wife of the founding general Gan Zuchang. When she was a teenager, Gong Quanzhen, under the call of her faith, left her hometown of Yantai and traveled thousands of miles to seek light; in her youth, in response to the call of the motherland, she went to Xinjiang alone and devoted herself to the education of New China; when her husband Gan Zuchang decided to give up the glory of being a general and return home to live with his father. When the villagers were building their hometown, Gong Quanzhen followed him without hesitation despite his deep reluctance for his comrades and students. Faced with various discomforts in a strange environment, she chose to persevere and dedicated herself to rural education for decades; after retirement, she still walked non-stop and dedicated herself to public welfare...
Performance stills
First-class actor at the National Peking Opera Theater, Zhang Pai The famous Wang Runjing once played Ke Xiang in the modern Peking Opera "Azalea Mountain" and has deep feelings for Pingxiang, Jiangxi. In this work, she created the character based on her understanding and respect for the "old aunt" Gong Quanzhen, deliberately highlighting her lotus-like nobleness His character, sweet singing voice, and soulful performance comprehensively demonstrated Gong Quanzhen's noble personality of being dedicated to the public, selfless, and the party member spirit of putting the overall situation first and putting the people first. Tian Lei, deputy director of the National Peking Opera Company and a first-class actor, gave a steady and powerful performance. The character he played, General Gan Zuchang, was resolute and upright, caring about people's livelihood, leading the villagers to open up wasteland and cultivate fields, demonstrating the unpretentious and unpretentious character of a generation of generals who are dedicated to the country.
Performance stills Tian Lei plays Gan Zuchang
Performance stills
"The creation of the modern Peking Opera "Old Auntie" can be said to be a cleansing of the soul and a tempering of the spirit." Yang Xiaoqing said that through this creation, he paid tribute to Gan Zuchang, Gong Quanzhen and all the generals of the country We pay tribute to the example of taking construction and people's happiness as our own responsibility. "Using stage art to interpret and praise the role models of the times is the responsibility and responsibility of literary and art workers. Using limited stage space to create an infinite spiritual world is the value and mission of dramatists. I hope the old aunt will be on this stage The spirit lasts forever," Yang Xiaoqing said.
According to reports, the modern Peking Opera "Old Auntie" was planned in early 2022 and took two and a half years to create. In order to better explore the touching deeds and emotional context of "Old Auntie" Gong Quanzhen, the main creative staff of the play, led by Wang Yong, director of the National Peking Opera Company, went to Jiangxi, Xinjiang and other places many times to collect and discuss relevant information. I have a more comprehensive and profound understanding of the old aunt, a romantic idealistic dream chaser and a realist striver with strong moral integrity.
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The main creative staff still clearly remember the words in the old aunt's diary: "My identity is not special, but I have a special responsibility." "I feel that my life is happy. Although I have nothing to do with my sleeves, my spiritual wealth is Very sufficient" and other touching words. "These stories are precious materials for my creation." Wang Runjing, who plays Gong Quanzhen in the play, recalled meeting Gong Quanzhen in late September 2022. "Although the old man was lying in the ward, he still had hale eyes and a friendly smile. She said She likes to listen to Peking Opera the most. When I sang excerpts from "The Story of the Red Lantern" for her, she sang softly with me..." Moved into power, these precious memory fragments emerged scene by scene during Wang Runjing's creation and performance, becoming Wang Runjing's character creation. To enhance the image, “I hope that through my performance, more people can feel the spiritual character of the old aunt and deliver positive energy to the audience."
Performance stills Wang Runjing plays Gong Quanzhen
"I feel that this work brings the characters to life. Grandma Gong Quanzhen's gentle, firm and simple temperament is interpreted particularly well. The story of General Gan Zuchang taking root in the countryside and serving the people is also very touching. People are moved. "
" I like the props and stage design of this show. It immediately takes me back to that era. It's very friendly. "The use of some folk songs in this play is very subtle, and it 'silky' blends the art form of Peking Opera with the historical background of the story." "The people are the "actors" of history and the "playwrights" of history. At the end of the performance, the audience praised the performance and believed that under the wonderful interpretation of the modern Peking Opera "Old Auntie", "Old Auntie" Gong Quanzhen's life persistence and individuality Emotions and the struggle of the times have once again been vividly demonstrated.
Photo/Courtesy of the National Peking Opera Company
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