On June 28, the Beijing People's Art Theater Beijing-style drama " The First Floor in the World " was staged again, inviting new and old "customers" to gather at the time-honored "Fujude" to taste "Beijing's delicacies" and relieve the "bitter, spicy, and sour" sweet". In recent years, "The First Floor in the World", together with " Tea House " and the classic version " Thunderstorm ", have appeared on the stage of the Capital Theater almost every year, which has established its status as a popular show among people and artists. This round of performances will last until July 10th.
Poster of "The First Floor in the World"
This work, written by He Jiping and directed by Xia Chun, Gu Wei and Yan Rui, takes the time-honored roast duck restaurant "Fujude" in Beijing as the background and tells the story of the rise and fall of a restaurant and the stories behind it. Personnel ups and downs. Many classic lines that are both witty, humorous and philosophical have always been talked about by theater fans. Although the story takes place in a roast duck shop, it encompasses everything in the world and penetrates the human heart. Among them, the business wizard Lu Mengshi's painstaking efforts to climb to the top only ended up with one sentence, "It's such a dangerous building, who is the master and who is the guest; there are only three old houses, and the moon is bright and the wind is gentle." When the curtain closed, it was so exciting. So sad.
Stills from "The First Floor in the World". Photo of Li Chunguang in this article
"If this play can attract audiences from generation to generation, it must first be inseparable from the classicity of the script." Director Gu Wei, who is 84 years old this year, said that the playwright is philosophical, wise and humorous. The description gives the work a strong vitality. At the same time, the classic performance incorporates the accumulation of the older generation of actors, enriching the details of the characters. "After several generations of inheritance, it is now being staged again. While the classicity of the play is retained, the work is also more in line with current values, that is, 'Everyone must live with dignity.' Such a theme will inevitably bring The audience resonates with reality."
Speaking of which, "The First Floor in the World" has been on stage for 36 years since its launch in 1988. During this period, it has experienced the unremitting relay of talents passed down by four generations of actors. In 1988, Tan Zongyao and Lu Zhong played Lu Mengshi and Yu Chuer; in the second edition in 2001, Yang Lixin and Yue Xiuqing took over the two main roles; in the third edition in 2016, Liu Hui and Guo Yijun took over; in 2021 , young actors Wang Lei and Yuan Yu took over.
Stills of "The First Floor in the World"
"In the 1988 version, Beijing People's Art Theater could be said to be the best. In addition to Tan Zongyao and Lu Zhong, Teacher Lin Liankun played the role of the leader Chang Gui, and Teacher Han Shanxu played the role of the roast duck master Luo Datou. Including Teacher Zhang Tong, Xiu Zongdi, Lan Faqing, Li Guangfu, Zhang Wankun, Jung Jung, etc., it was really a gathering of stars, and the "Five Tigers of Class 85", Feng Yuanzheng, Wu Gang, Gao Dongping, Ding Zhicheng, Wang Gang were also there. "Wang Gang later took over the role of Luo Datou. He also liked this role and played it until 2019. He has been with this role for the longest time," Gu Wei told The Paper. reporter.
Stills of "The First Floor in the World"
This round is staged. It is the third round after Gu Wei and Yan Rui formed a joint new and old director team, and Wang Lei, Lei Jia , Yuan Yu and other young people starred. show. Director Yan Rui recalled that he joined the cast of "The First Floor in the World" in 2008 and played roles in the drama, including the famous Peking Opera actor Yu Boss and the second young master who was obsessed with martial arts and was incompetent. "In 2021, Teacher Gu Wei asked me to join the group as the successor of the director. Renyi has many classic plays, and "The First Floor in the World" is a benchmark work in the new era. The difficulty of this work is that it must be released today To retrieve the memory of history and the flavor of the era a hundred years ago, the actors not only have to restore the life at that time, but also use the language and rhythm of the time to express it. "
Stills from "The First Floor"
"Tonight, it's the time. This is the 576th performance of our play." After the performance on the 28th, the lead actor Wang Lei led all the actors to take a bow. "We are particularly grateful to Director Gu Wei for his persistence and dedication to "The First Floor" over the years." It seems that the version of Lu Mengshi that I starred in is more pyrotechnic, quaint and civilian."In such a classic, any adjustment of actors is bold. In the original script, Luo Datou was arrested for hiding cigarettes. Lu Mengshi stepped forward as the shopkeeper and said, 'Da Luo, roast your duck well and be a serious person. . 'During the rehearsal, I changed 'Da Luo' to 'Master Luo'. The sound of 'Master' showed the reconciliation between the two and also reflected Lu Mengshi's self-respect for Qinxing (Beijing dialect, cooking business). Teacher Ping fully affirmed this and told me to act like this in the future, which was a great inspiration for my creation."
Stills of "The First Floor of the World"
Chang Gui, played by Lei Jia, not only inherited. Back then, Lin Liankun announced the names of the dishes and sang a happy song on the stage. These two most outstanding scenes made this normally welcome person look like a smiling face. His teeth were knocked out behind his back, and he swallowed it until he couldn't talk about it. The performance was tear-jerking. "Among the young and middle-aged actors in Renyi, Lei Jia is very talented. This can be seen from the beginning of the lyrics. He immediately found the sense of relaxation. And he can perform Chang Gui's She was smiling and crying, and then she was smiling with tears on her face, which makes people feel sad to see her." Gu Wei commented.
Yu Chu'er, played by Yuan Yu, is Lu Mengshi's confidante. "Although Yu Chu'er was born in a brothel, she is a wise and resourceful woman, and she is a good courteous person. During the first two rounds of performances, I was a little impatient. After all, they are classics created by old artists. You can imagine the pressure on our hands. For example, when announcing the names of the dishes, I relied more on using my body to suppress the diners who came to challenge me. In this performance, I will deliberately restrain the charming side of the character and make her real. Show me your ability," Yuan Yu said.
Stills of "The First Floor"
This time it will be repeated. Director Gu Wei asked the creators to elaborate and take the character creation to a higher level. ""The First Floor in the World" is suitable for both refined and popular tastes, and is suitable for all ages. It is both lively to watch and can withstand the taste of smacking. The older generation of actors have accumulated rich experience, and many details are created by the actors. It is up to the director to relay them. It's a big difference. So I asked this generation of actors to carefully study the performance videos of the year, and they were very excited to participate in the rehearsal. "
" is also about the in-depth exploration of the characters in the past. The character Xiu Dingxin has not been paid enough attention to and studied. Now that I think about it, why did He Jiping set up such a very different (dialect, meaning different, special) character in the restaurant and put the ending of the whole play on him? Let him say the phrase "There is no such thing as a feast that never ends"? There's a lot to it. I put forward higher requirements for the actor Yang Mingxin. The wise man he played must transcend reality and speak out the lines. Zhesi and Kuangweilai," Gu Wei said at last.
