In the autumn of 2024, Beijing People's Art Theater will perform in Shanghai for a full month. Three generations of artists, old, middle and young, gathered together to perform five major plays, "Teahouse", "Mutiny", "Sunrise", "Du Fu" and "Under the Red Flag", with 15 performances. The event was unprecedented and attracted the attention of the whole city. This is another large-scale performance by Beijing People's Art Troupe in Shanghai since 1988. The response from public opinion was enthusiastic and the Shanghai literary and art circles attracted much attention. It was no less than what it was back then.
Dean Feng Yuanzheng has been the focus from beginning to end. The director of three major dramas and the main actor of three major dramas. Within a month, I had countless interviews on and off camera, and frequently appeared in exchange lectures at major universities in Shanghai. After staying in Shanghai for a whole month, his schedule was almost empty. During this period, he went back and forth to Beijing three times to handle theater affairs.
Feng Yuanzheng
The staff members who have come into contact with him are all impressed by Feng Yuanzheng's work enthusiasm and infinite energy. Even the audience began to "feel sorry" for this "model worker" dean. Already thin, he lost several pounds within a month and once again "lost himself into Du Fu." However, his "fancy show of heart" at the closing scene of "Sunrise" and his "We are over the moon" when bidding farewell to the Shanghai audience at the last performance of "Under the Red Flag" all allowed the audience to see a person with more personality and personality. The charming director of the artist also made Beijing People's Performing Arts' performance in Shanghai more warm and colorful.
Few people would have thought that Feng Yuanzheng, a member of the 1985 student class of Beijing People's Arts, is already 62 years old. His classmates, the other four "Five Tigers", Wu Gang, Ding Zhicheng, Wang Gang, and Gao Dongping, although they were all together in the crew of "Mutiny", they have all retired from the theater. The three leading actors in "Tea House", Liang Guanhua, Pu Cunxin, and Yang Lixin, have also passed their ears. While the two classics shocked the Shanghai audience, the topic of who will "inherit" them has always continued. Feng Yuanzheng also chose to respond to this problem with "Sunrise", "Du Fu" and "Under the Red Flag", three dramas with more young people playing leading roles and more meaningful "connections between past and future".
"Beijing People's Art has reached a critical period of alternation between the old and the new. This is like a historical cycle. In 1992, our old artists retired and bowed to the audience at the Capital Theater with the curtain call of "Teahouse." Thirty years later, we met again It’s time to replace the old with the new.” In an exclusive interview with The Paper in Shanghai, Feng Yuanzheng made no secret of this issue. From beginning to end, he tried to answer and face this question.
Feng Yuanzheng visited The Paper.
In the 72 years since the Beijing People's Art Institute was founded, Feng Yuanzheng is the fifth director. It is also the first time in the history of the theater that an actor has served as director. When he received the appointment, Feng Yuanzheng was only a few months away from retirement. That year was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Beijing Institute of the Arts. Before the anniversary, Renyi had just bid farewell to the old artist Lan Tianye . At the end of the college celebration, Ren Ming, the then dean, died unexpectedly and suddenly.
Feng Yuanzheng, who was "already ready to retire", took office just like that. In a historical moment that was both sad and happy, and amid various "sudden events", he took up the banner of Beijing People's Arts.
He recalled those days, saying that he had the "obligation" as a Beijing artist, and that the theater faced the historical key of "how to move forward." "Choose what kind of drama to continue, how to carry on the past and open up the future. The 70th anniversary is a summary for Beijing People's Art. After 70 years, not only our country, but also Beijing People's Art has entered a new era."
said in an interview During this period, the new era, new audiences, and the replacement of old and new are topics that Feng Yuanzheng has always talked about. "You can't rest on a golden sign" is his clear point of view.
"In any case, I think Beijing People's Arts is standing at a new starting point in history, reaching a critical period of alternation between the old and the new. The alternation between the old and the new is not only the alternation of actors, but also the alternation of repertoire. How did "Teahouse" and "Mutiny" make Young people continue to take over, and all sectors of society are concerned about how the creation of human art dramas will continue."
He hopes that young people can smoothly take over the baton of "Teahouse"."I can't say it's a smooth succession, at least it won't be like the way we waited 7 years to rearrange "Teahouse" after the old artist bowed out in 1992, and then we were scolded for a long time."
He hopes to give young people more opportunities I hope the audience will give young actors time. As for himself, "I can only think and recall, thinking about how the seniors led the People's Art to move forward, and how the People's Art continued to innovate." At the end of the interview,
was asked about the dean Feng Yuanzheng thought about the goal he most wanted to achieve during his tenure and said that there was no goal. "Because I just do it. I can't set a goal for myself. This goal is actually the creation of a specific play, which is moving forward step by step. But from the perspective of the development of people and art, if we really want to achieve something , I hope that the banner of Renyi will not fall into my hands, and I hope that Renyi can continue to develop. I also hope that on the day I retire, I will tell everyone that Feng Yuanzheng did what he wanted to do. "
Feng Yuanzheng
[Dialogue]
"History is a cycle"
The Paper News : You were in Shanghai for a month, participated in five major dramas, and there were many exchange visits. The audience felt that Feng Yuan was too hard. Can you share your experience in Shanghai this month?
Feng Yuanzheng: Yes, this trip is very full. But I still feel very fulfilled. It's not quite the same as working in a theater. Because in addition to acting, you can also have some exchanges and research with colleagues in Shanghai. Including our theater, colleagues from the Performance Center and Art Department, including several of our deputy deans, are here to conduct research. This is all for the better development of human art, and because the marketization here is very good, we also hope to learn and draw on some experience.
Take the Shanghai International Art Festival, for example. I have observed it for many years, and it is basically attended by world-class academies. We are now also doing international invitational exhibitions, and the response has been very good. We are a public institution, and although some policies may be different, we hope to learn from some experiences and practices.
also has exchanges with colleagues, for example, with the Shanghai Drama Center. They are a corporate theater group, and I would like to discuss how they promote the market. The Beijing drama market may be relatively traditional, and we can learn from some experience in how to bring dramas to the market.
Another thing is to understand what this kind of audience group is like in Shanghai. Because in fact, the current audience of Beijing People's Art Theater is mainly composed of those born in the 1990s, with 70% of the audience being female. So we need to understand their choice of repertoire, choice of actors, and love for people and art. In particular, what repertoire is launched by Renyi depends not only on their preferences, but also on how receptive the post-90s audience will be to some of the new repertoire.
The Paper News : Beijing People’s Art Performances have always been sold out in the past. Now that there is a new International Theater Center with four theaters, is the pressure on the market and box office also increasing?
Feng Yuanzheng: Yes, the volume will increase. Then he made a joke of what I said and said that we are responsible for ourselves. Especially if four theaters are open at the same time in one night, four theaters will be performing at the same time.
I think times are changing, and audiences should have choices. Especially when we have reached a period of transition between the old and the new. During the transition period between the old and the new, the box office will definitely be affected, because when new actors appear, they will face whether the audience will accept it, or they will be worried about the future of Beijing People's Art.
After the veteran theater artist retired in 1992, we did not re-schedule "Teahouse" until 1999. There were still more than 10 years after the re-scheduling, and Renyi's dramas were always at a low point. At that time, we were faced with the problem of whether young actors can hold up this facade and whether the audience will accept young actors.
I was just an ordinary actor at that time, but looking back now, I think history is a cycle. Thirty years later, we are encountering such a period again.
Just like when I finished a performance of "Teahouse", I posted a group photo of everyone, and I said that one performance was one less performance. I suddenly felt very emotional that day, and I cherished such a performance.Because I feel that our generation will take over sooner or later.
How can young actors take over the baton? It can’t be said to be very silky and smooth, but at least it won’t be like the scene in 1992 when the old artist took his bow. We had to wait 7 years to rearrange “Teahouse”, and then we were scolded for a long time. I don't want to have such a long gap, I still hope to be able to take over smoothly. But it must also be considered whether young people can be fully accepted by the audience, it will take time.
The Paper : What can be done to help young people take over the job smoothly?
Feng Yuanzheng: First of all, we intensified training for them, and now we have resumed the student class, which is different from the model in history. In the past, people who graduated from high school were admitted through social examinations. In the two classes of 2019 and 2022, students from the acting department who graduated with undergraduate degrees will go to the theater for further training.
For example, this summer, teacher Gong Lijun gave an acting class to actors who have been in the theater for 5 years. Last year, teacher Pu Cunxin gave acting classes to actors who have been in the theater for 10 years. I gave them a half-month class before. Line lessons. Through these professional trainings, young actors can be improved.
We conduct artistic assessments for young actors every year. From 2023 to 2024, we rehearsed many small theater plays, among which two works, "The Orphan of Zhao" and "Hamlet", originated from our artistic assessments. The young actors' reinterpretations of "Hamlet" and "The Orphan of Zhao" impressed the judges and teachers. After watching it at the time, I felt that I could bring these two new styles of plays and new interpretations to the stage, so I hatched Two small theater plays were produced, which were well received by the audience. This is very motivating for young actors and can inspire them to work hard and innovate.
Then use classic repertoire to cultivate young talents and let them have more exposure to classics, which is what we want to do. For example, if a child in her 20s comes, she is Da Qingyi, but it is impossible to play a role like Fan Yi now. We will let her grow up during the training, and maybe she will take over in five or ten years.
The Paper : So are you making longer-term plans for the theater?
Feng Yuanzheng: There is no problem in considering it now, but eager for quick success and instant gain is not good for the future of Renyi. If I just use the big names in front of me to act, and continue to act for another five or ten years, there will be no problem. When I retire, theater love will be what it is, but that is not what I want.
I think when we first entered the People's Art Institute, the senior artists and the academy leaders had a plan. In the future, we should take over this class of the People's Art Institute. So they have been cultivating us and giving us opportunities.
As a person who grew up in human art, one cannot only consider the current situation of human art. The present is important, but the future of Renyi is even more important. If Renyi wants to last longer, we must tell ourselves now what it should be like in 15 or 20 years.
No matter what, people and art have reached a critical period, and young actors need an opportunity to show their strength.
The Paper : After all, the environment faced by this generation of actors is different from yours. When I interviewed teacher Wu Gang , I also mentioned that when you were young, you didn’t have many opportunities to perform in theaters. You had to play small roles for many years?
Feng Yuanzheng: Yes, there are not many opportunities. I was quite lucky. In 1986, when I was still in the art school, Xia Chun, the old director of our theater, transferred me out of the student class and went to the theater to play the role of Zeng Wenqing in "Peking People". There are also characters in "Lou". Later he went to Germany to study and then returned to theater.
But at that time, most actors in the entertainment industry were indeed in such a situation. The key is that the theater doesn't rehearse many plays at that time, only one or two a year. "The First Floor in the World" lasted for half a year. So the reason why there are few opportunities is that there are also few plays.
But now, last year we actually performed 35 plays, including 11 new plays, and performed 503 performances, which actually hit a record high.
Then a large number of actors are needed. Sometimes an actor will rehearse a play in the morning, a play in the afternoon, and another play in the evening.
If we open four theaters at the same time, we may need 80 actors a night. There are currently 120 actors working in the theater, nearly half of whom are young people.
The Paper News : There were few opportunities in the past, but now there are not enough actors. How to get young actors to come back from the temptation of film and television dramas to act in dramas?
Feng Yuanzheng: The rule of the theater is to complete the theater tasks first. We will make a full-year performance plan in advance. Each actor knows exactly what he will do next year. In this case, you can reasonably arrange your opportunities outside.
To be honest, although there are opportunities now, they are actually not as good as those of our generation. I also hope that our young people can go out to see the world and join the film crew to endure hardships, because the film crew is actually very hard. When he comes back after suffering, he may feel that the working environment in the theater is better. If he really catches a good show outside, it will be an improvement for him.
The Paper : You have also introduced actors with good audience base. For example, Zheng Yunlong has just joined Beijing People's Art Theatre?
Feng Yuanzheng: Yes, talent introduction is an important task for us, but we are very cautious. Zheng Yunlong was introduced to our theater after two years of acting, not because he was famous, but because he could act.
I didn’t know him before. I saw him when I was watching a reality show. I said that this kid can act, sing and dance. After checking, I found out that he was in a musical, so I contacted him. Come to Renyi to perform. In the process, I discovered that he is a talent. At that time, the leaders of the hospital discussed that we could introduce talents, but we inspected it for two years.
We are quite cautious in selecting and employing people. The first thing is to be a person, and then we talk about acting. All young actors who enter the People's Art Theater must receive performance training.
Feng Yuanzheng
"Insist on the nationalization of drama, and the banner of realism must not fall"
The Paper News : I remember when the 60th anniversary of the People's Art Institute was celebrated, there were some worries about the future of the People's Art, including inheritance and development. on. As one of the first people in China to go abroad to study drama, you have been immersed in the Beijing People's Art Theater environment. Do you think there is something in the People's Art Theater style and its systematic school that needs to be adhered to, and what needs to be changed? of?
Feng Yuanzheng: Insist on the nationalization of drama, and the banner of realism must not be toppled. What still needs to be persisted in is innovation.
In fact, Renyi has been on the road of innovation since its establishment.
For example, in 1982, China's first small theater drama "Absolute Signal" was produced at Beijing People's Art Theatre. The avant-garde dramas "Savage" and "Station" were also performed at Beijing People's Art Theatre. Director Lin Zhaohua, who is a representative of avant-garde theater, is also from Beijing People's Art Theatre.
The most important director in the history of Beijing People's Art is Jiao Juyin, who pioneered the style of Beijing People's Art. But another most important director in the history of Beijing People's Art Theater is Lin Zhaohua. He brought the innovation of drama, the pioneer of drama, the exploration of drama, and the experiment of drama to Beijing People's Art Theater.
Another thing is to insist on the nationalization of drama. To be honest, what makes Beijing People's Art Theater unique in China is this performance style and drama style, which is the embodiment of nationalization. We don’t have a drama accent. We insist on not wearing microphones on the stage. We insist on the original flavor of drama. At the same time, we have explored our own performance school, the school of drama.
In recent years, Beijing People's Art Institute has developed a set of teaching methods suitable for the pronunciation and pronunciation of Chinese characters in exploring performances and dialogues. It is what old artists have found through the continuous exploration and actors of our generation. We have a set of performance education. If it is put into education, I think this is the education method with the most Chinese characteristics.
I think the leaders of our Beijing People's Art Institute have always been very open-minded. Mr. Cao Yu asked Mr. Jiao Juyin to explore the nationalization of drama. So the teacher asked Lin Zhaohua to experiment and explore drama. Without such enlightened leadership, Beijing People's Arts would not be what it is today.Maybe Beijing People's Art Theater has been insisting on performing "Teahouse", and there are no other works in history like "The Nirvana of Gouerye" and "Beijing Uncle".
From this point of view, I think all previous leaders of the academy should insist on this.
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Beijing People's Art Festival, Cao Yu, the old director, mentioned eight words, "Dragon horse, Fengshen, camel steps calmly." If the dragon, horse and wind spirit are in front, we must have a pioneering spirit; if the camel is behind, we must take one step at a time and adhere to our realism.
The Paper : Do you think Beijing People’s Arts should pursue these two directions at the same time?
Feng Yuanzheng : Of course together, it is walking on two legs that merge.
If we keep insisting on old-school things without exploring them, I think Beijing People's Art Theater will also stagnate. That is to rest on the so-called golden signboard. But you can't lie flat, you have to polish, keep polishing, that is, you must continue to innovate. While innovating, we must adhere to the style and spirit of human art.
The Paper : You have just repeatedly mentioned the new era. Is it understandable that your term as dean is actually a particularly important period of continuity, or a period of change?
Feng Yuanzheng: I think the entire Chinese society is changing. As dramatists, how should we understand the current reform and opening up, including how to develop humanities and arts.
I took over this job very suddenly because Dean Ren Ming passed away very suddenly. At that time, I was about to retire in a few months, and I was already ready to retire. As a result, I was suddenly approached to take over as dean.
For me personally, first of all, it is my duty to be an artist. Secondly, this period is a particularly special period for people and art, with the replacement of old and new people, and talents need to be cultivated. In addition, how to develop the repertoire, "Teahouse" and " How to let young people continue "Mutiny", this is what we need to work hard to do. This is what society is paying attention to.
Innovation is actually a must in this era. Scientific and technological innovation, culture also needs innovation. Then how to integrate culture with technology. It is actually a change in thinking, but it cannot be separated from the original spirit of human art.
We adhere to the creative style of realism, but if we always stick to the same old style, I think human art may stagnate. So how to unleash young people’s passion for drama, how to let young people grow up quickly, and how to make young audiences like human art, I think this is very important.
The Paper News : Now you are not only the dean, but also a director and actor. How do you balance administration and art? It feels like you have a particularly heavy workload in both areas.
Feng Yuanzheng: I don’t need to balance. I ask the office director every day what I want to do today, and then he tells me what I want to do and I do it. Of course, the leaders of the basic hospital are quite understanding. If I have to rehearse and perform, they will basically not arrange for my administrative work in the afternoon. Then I will concentrate on completing the work and performing the tricks well in the afternoon.
balance, it is difficult to balance, even if you sacrifice your own time, it can only be like this.
The Paper : How much sleep can you get in a day now?
Feng Yuanzheng: If I go to work normally in the theater in the morning and have to act in the evening, I can basically get home at 12 o'clock in the evening. If I lie down, I should wake up at 1 o'clock in the morning at the earliest, and then I have to get up before 7 o'clock. Now, I basically work the rest of the time.
The Paper News : Finally, I want to ask, what is the goal you most want to achieve during your tenure as dean?
Feng Yuanzheng: No goal. I just try to do it. I feel that I cannot set a goal for myself. In fact, play creation is the goal, but this creation is about moving forward step by step. But if there is one goal that I want to achieve, it is that I hope that the banner of Renyi will not fall into my hands, and I hope that Renyi can continue. I also hope that on the day I retire, I will tell everyone that Feng Yuanzheng did what he wanted to do.
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