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    The 70th Anniversary of Beijing Renyi|Feng Yuanzheng: How did the origin of a drama come about?

    On June 15th, the academic forum to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Beijing Academy of Arts and Humanities was grandly held at Beijing International Drama Center·Caoyu Theater. Twenty-five experts and scholars from literature, drama, and humanities and social sciences gathered together. Among them, five experts, including Mo Yan, Liu Heng, He Jiping, Liao Ben, and Cao Lin, participated in the conference online to jointly create a new era for Beijing Arts and Crafts. This is also one of the important activities in the series of activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Beijing Academy of Arts and Crafts.
    The forum was chaired by Feng Yuanzheng, vice president of Beijing Humanities and Arts. In the forum that afternoon, the first theme was "Classics and Times", which was hosted by the literary critic Xie Xizhang. Director Wang Xiaoying, literary critic Zhong Yibing, Dean of the Central Academy of Drama Hao Rong, Deputy Dean of Beijing Renyi Feng Yuanzheng, Executive Editor-in-Chief of Drama of the Journal of Central Academy of Drama Xia Bo, Professor Zou Hong of Beijing Normal University, Professor Tian Huiqun of Beijing Normal University, Drama Critic Yang Daoquan spoke one after another.
    The surging journalists excerpted the following excerpts based on the on-site shorthand. Director Wang Xiaoying Photo by Li Chunguang

    Director Wang Xiaoying Photographed by Li Chunguang

    Literary critic Zhong Yibing

    Literary critic Zhong Yibing

    "After the Beijing Renyi Drama School entered the 21st century, the real spring has come"
    In his speech, Wang Xiaoying believed that the most frequently mentioned words for the Beijing People's Art Theater's acting style were "Beijing flavor" and "realism". "I think 'Beijing flavor' is mainly about the outside, and 'realism' is mainly about the inside. I think the realism of the Beijing People's Art Theater has a unique character and unique value. 70 years ago, realism was used in Chinese dramas. The status on the stage is unquestionable. The social and cultural background of the origin of this Chinese drama has a long-term relationship with the influence of the Soviet aesthetic theory, and it has a profound relationship with the theory and practice of Chinese revolutionary literature and art.
    "In the repertoire gallery of Beijing Renyi, there are various themes and styles, and generations of directors and actors have different ideas and achievements, and we can always see a bright and dazzling thread throughout the period, that is, the realism Pursuing the blooming of poetry on the fertile soil is under the aesthetic banner of Mr. Jiao Juyin’s drama-poetry, which gathers the artistic ideals that Beijing art artists have long recognized and practiced together. The real basis of Chinese drama art is inescapable. On this basis, the pace of development and ascension, going modern, and even going international will not be stagnant.” Wang Xiaoying said.
    Zhong Yibing pointed out in his speech that there is a trend now that good dramas are called classic dramas, and classics are flying all over the sky. "So much so that we saw such introductions on the Internet, 32 classic dramas of Beijing Renyi, and 150 classic Chinese dramas, which made me a little confused. Are there so many? If so, we have become A big country of classic drama, specializing in the production of classic drama.”
    "I think the word 'classic' should be used with caution, because classics are individual, rare, difficult to produce, and very formal. Classical dramas must be pioneering, innovative, unique, authoritative, Exemplary, can also be said to be exemplary, thus affecting the level of drama creation and drama appreciation in a large area in a period. For example, "Thunderstorm", "Sunrise", "Dou E's Injustice" and "Oedipus the King" "Othello", "The Imperial Commissioner", "One Servant and Two Masters" are classics, why should we rush to put ourselves under such a high ceiling, or leave it to history to comment."
    As an old audience and friend of Beijing Renyi, who has watched Renyi's dramas for a lifetime, Zhong Yibing took the three dramas "Teahouse", "Gou'er Nirvana" and "Li Bai" as examples, "Although I don't agree with the excellent contemporary creations. Dramas are called classics, but in fact these three dramas have reached or are not lower than the level of some classic dramas. That is the root of the nation, the soul of the times, extraordinary things, and people who are tempted. These four sentences can be used to sum up The main content of the law of human art creation is just my personal re-learning and re-understanding of this law.”
    Hao Rong said in his speech, "For Renyi, Renyi is the place where classics are produced, and I always think so. In particular, I want to say that I personally think Renyi is our national theater. Why do you say that? What? Because when I attended a seminar at the academy two days ago, some teachers said that China Opera is an academy that mainly studies Western drama. I made it clear that it was not completely right, half because of what? Because of drama Art is imported and comes from the West. This is an undoubted fact, and we cannot deny it. It is imported and spread to China. However, as Western art, how to take root in China must go through a localization, national If the process of nationalization is unsuccessful, this art cannot take root and blossom everywhere in China, which is my view.”
    Hao Rong recently wrote an article at the invitation of Renyi, revisiting the Beijing Renyi School of Drama. "I think the real spring has come after the Beijing Renyi School of Drama has entered the 21st century. Why do you say that? Because I think it is the American Method School that evolved from the Si-style system or Brecht in the West. Wait, these theoretical systems have been proven in those places, some in Europe, some in the Americas, those soils have been proven, and they have produced results. After they are used, how to develop, take root and blossom on the land of China, we have ready-made What is the idea? The older generation of performing artists, such as Jiao Juyin, Ouyang Yuqian, Huang Zuolin, etc., including Zhao Dan, Shi Hui, Jin Shan, and Zhang Mi, have long proposed to establish their own performance artists. The drama system, up to now, what is the Chinese own drama system? Beijing Renyi has set an example for us, and there are also many successful plays. For example, "Mutiny", Renyi has performed a lot of foreign dramas. In my class, I told my students that Renyi's foreign dramas have never been like foreigners, and they are all performed according to 'people'. Renyi has set up a banner on the road of nationalization, which is also recognized by everyone. style of art.” Feng Yuanzheng, Vice President of Beijing Humanities and Arts

    Feng Yuanzheng, Vice President of Beijing Humanities and Arts

    Ten years of sharpening a sword, "How did a drama come from, how did it come?"
    After Feng Yuanzheng made a periodical summary speech, he humbly said that he listened while thinking. The following is a transcript of his speech, with wording adjustments and deletions.
    Many things the experts said were very inspiring to me and made me think that I can think about some speculative things next. In fact, Beijing Renyi has never stopped to explore from the beginning of its establishment to the present. The theme of this forum is "Classics and Times". In fact, if you think about it carefully, if you talk about classics and times, you can talk about it and put it together. , if this era has to be a classic, it is unlikely that it is possible to look back on history. For example, "Tea House" is a classic produced in that era. Today, it is regarded as a classic by everyone because it was produced in that era. In fact, the close relationship between classics and eras is whether good works can be produced in that era. This is very important. .
    To this day, many times, I think sometimes the audience will ask, why can't you produce (classic) now? We are now trying to explore some good plays, can they become classics? This will take the test of time. Why did Mr. Cao Yu's plays become classics? Classics not only came into being in that era, but our dramas in this era can also reflect some contemporary social conditions and social situations, and the same is true for "Tea House". When I was in the production of "Sunrise" last year, I (directed by Feng Yuanzheng) told the young actors that the performance must take into account whether the current audience can appreciate it. This is the classic charm.
    In fact, several teachers of Beijing Renyi, I especially like the inspiration given by Mr. Xu Xiaozhong. Beijing Renyi should contact more young and middle-aged writers. There is a project, and the cause is very good. Ask experts, whether outside or inside the hospital for consultation, and slowly build it out. In fact, this may be what Beijing Renyi needs to think about now. Historically, the theater has supported many young writers, and many later became good writers. At that time, they were young screenwriters. With the support of Renyi, Mr. He Jiping herself said that she was used to being big by Renyi. As soon as she made her move, she let the theater go. Leaders and artists are shining brightly. In fact, I think it is very important to discuss the birth of a work, how a play came from, and how it came about.
    Teacher He Jiping himself introduced that in order to write this script ("The First Floor in the World"), he took the second-level chef certificate himself. The process is so wonderfully written. What does this actually involve? It is the question of where do we start, the birth of a script and the birth process of a drama finally becoming a stage performance - I think we have been referring to social phenomena in these years, not just who, these years may be too fast food culture phenomenon. More, the times have given us a lot of things that must be done. But how? This is the most important.
    There have been many node events in the current history, such as the fight against the epidemic. After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, so many, hundreds of works have been produced. Is there a work that we can remember? Like a song? A poem? It can be difficult. The difficulty is that we are too eager for success to express, and we lack deep exploration of deep-seated things.
    For example, "Tea House" or "The First Floor in the World", Mr. He Jiping took several years to write this script. Including several plays that I have experienced myself, such as "Sima Qian", in 2005, whether it will eventually become a repertoire of Beijing Renyi, let's not talk about classics, it will take time to become a reserved repertoire, and it will also be tested. share the process.
    In 2005, I went back to my hometown. My hometown is Hancheng, Shaanxi, the hometown of Sima Qian. That year was the 2150th anniversary of Sima Qian's birth. Phoenix Satellite TV and CCTV held a "Wind Chasing Sima" event. Many celebrities arrived and said that this was the hometown of Sima Qian. Sima Qian was born here. How does everyone know about Sima Qian? "Historical Records", but do not know where he is from? The initial thought at that time was to hope that the majority of Chinese people would know that Sima Qian was born in Hancheng.
    It was the original intention that the theater asked Mr. Xiong Zhaozheng to write this play, because I was filming his TV series "Wanli First Auxiliary Zhang Juzheng". After the appointment, he said yes, and when he contacted him later, he was very busy. I thought it might not bother such a big writer, the writer of the Mao Dunwen Award, and then I started to contact the writers in Shaanxi, but I found that if there are 100 writers in Shaanxi, 100 writers are writing Sima Qian. But none of the Sima Qian written by a writer is the result I think I want to get.
    Seven years later, in 2012, I found Mr. Xiong Zhaozheng again. I said, I still hope you will write, and he said yes. In 2013, he came to Beijing for a meeting, and I introduced him to Director Ren Ming. I said, you write, I will act, okay? He said yes. In the Spring Festival of 2014, it took him a few days to finish writing the play. In 2015, our theater put into rehearsal and performance, and it took ten years before and after. If in 2005, I said that I wanted to get Sima Qian's script and people said it would take ten years, maybe I would give up. Ten years is too long, but when it was actually staged in 2015, I would turn around and think, if I make another one In terms of works, let's say ten years, I don't care, I'm not afraid, I think only time can make a work better polished.
    There is also a book written by Mr. Liu Yida, a famous Beijing-flavored writer, in "My Lord is a Player". In 2006, he handed over the script to the theater, and in 2016, he put it on the stage. After ten years, 16 drafts were revised. In fact, the final draft was not our most satisfactory. , slowly and finally moved to the stage, it may not become a classic, but it will definitely become a work that reflects the times. So, in fact, I think some of Renyi's plays may not be classic enough, but if it can become a reserved play in the future, if it is often performed, and is often polished by actors and directors, I think it may one day slowly. ——Because the classics can be met but not sought after, so how we do it, we still need to solidify after all.
    Later I learned that in order to study Sima Qian, Mr. Xiong Zhaozheng did not study it just now. He liked "Historical Records" since he was young, and he was able to "report Ren Anshu" by memorization. When he was sent to the countryside, one day the composer Zhao Jiping came to see him. The roofs in the south were all flat. He climbed to the roof to see, and when he saw Mr. Zhao Jiping coming from a distance, he recited the "Book of Report to Ren'an" aloud. He thought, ah, here comes the confidant!
    In fact, no matter what, when a writer can be ignited by you, and when he can burst out his many years of savings, good works may come out. Mr. Cao Yu's "Tea House" is also because he (Lao She) was asked to write a "homework", he wrote "The Three Qin Brothers", and there is a scene in the middle of "Tea House". At present, the third act of the drama "Tea House" seems to be in his script at that time. After reading it, the artists and chief director of Beijing Renyi said that your script is not good at all, only the third act is good, can you put the first one? Three acts into one drama? The drama "Tea House" was born in this way, but what ignited Mr. Lao She all of a sudden? He remembered that era, and he remembered many historical milestones that happened in the era, so he wrote.
    As far as "Tea House" is concerned, many of our old artists have told us about some of the plots they made in the rehearsal room when they were doing sketches. They really moved the sketches to the rehearsal hall. The two sides quarreled. How much did they lose? One hundred taels of silver. Give it to him. Get the pigeons. In fact, it is not in the final stage presentation, but the actor has it in the mind, and the foundation is there. The root of what you said is there.
    So the birth of the classics, I don’t think it’s just for everyone to talk about. We need to be solid, we need to have a foundation, we need writers to go deep into life from the beginning, and to find those sources from life, and we actors also need to to experience life. Only when you really go into life can you feel it. Beijing Renyi can produce many excellent works, we do not say they are classic works. Just now, Mr. Zhong Yibing said that there are so-called 35 classics and 100 classics on the Internet. This is not what we said. It may be said by the people who posted those videos.
    I have discussed with Dean Ren Ming, he never said, he said we should not say such things, this is not what we want to say, this is to be left to future generations or experts to tell us. The Beijing Renyi Drama School is not self-proclaimed by us, but through our continuous discussion, exploration and practice, we have formed our own performance style, and finally experts identified it as the Beijing Renyi Drama School.
    How do you see the development of our theater? In fact, I think we have taken an innovative path from the very beginning. Originally, we wanted to build a world-class theater in the style of Moscow Art Theater, but we went out of Beijing People's Art Theater, which is also world-class, and we have our own performance style. , is the Beijing People's Art School of Drama, which is also our innovation. Whether "Tiger Run" was the earliest nationalized drama, "Cai Wenji" has become a classic. The play "Dragon Beard Ditch" that we opened a few days ago, although we played a version of "Dragon Beard Ditch" in recent years, when it was played online, many audiences still said that these actors live on the stage.
    This may be the tradition of our art, and acting in this type of play requires our actors to live in such a state. Of course, drama is refined. In fact, including China's first "small theater" was born in Beijing Renyi, and pioneering dramas such as "The Savage" and "Station" were also born in Beijing Renyi. Therefore, Beijing Renyi has its own excellent tradition and an open spirit. Such a theater that can embrace life again. So I'm especially proud of myself to be a person in this theater.
    I hope that our generation may not be able to produce classics, but we must be working hard in this direction, and I also hope that the classics of Beijing Renyi will continue to be produced, and at the same time, I also hope that the classics of our "Treasures of the Town" will be produced. passed down from generation to generation. Only in this way can Beijing Renyi be able to stand on the Chinese theater stage, and Beijing Renyi can really maintain its youth forever. 70 years is a rare age for a person, and a youthful time for Beijing Renyi.
    Finally, I would like to conclude by borrowing the words of our old dean, Mr. Cao Yu, that Beijing Renyi should always carry forward the spirit of Longma Fengshen and Camel's steadfast steps. thank you all!

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