On the evening of June 30, the Dahua City Performing Arts Center in Beijing burst into warm applause, and the premiere of director Yi Liming's new work "Doctor Konok" set off the audience.
The play is the opening work of director Yi Liming's "Medical Trilogy", and it is also the opening play of the trial operation of Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center. Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center, formerly Dahua Cinema, was one of the first four three-star cinemas in Beijing after the reform and opening up. The cinema was refurbished and rebuilt in 2010. In 2020, Yi Liming's team took over the reconstruction project, intending to build this place into an urban performing arts center.
From June 30 to July 3, "Doctor Conock" leads the audience through a dramatic adventure full of laughter and speculation, exploring the depths of medicine and human nature. The show will begin its second week on July 8.
The French playwright Jules Romains wrote "Doctor Cornock" (also known as "The Triumph of Medicine") in 1923, and it was put on the stage the following year and won wide acclaim, becoming a French dramatist. Dramatic masterpiece. It has performed more than 1,400 times in France, Austria, Germany and other places and has been enduring for a long time, and has been made into a movie three times. It has an extremely far-reaching influence in Europe, and its drama fragments have even been compiled into French student textbooks. The hero "Konok" in the play is like the Chinese Ah Q, becoming a typical and synonymous of a class of people.
In 1998, Jiang Wen put "Konoke or the Triumph of Medicine" on the Capital Theater. The joke is about the arrival of a Dr. Conock in the French town of Saint-Maurice. Everyone in St. Maurice was healthy, but Dr. Conock claimed that all healthy people were unknown patients. He was determined to "medicalize" life in the town according to his method. Starting from the free outpatient clinic, Konok used enticements, hints, promises, intimidation and other means to gradually convince the whole town that he was ill and needed to seek medical treatment. Three months later, the hotel in St. Maurice was turned into a medical station, residents began to enjoy the equipment and measures of modern medicine, and patients received "care in accordance with modern hygiene regulations".
This time, Yi Liming's version of "Doctor Konok" follows the theme of the play that "promotes" people to pay attention to health with the extreme medical enthusiasm of "medical madman" Dr. Konok, but reconstructs the relationship between the characters and the drama in the play. The expression of the theme makes this good drama, which has been born for nearly a hundred years, regain its brilliance in the present. In the play, the audience can not only feel the turbulent history of the beginning of the 20th century, when science flourished and people's hearts were high, but also seamlessly connected with many current world themes - the relationship between the individual and society, the collision of reason and desire are all in the play. It is vividly displayed and thought-provoking.
The stage design style of "Doctor Conock" is strong. It is not based on the actual scene at all, but focuses on returning to the dramatic expression. A dilapidated classic car drives the whole stage of whimsy, conveying an ironic and anti-traditional artistic attitude. . In addition, the lighting design is also a highlight of this time. The main creative team has made a lot of attempts in color, showing a new spatial relationship from the intuition and structure level, with obvious expressionist characteristics, stimulating the vitality of the actors' performances, in line with the director's deep artistic requirements, and creating a true and realistic image for the audience. Fantasy theatre atmosphere.
In the opinion of director Yi Liming, "Doctor Konok" faces the two most important creative points, one is speculation and narration, and the other is the exploration of dramatic style, which all depend on the joint participation of stage art and lighting. He proposed the creative concept of "come from the stage and return to the stage", and believed that with the development of contemporary art and the times, diverse artistic techniques must exist on the modern stage, but the diverse forms of expression, " The purpose is to return to the true nature of stage creation."
""Doctor Konok" is the first play in the trial operation of Dahua City Performing Arts Center, which is of great significance! First of all, we must make an excellent work to dedicate to the audience, and at the same time bring out an excellent team to dedicate to the audience. Industry." As the director and Dahua's artistic director, Yi Liming has a higher-level design idea for this play. He boldly employs new people, whether it is the leading actor on the stage, or the stage supervisor and project coordinator behind the scenes, he makes young people People stand in important positions.
In Yi Liming's view, "There are many ways to make a theater, and you can make it lively and lively with a few manipulations. But if there is no responsibility for the times and the difficult process of seeking, there is no 'laying down' and If you choose to rise up, then the establishment of the theater will be meaningless. I act calmly, and I hope the audience can watch the drama calmly."
It is worth mentioning that the building body of Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center has been around for nearly a hundred years. This was originally the Beijing YMCA on Mishi Street. It was built in 1913. The main buildings include the main building, gymnasium and auditorium. In February 1927, the auditorium began showing films. In April 1929, the auditorium was changed to play sound films, making it the first theater in Beijing history to show sound films.
On November 15, 1945, the theater was officially renamed "Dahua Cinema". After the reform and opening up, Dahua Cinema has become one of the first four three-star cinemas in Beijing. It regularly holds film premieres, retrospectives of old films, celebrity-audience meetings, and exclusive early release of blockbusters. In August 2008, Dahua Cinema began to suspend business due to renovation and renovation, and began a comprehensive renovation. In July 2020, the Yi Liming team took over.
After nearly two years of reconstruction, Dahua Cinema has now "gorgeously transformed" into a trinity of performance venues, literary and art groups, and performance brokerage agencies. The Dahua City Performing Arts Center, a comprehensive art institution with more than ten rehearsal halls and multiple public art spaces, is headed by director and stage designer Yi Liming as the artistic director and dean.
According to media reports, the Dahua City Performing Arts Center has a total of six performance spaces. One is an opera hall renovated on the basis of the original main hall of the cinema. It has a mirror-framed stage, a liftable orchestra pit, and auditoriums with more than 530 seats on the upper and lower floors. ——This time, "Doctor Conock" was chosen to premiere here. The stage in the form of a T-stage in the theater has auditoriums on three sides and can accommodate more than 290 people, which not only allows the audience to have a close-up immersive experience, but also leaves a lot of possibilities for performances. The stage is a bit like the circular theater of the ancient Roman theater, with 197 seats, which can not only perform small theater plays, but also conduct small speech activities. In addition to these three performance spaces with fixed auditoriums and stages, there are three more flexible and open performance spaces, one is a concert hall, one is a sky theater for open-air performances, and the other is an experimental theater.
What is particularly worth mentioning is that the main entrance of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center is facing the Peking Union Medical College Hospital - the hospital treats patients and saves people, and drama heals people's hearts. Is the contrast between body, mind and soul also the reason why the center's premiere play during the trial operation was selected as "Doctor Konok"?
"There are considerations in this regard. Dahua City Performing Arts Center is opposite Xiehe Hospital, and there are many national and even world-renowned medical institutions such as Tongren Hospital and Beijing Hospital nearby. Let's think about it again. The China Youth Art Theater is also nearby, and now the Oriental Pioneer Theater of the National Theatre of China and the Capital Theater of the Beijing People's Art Theater are also watching each other here. It is a central and important town where institutions and theater troupes gather." Yi Liming told The Paper that in order to highlight the characteristics of the environment, and also hope to discuss the value orientation of human life with the audience in the theater, this time he specially planned "Medical Victory Three" Trilogy" - "Doctor Conock", "Frankenstein" and "Which Am I". "These three medical dramas reflect reflections on different fields such as today's medicine, technology, economy, and art."
"Citizen friends can feel the charm of drama immersively"
The Paper : The location of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center can be said to be a prime location for every inch of land. I noticed that from the previous reconstruction of Dahua Cinema to your takeover in 2020, can you review the situation at that time?
Yi Liming : We took over in July 2020. At that time, the condition of the center has been renovated, but there is still a big gap between what it should be like as an urban performing arts center in my mind. I heard that the Beijing Metro Line 5 was going to be repaired, and I found that the theater itself had many problems, such as the load-bearing capacity. It can be said that it is a dangerous building. Affected by the epidemic in the past two years, everyone has not done much anyway, and we have devoted all our energy to the reconstruction here.
At the beginning of the design of Dahua City Performing Arts Center, we referred to the style of western city opera houses. Moreover, during the renovation process, such as the facade of the main entrance of the center, the column decoration in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s was still retained. In addition, the door design in the theater is also more Western-style. Standing on the central terrace, we can see the Xiehe Hospital residential complex, which is completely designed as an American country villa. The architecture here is to reflect a fusion of Chinese and Western.
Yi Liming : Beijing, the capital, has always been the center of national culture and art. Over the past two decades, everyone has seen the rapid development of Beijing's urban construction. With the rapid development, how to keep up with the cultural life of the public? In me, I dream of a theater where the artist wants to create, like there are lots of good seeds, but to find a place to plant the seeds and let them grow. Now I finally have such a good piece of soil, which makes me feel very grateful. Our center is a special theater. It has state-owned capital in it, but its operation model is purely a private art institution. We need to rely on real works of art to communicate with the market, to communicate with our lovely city, and to communicate with Communicating with the people and the people, we need to make works that are in line with the times and the needs of the people.
The Paper : Yes, I came this time from the next alley, and an enthusiastic aunt showed me the way.
Yi Liming : From the performance space to the content of the play, there is also the issue of "scale". Now the grand theaters all over the country are basically in the style of the opera house. They are very modern, but they are too big. When you play a drama in it, you have to bring a microphone to see the actors on the stage. This is actually not the most ideal drama performance and viewing mode. In addition, just like in our (geographical) location, looking to the east, there are many high-rise buildings in the CBD. You may work there, and your home may still be in the alley here. It means that work is work and life is life. Citizens and friends may In life, I don’t want to be in a grand building and experience a grand narrative. Come here to rest and watch a play, nothing better.
The physical volume of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center is not very large, but although the sparrow is small and complete, it is especially suitable for performing pioneering and experimental dramas. Distance communication, citizens and friends can immersely feel the charm of drama, which is something I care about. In the design of a few specific theaters, we also refer to the theater styles of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. It can be said that the development and prosperity of theaters in those years came to fruition in the center of the city. We open the door here on the street, next to the hutong, and there are all kinds of food, drink and entertainment around. The citizens are full of fireworks, and there is no need to worry about the flow of people. It can be said that it is rooted in the center of the citizens.
Yi Liming : A friend came and told me that your theater is opposite the hospital, and it seems that something is wrong. I was like, hey, yes, that's fine. Because in modern urban regulation, there are three buildings that are indispensable - the hospital, the theater, and the central square.
Located in the east of the Forbidden City, our street is really worth writing about. The Dahua City Performing Arts Center is opposite the Union Hospital, and there are many national and even world-renowned medical institutions such as Tongren Hospital and Beijing Hospital nearby. Let’s think about it again. The China Youth Art Theater was also nearby. Today, the National Theatre of China, the Oriental Pioneer Theater, and the Capital Theater of the Beijing People’s Art Theater are also watching each other nearby. It can be said that for a long time, in the political core area of the capital Beijing, it has also been the center of medical institutions and theater troupes. Is there any relationship between the two? It's so relevant.
The Paper : As the dean, can you introduce the artistic concept of Dahua City Performing Arts Center?
Yi Liming : The area of the center is not big, because it doesn't need to be that big. We also took into account the regulations of traditional Chinese theaters. The Changyin Pavilion in the Ningshou Palace of the Forbidden City is a royal theater. Is it big? Huguang Guild Hall also has a stage, is it big? Neither is that big. Therefore, there is no equal sign between the size of the performance venue and the high level of the theater. The place where the emperor of the Qing Dynasty slept was only ten square meters, why is it only so big? This is the scale of man, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the scale of "God". Dahua City Performing Arts Center also follows the scale of "people", so that the audience can walk into the theater comfortably and watch the play comfortably.
So, how to provide a comfortable experience for the audience? I take "international expression of Chinese stories, world classic Chinese expression" as the core artistic concept of the center. Our center has an independent and complete creative team, art management team, art technology team, our own actor team, and a chamber orchestra. In the future, we will continue to launch high-level art works and public art products in the fields of drama, music, dance and art education.
The Paper : After talking about the "hardware" of the center's architectural design, let's talk about the "software" product content. Specific to this premiere, why did you choose the play "Doctor Conock"?
Yi Liming : This time, "Doctor Konok" is not simply put on the stage again, but a new interpretation. Behind this is the re-understanding of this classic comedy, the presentation of the dramatic style, and the observation and expression of the times. .
The reason why a work becomes a classic is that it can continuously provide endless imaginative materials and room for interpretation for drama creation. After a hundred years, "Doctor Konok" has always reflected the times and human nature, and provided us with a laughing path when we look at reality. The way of sound and thorns. "Medicine" and "health" are almost the spiritual totems of contemporary people. Physiological problems and psychological problems are the source of each other. The worship of "medicine" and "health" is an important proposition throughout the life of modern people.
In fact, we are still in the trial operation period, and the center will officially open in September this year. It's like Chinese New Year, you can't just bring out a bowl of braised pork, you must make a large table of dishes to entertain relatives and friends. At that time, there will be four operas, four or five dramas, as well as opera works adjusted according to the theater regulations to meet the audience. I took over the center project for two full years. The first year and a half was all about making a fuss about architecture, and the last half year was thinking about specific works.
The Paper: What is the difference between the second performance of "Doctor Konok " in China and the previous version after more than 20 years?
Yi Liming : The comedy "Doctor Conock" has an unusually important position in French modern dramas. This character is not defined by a simple liar. Different versions have given this character different colors. This version of "Doctor Cornock" not only brings the protagonist from the French countryside to the modern city, but also pushes him to the depths of human history and individual spirit. As a director, my thinking cannot be limited to specific people and things. I hope to go into a wider time and space with my works, and discuss with the audience the problems faced by human beings themselves.
On the basis of the original drama structure, we first reconstructed the relationship between the characters in the play and the expression of the theme of the play in the text. During the rehearsal process, the concept of "here and now", a modern theatrical performance, was emphasized.
Yi Liming : French comedy is of great significance to French culture and even to world culture, and China has many confidantes, especially the theater audience. French playwrights are especially good at presenting deep philosophical paradoxes in the form of comedy. Jumping dexterously in many heavy practical problems, full of the power of thinking and the beauty of plucking the heartstrings. And this coincides with our national character.
I'm serious, but I'm definitely not a dull person. The same is true for the plays I have arranged. "Waiting for Godot", "Romulus the Great" and "The Imperial Train" are all in the process of thinking and laughter. The laughter in the theater itself is a challenge to old notions of theater.
The Paper: Specifically, besides "Doctor Konok ", what other works are being prepared?
Yi Liming : Dahua City Performing Arts Center, but we did not just place the word "city" on "Beijing". Many of Beijing Renyi's big plays are Beijing-style children's plays. As the artistic director of the theatre, my vision in the future is to introduce more Western classic plays and prepare to stage the complete works of Shakespeare here. We have already translated Shakespeare's complete works, but no theater has performed his complete works in a series. In addition, Tang Xianzu's "Peony Pavilion" is also planned.
The play is the opening work of director Yi Liming's "Medical Trilogy", and it is also the opening play of the trial operation of Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center. Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center, formerly Dahua Cinema, was one of the first four three-star cinemas in Beijing after the reform and opening up. The cinema was refurbished and rebuilt in 2010. In 2020, Yi Liming's team took over the reconstruction project, intending to build this place into an urban performing arts center.
From June 30 to July 3, "Doctor Conock" leads the audience through a dramatic adventure full of laughter and speculation, exploring the depths of medicine and human nature. The show will begin its second week on July 8.
Stills of "Doctor Konok", Zhang Naitian (left) plays Dr. Konok and Miao Ge (right) plays Dr. Palparide.
"A healthy person is a patient who neglects his own body"The French playwright Jules Romains wrote "Doctor Cornock" (also known as "The Triumph of Medicine") in 1923, and it was put on the stage the following year and won wide acclaim, becoming a French dramatist. Dramatic masterpiece. It has performed more than 1,400 times in France, Austria, Germany and other places and has been enduring for a long time, and has been made into a movie three times. It has an extremely far-reaching influence in Europe, and its drama fragments have even been compiled into French student textbooks. The hero "Konok" in the play is like the Chinese Ah Q, becoming a typical and synonymous of a class of people.
In 1998, Jiang Wen put "Konoke or the Triumph of Medicine" on the Capital Theater. The joke is about the arrival of a Dr. Conock in the French town of Saint-Maurice. Everyone in St. Maurice was healthy, but Dr. Conock claimed that all healthy people were unknown patients. He was determined to "medicalize" life in the town according to his method. Starting from the free outpatient clinic, Konok used enticements, hints, promises, intimidation and other means to gradually convince the whole town that he was ill and needed to seek medical treatment. Three months later, the hotel in St. Maurice was turned into a medical station, residents began to enjoy the equipment and measures of modern medicine, and patients received "care in accordance with modern hygiene regulations".
This time, Yi Liming's version of "Doctor Konok" follows the theme of the play that "promotes" people to pay attention to health with the extreme medical enthusiasm of "medical madman" Dr. Konok, but reconstructs the relationship between the characters and the drama in the play. The expression of the theme makes this good drama, which has been born for nearly a hundred years, regain its brilliance in the present. In the play, the audience can not only feel the turbulent history of the beginning of the 20th century, when science flourished and people's hearts were high, but also seamlessly connected with many current world themes - the relationship between the individual and society, the collision of reason and desire are all in the play. It is vividly displayed and thought-provoking.
"Doctor Conock" rehearsal photo, Yi Liming (left) speaking for the actors.
The curtain opened, and Dr. Konock broke into today's city from a French town, and put forward his extreme medical concept on a brand new stage - "A healthy person is a patient who neglects his own body". The audience clapped and laughed. With the unfolding of the plot, Konok has gradually changed from a fanatical and paranoid doctor to a microcosm of the superspeed era, a symbol of mysterious desire. This character is like a crystal clear glass medicine bottle, which reflects the director Yi Liming's views on modern medicine. , science and technology, economics, art, religion and other fields of thinking.The stage design style of "Doctor Conock" is strong. It is not based on the actual scene at all, but focuses on returning to the dramatic expression. A dilapidated classic car drives the whole stage of whimsy, conveying an ironic and anti-traditional artistic attitude. . In addition, the lighting design is also a highlight of this time. The main creative team has made a lot of attempts in color, showing a new spatial relationship from the intuition and structure level, with obvious expressionist characteristics, stimulating the vitality of the actors' performances, in line with the director's deep artistic requirements, and creating a true and realistic image for the audience. Fantasy theatre atmosphere.
In the opinion of director Yi Liming, "Doctor Konok" faces the two most important creative points, one is speculation and narration, and the other is the exploration of dramatic style, which all depend on the joint participation of stage art and lighting. He proposed the creative concept of "come from the stage and return to the stage", and believed that with the development of contemporary art and the times, diverse artistic techniques must exist on the modern stage, but the diverse forms of expression, " The purpose is to return to the true nature of stage creation."
Costume design of the characters in the play
"I play the show calmly, and I hope the audience can watch the play calmly too."""Doctor Konok" is the first play in the trial operation of Dahua City Performing Arts Center, which is of great significance! First of all, we must make an excellent work to dedicate to the audience, and at the same time bring out an excellent team to dedicate to the audience. Industry." As the director and Dahua's artistic director, Yi Liming has a higher-level design idea for this play. He boldly employs new people, whether it is the leading actor on the stage, or the stage supervisor and project coordinator behind the scenes, he makes young people People stand in important positions.
In Yi Liming's view, "There are many ways to make a theater, and you can make it lively and lively with a few manipulations. But if there is no responsibility for the times and the difficult process of seeking, there is no 'laying down' and If you choose to rise up, then the establishment of the theater will be meaningless. I act calmly, and I hope the audience can watch the drama calmly."
It is worth mentioning that the building body of Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center has been around for nearly a hundred years. This was originally the Beijing YMCA on Mishi Street. It was built in 1913. The main buildings include the main building, gymnasium and auditorium. In February 1927, the auditorium began showing films. In April 1929, the auditorium was changed to play sound films, making it the first theater in Beijing history to show sound films.
On November 15, 1945, the theater was officially renamed "Dahua Cinema". After the reform and opening up, Dahua Cinema has become one of the first four three-star cinemas in Beijing. It regularly holds film premieres, retrospectives of old films, celebrity-audience meetings, and exclusive early release of blockbusters. In August 2008, Dahua Cinema began to suspend business due to renovation and renovation, and began a comprehensive renovation. In July 2020, the Yi Liming team took over.
After nearly two years of reconstruction, Dahua Cinema has now "gorgeously transformed" into a trinity of performance venues, literary and art groups, and performance brokerage agencies. The Dahua City Performing Arts Center, a comprehensive art institution with more than ten rehearsal halls and multiple public art spaces, is headed by director and stage designer Yi Liming as the artistic director and dean.
According to media reports, the Dahua City Performing Arts Center has a total of six performance spaces. One is an opera hall renovated on the basis of the original main hall of the cinema. It has a mirror-framed stage, a liftable orchestra pit, and auditoriums with more than 530 seats on the upper and lower floors. ——This time, "Doctor Conock" was chosen to premiere here. The stage in the form of a T-stage in the theater has auditoriums on three sides and can accommodate more than 290 people, which not only allows the audience to have a close-up immersive experience, but also leaves a lot of possibilities for performances. The stage is a bit like the circular theater of the ancient Roman theater, with 197 seats, which can not only perform small theater plays, but also conduct small speech activities. In addition to these three performance spaces with fixed auditoriums and stages, there are three more flexible and open performance spaces, one is a concert hall, one is a sky theater for open-air performances, and the other is an experimental theater.
The center has a theater with three stands and auditoriums.
In addition to these six performance spaces, there are more than ten rehearsal spaces of different sizes that can be "transformed" into art areas with different functions at any time, as well as cafes, galleries and other functional areas. Yi Liming revealed that the concept of "people-oriented" is reflected in all aspects of the design, even the details of the bathroom are not left behind. Some media reporters noticed that each performance space in the center has a dressing room, a rehearsal hall and a toilet, which are very convenient both from the perspective of the audience and from the perspective of the performers. "And the public toilet not only takes into account the needs of more female audiences. , and even reserved space for waiting in line.”What is particularly worth mentioning is that the main entrance of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center is facing the Peking Union Medical College Hospital - the hospital treats patients and saves people, and drama heals people's hearts. Is the contrast between body, mind and soul also the reason why the center's premiere play during the trial operation was selected as "Doctor Konok"?
"There are considerations in this regard. Dahua City Performing Arts Center is opposite Xiehe Hospital, and there are many national and even world-renowned medical institutions such as Tongren Hospital and Beijing Hospital nearby. Let's think about it again. The China Youth Art Theater is also nearby, and now the Oriental Pioneer Theater of the National Theatre of China and the Capital Theater of the Beijing People's Art Theater are also watching each other here. It is a central and important town where institutions and theater troupes gather." Yi Liming told The Paper that in order to highlight the characteristics of the environment, and also hope to discuss the value orientation of human life with the audience in the theater, this time he specially planned "Medical Victory Three" Trilogy" - "Doctor Conock", "Frankenstein" and "Which Am I". "These three medical dramas reflect reflections on different fields such as today's medicine, technology, economy, and art."
Director Yi Liming
【dialogue】"Citizen friends can feel the charm of drama immersively"
The Paper : The location of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center can be said to be a prime location for every inch of land. I noticed that from the previous reconstruction of Dahua Cinema to your takeover in 2020, can you review the situation at that time?
Yi Liming : We took over in July 2020. At that time, the condition of the center has been renovated, but there is still a big gap between what it should be like as an urban performing arts center in my mind. I heard that the Beijing Metro Line 5 was going to be repaired, and I found that the theater itself had many problems, such as the load-bearing capacity. It can be said that it is a dangerous building. Affected by the epidemic in the past two years, everyone has not done much anyway, and we have devoted all our energy to the reconstruction here.
At the beginning of the design of Dahua City Performing Arts Center, we referred to the style of western city opera houses. Moreover, during the renovation process, such as the facade of the main entrance of the center, the column decoration in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s was still retained. In addition, the door design in the theater is also more Western-style. Standing on the central terrace, we can see the Xiehe Hospital residential complex, which is completely designed as an American country villa. The architecture here is to reflect a fusion of Chinese and Western.
Art Deco-style columns decorate the central façade. Photography Wang Zheng
The Paper : From a cinema to an urban performing arts center, I would like to know what you think of the definition of the word "city" in front of the center?Yi Liming : Beijing, the capital, has always been the center of national culture and art. Over the past two decades, everyone has seen the rapid development of Beijing's urban construction. With the rapid development, how to keep up with the cultural life of the public? In me, I dream of a theater where the artist wants to create, like there are lots of good seeds, but to find a place to plant the seeds and let them grow. Now I finally have such a good piece of soil, which makes me feel very grateful. Our center is a special theater. It has state-owned capital in it, but its operation model is purely a private art institution. We need to rely on real works of art to communicate with the market, to communicate with our lovely city, and to communicate with Communicating with the people and the people, we need to make works that are in line with the times and the needs of the people.
The Paper : Yes, I came this time from the next alley, and an enthusiastic aunt showed me the way.
Yi Liming : From the performance space to the content of the play, there is also the issue of "scale". Now the grand theaters all over the country are basically in the style of the opera house. They are very modern, but they are too big. When you play a drama in it, you have to bring a microphone to see the actors on the stage. This is actually not the most ideal drama performance and viewing mode. In addition, just like in our (geographical) location, looking to the east, there are many high-rise buildings in the CBD. You may work there, and your home may still be in the alley here. It means that work is work and life is life. Citizens and friends may In life, I don’t want to be in a grand building and experience a grand narrative. Come here to rest and watch a play, nothing better.
The physical volume of the Dahua City Performing Arts Center is not very large, but although the sparrow is small and complete, it is especially suitable for performing pioneering and experimental dramas. Distance communication, citizens and friends can immersely feel the charm of drama, which is something I care about. In the design of a few specific theaters, we also refer to the theater styles of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. It can be said that the development and prosperity of theaters in those years came to fruition in the center of the city. We open the door here on the street, next to the hutong, and there are all kinds of food, drink and entertainment around. The citizens are full of fireworks, and there is no need to worry about the flow of people. It can be said that it is rooted in the center of the citizens.
The main entrance of Beijing Dahua City Performing Arts Center. Photography Wang Zheng
The Paper : Opposite the center is the Xiehe Hospital. One side is to take care of people's body (health), and the other side is to provide spiritual life. The contrast between the two sides is very meaningful.Yi Liming : A friend came and told me that your theater is opposite the hospital, and it seems that something is wrong. I was like, hey, yes, that's fine. Because in modern urban regulation, there are three buildings that are indispensable - the hospital, the theater, and the central square.
Located in the east of the Forbidden City, our street is really worth writing about. The Dahua City Performing Arts Center is opposite the Union Hospital, and there are many national and even world-renowned medical institutions such as Tongren Hospital and Beijing Hospital nearby. Let’s think about it again. The China Youth Art Theater was also nearby. Today, the National Theatre of China, the Oriental Pioneer Theater, and the Capital Theater of the Beijing People’s Art Theater are also watching each other nearby. It can be said that for a long time, in the political core area of the capital Beijing, it has also been the center of medical institutions and theater troupes. Is there any relationship between the two? It's so relevant.
The Paper : As the dean, can you introduce the artistic concept of Dahua City Performing Arts Center?
Yi Liming : The area of the center is not big, because it doesn't need to be that big. We also took into account the regulations of traditional Chinese theaters. The Changyin Pavilion in the Ningshou Palace of the Forbidden City is a royal theater. Is it big? Huguang Guild Hall also has a stage, is it big? Neither is that big. Therefore, there is no equal sign between the size of the performance venue and the high level of the theater. The place where the emperor of the Qing Dynasty slept was only ten square meters, why is it only so big? This is the scale of man, and the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the scale of "God". Dahua City Performing Arts Center also follows the scale of "people", so that the audience can walk into the theater comfortably and watch the play comfortably.
So, how to provide a comfortable experience for the audience? I take "international expression of Chinese stories, world classic Chinese expression" as the core artistic concept of the center. Our center has an independent and complete creative team, art management team, art technology team, our own actor team, and a chamber orchestra. In the future, we will continue to launch high-level art works and public art products in the fields of drama, music, dance and art education.
Stills of "Doctor Konok", young actor Zhang Naitian plays Dr. Konok.
"Opening is like a New Year's Eve, you must make a large table of dishes to entertain relatives and friends"The Paper : After talking about the "hardware" of the center's architectural design, let's talk about the "software" product content. Specific to this premiere, why did you choose the play "Doctor Conock"?
Yi Liming : This time, "Doctor Konok" is not simply put on the stage again, but a new interpretation. Behind this is the re-understanding of this classic comedy, the presentation of the dramatic style, and the observation and expression of the times. .
The reason why a work becomes a classic is that it can continuously provide endless imaginative materials and room for interpretation for drama creation. After a hundred years, "Doctor Konok" has always reflected the times and human nature, and provided us with a laughing path when we look at reality. The way of sound and thorns. "Medicine" and "health" are almost the spiritual totems of contemporary people. Physiological problems and psychological problems are the source of each other. The worship of "medicine" and "health" is an important proposition throughout the life of modern people.
In fact, we are still in the trial operation period, and the center will officially open in September this year. It's like Chinese New Year, you can't just bring out a bowl of braised pork, you must make a large table of dishes to entertain relatives and friends. At that time, there will be four operas, four or five dramas, as well as opera works adjusted according to the theater regulations to meet the audience. I took over the center project for two full years. The first year and a half was all about making a fuss about architecture, and the last half year was thinking about specific works.
The Paper: What is the difference between the second performance of "Doctor Konok " in China and the previous version after more than 20 years?
Yi Liming : The comedy "Doctor Conock" has an unusually important position in French modern dramas. This character is not defined by a simple liar. Different versions have given this character different colors. This version of "Doctor Cornock" not only brings the protagonist from the French countryside to the modern city, but also pushes him to the depths of human history and individual spirit. As a director, my thinking cannot be limited to specific people and things. I hope to go into a wider time and space with my works, and discuss with the audience the problems faced by human beings themselves.
On the basis of the original drama structure, we first reconstructed the relationship between the characters in the play and the expression of the theme of the play in the text. During the rehearsal process, the concept of "here and now", a modern theatrical performance, was emphasized.
Chen Xing as Mrs. Remy
Peng Wenni as Mrs. Zi
The Paper: The drama industry all knows that comedy is difficult to perform, especially foreign comedies, which may be unacceptable. Why did you choose French comedies?Yi Liming : French comedy is of great significance to French culture and even to world culture, and China has many confidantes, especially the theater audience. French playwrights are especially good at presenting deep philosophical paradoxes in the form of comedy. Jumping dexterously in many heavy practical problems, full of the power of thinking and the beauty of plucking the heartstrings. And this coincides with our national character.
I'm serious, but I'm definitely not a dull person. The same is true for the plays I have arranged. "Waiting for Godot", "Romulus the Great" and "The Imperial Train" are all in the process of thinking and laughter. The laughter in the theater itself is a challenge to old notions of theater.
The Paper: Specifically, besides "Doctor Konok ", what other works are being prepared?
Yi Liming : Dahua City Performing Arts Center, but we did not just place the word "city" on "Beijing". Many of Beijing Renyi's big plays are Beijing-style children's plays. As the artistic director of the theatre, my vision in the future is to introduce more Western classic plays and prepare to stage the complete works of Shakespeare here. We have already translated Shakespeare's complete works, but no theater has performed his complete works in a series. In addition, Tang Xianzu's "Peony Pavilion" is also planned.
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