The reason why dramatist Wu Bina was invited by Huang Lei to participate in the variety show "Cat in the Box" is that they are both obsessed with two words - drama.

"Drama is so important to us!"

Previously, when Wu Bi participated in another variety show about drama, he always had a sullen face and seemed particularly anxious. The root cause of this was because he was involved behind the scenes and had more things to worry about, so he inevitably had a heavy burden.

"I would be nervous and worried at that time. I was especially worried that others would say it was just so-so after watching it."

Stills from "Cat in the Box", Wu Bi plays the guest Wu Yu in the perfect community

Wu Bi is an actor who takes acting seriously, from Four Generations Under One Roof to Green Snake, from the award-winning "Stillness" which he wrote and directed himself and won in the youth competition unit, to becoming a member of the jury of the Wuzhen Theater Festival, to the current "Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway", Wu Bi, who has multiple identities as an actor, screenwriter, and director, has works in stage and film and television in addition to dramas and musicals.

Every time when there is a new character in front of him, he always gets to know "him" and studies "him" first, such as the character's way of speaking, his personality, how he handles things in the play, how he reacts to external stimuli... He feels that the process of studying a character is studying a person.

The core of "Cat in the Box" is "Schrödinger's Cat", also known as the variety show "The Truman Show", which seems to be a good opportunity to "study people".

This is Huang Lei's first variety show as the chief producer. The script consultant Gu Shuyi and the art team Zheng Chen are both from the crew of the movie "She Vanished". The guests invited are all Huang Lei's friends in the circle. The audience saw two men from classic IPs being stuffed into the box together in a variety show. The expectations were full before the show was even aired. The number of people warming up for the show quickly exceeded 4 million, setting a peak number of users warming up for Youku variety shows.

Stills from "Cat in the Box", Wu Pi plays the teacher of Peak School

The true openness of reality shows gives the audience enough room for imagination, but it means greater adventure for the creators behind the scenes.

Comedy + suspense + drama, does it mean that we have everything, but nothing is perfect?

How can we smoothly integrate meaningful topics into the game process without appearing abrupt?

Wu Bi, a member of the behind-the-scenes team and drama consultant, was still nervous when he was interviewed by The Paper. "After all, this is a brand new attempt, which makes people curious and full of surprises."

The guests unknowingly broke into the box, and the stage was disguised as reality with great fanfare. Inside the "box" were parallel worlds closely related to the real world. After opening the box, the guests would gain a new identity and become a "cat" with nine lives, and then enter the box to challenge the levels. After the game, the guests were immersed in a short ending play, which extended and deepened the entire theme.

"The guests really didn't have a preset script?" the reporter asked.

"No, I won't reveal a single word!" Wu Bi replied.

Like the audience, the guests need to slowly explore to piece together the complete plot. The guests are like arterial blood, fresh oxygen supply, and the drama people are like venous blood, as the blood is transported back to the "heart". Drama is Huang Lei's biggest "ambition" hidden in the program.

Wu Bi took a deep breath and said, "The most risky thing is, if we invite the audience to come on stage, you can't ask them to do anything, they may do 100 things you don't know about."

Cat in the Box poster

The performance of the small play starts at 100 degrees Celsius

Because of the differences in improvisation, theater and camera communication, and the fusion of variety shows and dramas, there are many inherent rhythm discrepancies, and "Cat in the Box" was quite challenging at the beginning.

A large drama performance takes about 2 hours, while a variety show may take about 10 hours to record. Wu Bi believes this is the biggest challenge, "There is no arrangement at all, it is pure improvisation. After recording for 10 hours, I actually have to prepare at least 50 hours of content behind the scenes, and at the same time, I have to set up a lot of games to satisfy the audience's preferences."

The script creation process is also "immediate judgment".

The writing team starts to create stories based on the theme of each episode. After the overall storyline is figured out, they start to fill in the small stories one by one in each big story, laying out the links, and finally slowly forming a big script. Wu Bi said, "As long as I feel that the topic is feasible and interesting, I will write it immediately and take action immediately. There is no time to look back."

In the first episode of the program, we saw the complete arc of the relationship between father and son from tension to rupture, confrontation, and then to reconciliation. At the same time, we discussed the currently hotly debated topic of AI "resurrecting" relatives and using digital life to continue family ties.

The final skit of the second episode of the show begins with the inner monologue of a dog that is about to be euthanized, directly confronting the inner consumption of human spirit.

The reason why Wu Bi thought of using the psychological portrayal of dogs to tell the story of human internal friction is because he once read a news report in which the owner put the dog on the passenger seat and the dog was photographed and fined for not wearing a seat belt.

"At the time, I was thinking, how would the dog feel when he learned about this? Then I thought about it further. Based on the little experience I have accumulated on the stage over the years, I told myself that the effect should be quite special."

The dog's anthropomorphic play was very captivating and the audience was very engaged in watching it. By the end of the performance, several guests had tears in their eyes.

"In fact, the real drama started from the episode with Gougou. Before, the guests all stood there and watched. They were not used to it this time. At first, they also had to walk to the stage, thinking it was some segment. Later, they realized that they had started acting, so they all sat there and watched."

But Wu Bi said that this kind of small play is more difficult to perform.

"It usually takes at least two and a half hours to perform a large theater play. The first 15 minutes are for characterization, letting the audience know what kind of character I am. After that, I rely on some skills and the actor's personal charm to fill the role with flesh and blood. But a small performance in the show is only 6-10 minutes, and the audience must quickly understand the story in a short period of time. There is no time to shape the character, so it is relatively simple and crude. In a large theater, the actors can start at 10 degrees Celsius, and then continue to raise the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius, and then reach 150 degrees Celsius at the climax, but a small play may have to start at 100 degrees Celsius, so we often say that a large play is 15 minutes and a small play is 15 seconds. In the 15 seconds, the audience's appetite must be whetted, and the creative techniques are not the same."

Stills from "Cat in the Box", Wu Bi plays the guest Wu Yu in the perfect community

Non-player characters are professional theatre actors

The reality show flashes through the guests’ social and daily lives, and the exchanges in different scenarios are enough to connect the public’s emotional points.

Faced with so many "sophisticated" men, would you feel panicky?

Wu Pi admitted that he was nervous before because he was the one who controlled the show in every episode. Compared with the brothers' rich experience in variety shows, he was indeed worried that he was not good enough. "But fortunately, after recording the first episode, I found that everyone would fully cooperate with you. They would drag you along, a bit like acting, helping each other. They are really amazing, and it's different if they have acting skills."

Talking about the embarrassing moments during the recording, Wu Bi said that he is "a bit socially anxious". "I am not a talkative person at home, I am a bit twisted. I am very happy when I go out, but I like to be alone and quiet when I get home. It is not okay to have more than three close friends. And two or three people just sit there, and there is no need to chat specifically, just sit there, which is also the most comfortable. When there are more people, the air suddenly becomes quiet, and I start to feel awkward in three seconds." Wu Bi is fortunate that when the conversation is not connected in the show, everyone usually understands and can continue to go on.

The most awkward part during the recording of the show was that they were too familiar with each other.

Wu Bi was immersed in his role on stage when he was suddenly called by an old friend in the audience, "Wu Bi, stop messing around!

He might break down in an instant, "Do you know this feeling? The vest falls off in an instant..."

During the show, Lin Gengxin, who was described by netizens as having a "venomous tongue", joked when Wu Bi was in the middle of his performance, "Look, the decoration on Wu Bi's hair looks like seaweed." After he said this, the scene became even more crazy.

There are no fixed lines, and even if you prepare them, they may not be used. The guests may "go off track" at any time, and the dramatists can only rely on their tenacious will to push the plot forward. Therefore, in the first episode, all the members seemed to have not found their status yet, and they were slowly testing and gradually integrating in a somewhat tense relationship.

"The first episode is very much like the premiere of a stage play. You don't know what the audience will react to. Once you get to know each other, you'll know what the audience likes to watch and what they don't like to watch, and where you should let go and where you should hold back. Now, after a few episodes, everyone has relaxed a lot, and many points have been captured very accurately," said Wu Bi.

Improvisational performances can often lead to big jokes, but can also get too exciting and spiral out of control.

Wu Bi said that just like creative writing, when chatting, the topic would go off track. If you forgot the words, you couldn’t press pause, and you had to find a way to continue and urge your brain to quickly get back to the topic.

Being with the guests, basically, you are constantly faced with unexpected situations. The dramatist who is supposed to be in control of the six guests is actually facing the six guests testing him together. Fortunately, unlike previous script-killing shows, this time everyone is a professional drama actor, so it is difficult for the audience to see the scene of laughter collapse.

Breaking through oneself is the ambition of being an actor

Wu Bi was once the mainstay of the variety show "Tonight's Paramount". His imitations of Fan Wei and Wang Feng, the mentor of "The Voice of China", are still very lifelike. He was also one of the top five in the fifth season of "Happy Comedian". In the first episode of the show, Wu Bi turned around and shouted "Are you Shawshank?" It was enough to become an emoticon.

"Comedian" Wu Bi's understanding of comedy is that all types of performances are mostly about the rhythm of the performance. However, in recent years, Wu Bi has deliberately performed fewer comedies.

"For example, the comedies performed by Song Dandan and Zhao Benshan are so classic that the audience wants to laugh as soon as they get on stage. In fact, they have already performed very well. Song Dandan has performed many dramas and has played many classic roles. This is also what she is very distressed about, and this is also what I am most worried about."

Comedy is indeed more down-to-earth, but Wu Bi prefers serious drama in his heart.

"It's easy to play one role. The industry wants you to do what you are good at, right? There are always people telling you not to break through easily and stay in your comfort zone. But as an actor, you have worked hard for a lifetime, and you hope to play more colorful roles instead of being accepted by the audience for just one role. Of course, this is the ambition of actors."

【dialogue】

“I was scared to be there myself.”

The Paper : If the identities were swapped and you entered the box, what would your role be?

Wu Bi : I should be very similar to Chen He, but I am not as funny as him. I am timid and introverted. When I get nervous, I can't talk much. The box is really scary, and I am afraid of the dark.

The Paper : You are already familiar with the environment in the box, but you are the one who scares others.

Wu Bi : It’s useless to be familiar with it. It’s too dark inside, I can’t see anything. I was scared to stay there, let alone scare others. Especially the episode where I played the role of “Master Jue”, it was quite scary when the music started…

The Paper : In that episode, are you satisfied with the look?

Wu Bi : I am still not satisfied, but I decided it myself, so I have to be satisfied. Because I was told to wear a wig before, and I had to change it back and forth, which was too late, and the normal hair was too mediocre. I didn’t add that much hair, just a small bunch, which was not bold enough. Later, I got a bunch of things from somewhere temporarily. Normally, it should be pulled at the back, but I decided to pin it on the side, so that it would be weird enough, so that when the light is on, it will have an effect.

Stills from "Cat in the Box", Wu Pi plays the main character of the hall

The Paper : There are often news reports that NPCs in escape room games are scared half to death by players. Have you ever encountered such a situation?

Wu Bi : We didn’t, but I was indeed scared because there was no one there, the other dramatists were in another room, and the sound effects were scary. But fortunately, the players couldn’t get in according to the process, so it was like a protection device for myself.

The Paper : Were you impressed by any of the guests’ performances?

Wu Bi : I think they are all good, because everyone has different personality traits. Chen He has the most output, which is really interesting, and his mind is too fast. Brother Xun (Wang Xun) seems to be bullied all the time, because Brother Xun is too nice. Zheng Kai is also very good at breaking through, with outstanding physical strength and intelligence. Lin Gengxin is stunned, quite cute, and very funny. Wang Junkai is a very shy guy, similar to me, and doesn't like to talk much, because they don't communicate with us before coming in. Once we meet, it's like meeting directly in the box, and I have to take care of a lot. There are many interesting details, too many to remember, and we are too tight on time, so many more details can't be taken care of in detail.

The Paper : How are roles allocated to all the dramatists? How do you evaluate their performance in variety shows?

Wu Bi : These actors are all good professional actors. I am very familiar with them. In fact, anyone can play the role. Even if they are not actors I have worked with before, they are all selected by me. I will look at their past information or what they are good at, and then give them suitable roles based on my judgment. I decide how to play the roles of all people. Normally, acting with artists will be nervous and there will be a sense of pressure, but they are all very calm.

Cat in the Box poster

To make a play of your own

The Paper : Have you ever thought about parallel universes? What do you think your life journey would be like in another parallel universe? If you were to travel through time, which era would you like to go to?

Wu Bi : I have thought about it. In the past two years, I have particularly liked watching videos related to the universe. If there is a parallel universe, if it did not cause my genes to mutate, Wu Bi should be doing the same thing, also being a drama actor.

The Paper : What kind of genetic mutation do you hope to see?

Wu Bi : I don’t really want to change suddenly. Although there are various situations in life, at least I am very satisfied with the fact that I am a drama actor. Now I can’t think of any other career that I want to do.

If I were to travel back in time, I would probably want to travel back to when I was a child learning opera, including when I went to college later. I didn’t understand a lot of things, and now I think about it and feel a little regretful. When I was a child learning Peking Opera, I basically gave up on cultural courses, and the school also gave me that time. I played around by myself, and I was very young when I went to college. I graduated at the age of 20. I was a little rebellious when I was in school, and I always wanted to go against the teacher, so I wanted to go back and learn it all over again.

Now when you create, the final battle is cultural background, otherwise you will inevitably get stuck at a certain stage. Although my performance experience is still increasing, it will not be as fast as when I was young. When I want to make a breakthrough, I find that I have to have more things in my mind, which becomes a problem.

The Paper : You can learn it from the beginning with your daughter.

Wu Bi : Children's homework is really difficult nowadays. She learns a lot. I really feel it is difficult. My daughter is only in the first grade. I have to think about some questions in my mind. Many of them are thinking questions. We didn't think like this when we were young. Of course, I have also learned a lot from her. Accompanying children is also a process of self-growth.

The Paper : Will your daughter watch the plays you act in?

Wu Bi : Yes, but her feelings will be different. A few days ago, she went to see "Su Causeway Spring Dawn". The play was nearly three hours long and she couldn't sit still. There were also a lot of poems and lyrics, some of which she couldn't understand. But she would watch some of the short plays in "New Life of Drama" because they are easy to understand, lively and interesting.

The Paper : "PiPi has transformed into a young and handsome guy", and when the program started, the following term was revealed: Will he have a mid-life crisis?

Wu Bi : Sometimes I suddenly feel that I have matured and am about to turn 40. I have no concerns about my image. I looked old when I was young. I have no requirements for appearance because I don’t rely on my looks to make a living. I just know how to act well and take one step at a time.

The so-called sense of crisis can also be defined as feeling that I am making less and less progress and that I need to be responsible for more and more things. My wife once talked to me and said that when the children grow up, I can work hard. In fact, it is not true. A large part of my energy is given to the children. Life is getting richer and richer, but I have less and less time to do things. Since "Still" that year, I have not made a play that really belongs to me. In the past two years, I have always wanted to make a drama, which should be directed and acted by myself. Yes, I must make a play that belongs to me this year.

Drama performance "PiPi"

The Paper : Some people believe that only by being busy can one improve oneself, while others believe that one needs to stop and think. Which one are you?

Wu Bi : I particularly need to stop and think. Many people may feel that they will be more fulfilled and have a higher sense of superiority if they are busy. But for me, stopping to think is the time when I can grow the most. When you can't stop, it is actually quite painful.

The Paper : Can it be solved?

Wu Bi : Any obstacle in life will pass, it's just a matter of time and how you overcome it. If you look back at yourself ten years ago, you were just a child ten years ago. If you look at yourself now ten years later, it's the same.

The Paper : AI technology has already begun to show its potential. Will there be any changes on the drama stage in the future?

Wu Bi : I am not worried about AI entering the theater, because I don’t think it will. The most precious thing about theater is the moment when we two meet in the theater. Every night I perform for you steadily, and you watch quietly. This is its charm. The performances in the theater are all real. No matter whether it is a human or an alien, they are all real. No matter how imaginative the performances in the theater are, it is impossible to replace performances with technology. No matter how real AI is, it is still fake. Humans need theater because it is real.

The Paper : What are you most grateful for in your life?

Wu Bi : When I graduated from university, I didn’t rush into filming TV dramas or movies. Instead, I very wisely chose the stage and have been performing for eight years.

The Paper : As a senior theater person, do you think the current living conditions and environment have changed?

Wu Bi : There are more plays, but fewer people watch them. There are two reasons for this. First, the country is now vigorously supporting cultural tourism, so there are more plays. However, after the epidemic, the whole society is in a state of economic recovery, and everyone is struggling. In the past, we watched a play once a month, but now we may watch a play once every three months. I think people who are willing to choose the stage and are willing to stick to it should not think about life.

The Paper : There will still be people who suffer, for example, the money she earns cannot support both her life and performing in plays.

Wu Bi : Choose life or love, we have to choose one. I remember that I had to leave the rehearsal room at 11 o'clock every night. There were no buses after 11 o'clock, so I had to walk from Di'anmen to Chaoyangmen, which took almost an hour. Sometimes I really forgot the time during rehearsal and had to walk back. Taking a taxi was too expensive.

If I love this job, I am willing to reduce my consumption to the minimum. If it is really not possible, I can also find a part-time job, like us theater workers, we can deliver food during the day and go to the theater at night. I used to sell plane tickets and train tickets during the day. I got up at 6 o'clock every morning, rode an electric bike to deliver tickets, and went to the theater to perform at night without delay.

Anyway, this is how I am. If it is something I am particularly passionate about, everything else can be discussed. I have never thought about giving up. I have never even thought about it.

The Paper : There are still mental barriers between most actors and ordinary people.

Wu Bi : How could that be? In fact, the hardships of life are also very helpful to actors. The most important thing is to remind you all the time that you are not an "actor". Because when you let go, you become a "human" and then you can act. If you keep acting like an actor and think that you are different from others, then you are done.