The theme of Peony Pavilion lies in the word "love", and our script is developed close to Tang Xianzu's thoughts of "love to the heart", "love to the truth" and "love to the depth": the first book was inspired by "dream love", the second book became "ghost love" and the third book came down to "human love". Du Liniang, the "first lover in the world" written by Tang Xianzu, walked for a long time because of her dream, and finally returned to the world to tie the knot with Yagyu Mengmei. In The Peony Pavilion, love is given the highest praise. Love can transcend life and death, break through ethics, touch the underworld, touch the court, and finally win. The Peony Pavilion can be said to be an epic love story, a continuation of the Romance of the West Chamber and the Red Chamber. It is a peak in China's romantic literary tradition.
The performance of Peony Pavilion is generally dominated by Du Liniang, mainly the performance of Dan Jiao. Our script restores the original spirit of Tang Xianzu, strengthens the role of Liu Mengmei, and pays equal attention to life and Dan. Therefore, "Picking up Painting" and "Calling Painting", two representative works of towel students who often perform, were folded into 10% and adapted appropriately to highlight their importance. The 30-minute one-man show has brought the performance art of towel students to the extreme, which is equal to the first classic of Du Liniang, Meng Jing and Dreaming. Liu Mengmei, written by Tang Xianzu, is not only an elegant and handsome "dream lover", but also a proud scholar who is not afraid of power and dares to fight rationalism. In this way, our script developed along two tracks, achieving the beauty of symmetry and balance. After the literary version of "Desk" is compiled, it has to pass the test of "live" performance. Our general director is Wang Shiyu, a famous actor from Zhejiang and Kunming, who has the reputation of "towel first". He has 50 years of stage experience. After he was expelled from the rehearsal, our performance was finally finalized after several revisions.
Yu Jiulin and Shen Fengying were chosen to play Liu Mengmei and Du Liniang in The Peony Pavilion. The two young actors belong to the Xiaolan class of Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre. They are two pieces of rough jade with great potential, but the jade cannot be cut. Therefore, we strongly demand that Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre and Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre will be regarded as the "Dancing Festival" of China Kunqu Opera, and Zhang will enter Suzhou across the province to personally guide and teach. This is also one of the purposes of making the youth version of Peony Pavilion, and through the rehearsal of a play, the important work handed down from generation to generation is completed. Kunqu Opera is a performing art with a glorious history. It once dominated the drama stage in China for 200 years, but it has encountered a crisis of inheritance since the beginning of the last century. In the early years of the Republic of China, Kunqu Opera almost disappeared from the stage in China. Fortunately, a "Kunqu Opera Studio" was set up in Suzhou with a willing heart, and a group of outstanding actors with the word "biography" were trained, who will become the standard bearers of Kunqu Opera in the 20th century. He Zhang is the successor of these "handed down" generations of masters. I studied under Zhou, Zhang and Zai. Today, Yu Jiulin of the "Xiaolan" class is under his tutelage, and Zhang is officially accepted as a disciple. In the sense of inheritance, the two men inherited the playing style handed down from generation to generation by the master. This belongs to the authentic, orthodox and decent style of Kunqu Opera. After all, the aesthetic standards of the audience in 2 1 century are very different from those in Ming and Qing dynasties. On the one hand, we try our best to keep the aesthetic tradition of abstract and freehand brushwork in Kunqu opera, but we also use the concept of modern drama to set off this classical drama, so that it meets the visual requirements of modern audiences and the classical spirit of Kunqu opera. We brought together top creative designers from Taiwan Province Province to participate in this huge cultural project: (artistic director, costume design), Lin (stage and lighting design), Wu (dance director) and Dong Yangzi (calligraphy art). Even the portrait in the play, I asked my painter friend Song to draw a pastel beauty picture and show her face on the stage. The performance of the youth version of Peony Pavilion can be said to be the crystallization of the wisdom of many cultural people.
The youth version of Peony Pavilion, performed by the actors of Suzhou Kunqu Theatre, also has special significance. Suzhou is a Millennium ancient capital with a long cultural tradition. In the history of China, Suzhou has always occupied an important position in "Jiangnan Culture", with a prosperous style of writing and a pool of talents. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was once the center of China Kunqu Opera. It is no accident that Kunqu originated in Kunshan, a Wu language family near Suzhou. Wu Nong's soft language also determines the euphemistic and beautiful style of Kunqu opera. Suzhou garden art with flowers and winding paths; Suzhou embroidery with exquisite craftsmanship and colorful colors; In fact, the beautiful and elegant painting style of the four masters of Wumen belongs to the same cultural system as Kunqu Opera, and it is also the essence of "Jiangnan Culture".
In recent years, Suzhou intends to restore the glorious history of Kunqu Opera in Suzhou in the past and re-establish Suzhou's position as the center of Kunqu Opera. The youth version of Peony Pavilion, co-performed by Suzhou child Qi Xin, is a three-day drama, which is probably the prelude to the revival of Kunqu Opera in Suzhou. Qin Zhou (executive deputy director of China Kunqu Research Center, consultant of Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion, professor of Suzhou University, doctoral supervisor);
Bai Xianyong often laughs that he is a volunteer of Kunqu Opera, and I agree with him very much. It was he who brought Kunqu back to people's sight. He really participated, and many people participated in this matter because of his face. He likes Kunqu opera very much.
At first, I didn't agree with "Youth Edition" and "Peony Pavilion", which was a bit funny. However, after watching their performance in Taipei, I felt that the effect was very good, and I began to understand that the so-called "youth version" is to attract young audiences with young actors telling youth love stories. Before coming to Suzhou University to perform, I was very worried, even scared, because Suzhou University was not as good as the performance venues in Taipei and Hong Kong, and its hardware facilities were relatively simple. Only after Bai Xianyong promised to come to Suzhou did we dare to make a big publicity. The performances in the past three days have proved that the performances of Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion are successful. Back and forth, we welcomed a total of 7000 people. However, Kunqu opera has its own artistic limitations. We can't hope it doesn't need to change its face like a pop song. Our purpose is only to attract a high-level audience.
We are very moved by the popularity of Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion in Taiwan Province Province for three reasons: First, there are two young actors in Kunqu Opera, who are both idols and powerful; Second, there are Kunqu successors who can perform for at least 20 years, which can make up for the fault phenomenon of Kunqu and become the torchbearer of Kunqu; Thirdly, I didn't expect the audience in Taiwan Province Province to like this play so much. When they come across a classic passbook like Dream of Scared Dreams, they can hum or beat the time with familiarity. At that time, the highest ticket price was awarded to 1800 yuan, which was actually a cultural recognition of the audience in Taiwan Province province.
The two protagonists in Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion are both natural, and it is more appropriate to use Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, who are similar in age, to interpret them. Of course, they need to be honed, and the temperature is not very good. Being an actor is a gradual process. At present, their performances are more about passion than technology. After the performance from 50 to 100, the technology may be more passionate. These two are fish and bear's paw, and they need to get to know each other gradually. With their own consent, we hope that they will study for a master's degree in drama and drama to help improve their cultural literacy. There is no denying that the two actors are both beautiful, and it turns out that Bai has a good eye.
Wang Shiyu (artistic director and general director of Youth Peony Pavilion)
Bai Xianyong is a heartthrob in my eyes, even I can't escape his charm. After retiring from my post as the head of the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, I could have enjoyed my old age in Hangzhou at leisure and guided the descendants of Kunqu Opera. However, Bai Xianyong, who has been my friend for more than ten years, suddenly called me one day and said, "Take more students while you can still teach." After he put forward his ideas about "Youth Edition" and "Peony Pavilion" to me, I immediately agreed.
Being stationed in Suzhou for a year is not necessarily easier than being a class teacher, because I have a dual role in this "Youth Edition" Peony Pavilion, both as Liu Mengmei's master and as the artistic director of this new drama. This version of Peony Pavilion is more complete than the previous performance version, which deeply embodies the spirit that Tang Xianzu wants to pursue. The whole play revolves around the word "love", which runs through and is inseparable. I have played Liu Mengmei all my life. In fact, I feel that "dreaming" and "picking up paintings" are 20% off, and the other parts seem to have been diluted. In fact, Du Liniang's infatuation and persistence lies in that Liu Mengmei is a person worthy of love, so we strengthened Liu Mengmei's play this time.
For Disciples' Rules, the biggest change is that they are not playing a craft, but learning to express characters. Shen Fengying, the heroine, burst into tears at the last rehearsal. Shen Fengying said that whenever he played here, he would feel sad.
Shen Fengying (Du Liniang in Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion)
Yu Jiulin and I were classmates of the Theatre Academy, and later entered the Kun Theatre together. What Mr. Bai Xianyong asks us is that we must work hard for next year. Teacher Wang Shiyu said that you two actors have a good image, but your basic skills are not enough, which is unbearable. Therefore, Mr. Bai Xianyong and Mr. Wang Shiyu worked out a complete training plan, and gave us systematic and intensive training, including body building, singing, performance and literature appreciation. Rehearsal starts at 7: 00 a.m. and ends at 6: 00 p.m. Every day, and it is common to work overtime at night. Later, Mr. Wang Shiyu invited the dance teacher to open his shoulders and waist with ballet, so as to change our habit of containing chest and restraining. Because our age has passed the developmental stage, the bones have been formed, and the training is not difficult. There are sometimes cries and screams at the training site. I still remember the devil's training a year ago, and it's hard to imagine whether I can persist in such training again. At that time, I lived by my fingers every day.
Mr. Bai is very strict with us. He told me that the first time we met Liu Mengmei, we should have the feeling of first love, love at first sight. You can't stare at Liu Mengmei, but a good family must be half shy. After standing in line for hundreds of times, as soon as I relaxed, Mr. Bai immediately pointed out and asked for a fresh start. I went to Hong Kong to perform in May this year, and the climate changed a lot. Mr. Bai was worried that Yu Jiulin and I had physical problems, so he left us in the hotel to drink ginseng chicken soup.
Yu Jiulin (the actor of Liu Mengmei in Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion)
Although he is from Kunshan near Suzhou, Yu Jiulin's family has nothing to do with Kunqu Opera. He has never heard of Kunqu since he was a child. "I seem to have accidentally hit it." Before graduating from junior high school, the art school came to the school to recruit people to learn Kunqu opera. I read the image, listened to the intonation, tried it three or four times, was selected by the teacher, and entered the business in a daze. "At that time, I was not very sensible. I only feel that I can pass five customs and cut six generals, and I have to catch up with the exam in Suzhou. I am very proud. "
We/kloc-started to learn drama at the age of 0/7, which is a little late. He explained that there are many literary dramas in Kunqu opera, which requires a certain understanding of the script, and middle school students are definitely better in this respect; But because I haven't practiced since I was a child, my figure and flexibility are definitely flawed.
Before Liu Mengmei, he and Shen Fengying were both walk-ons in the group. Once, Bai Xianyong gave a lecture to explain the love between men and women in Kunqu Opera, and was recommended to ask him to demonstrate dozens of plays, including Nightmare. Mr. Bai felt that his image and voice were very suitable for Liu Mengmei, so he stepped into the youth version of Peony Pavilion.
The hellish experience finally took shape.
When I was a beginner, I practiced martial arts hard, and Yu Jiulin also experienced it. In winter, I wore a pair of white cotton trousers and a pair of black trousers outside, and suddenly I felt cold. When I opened it, it was all blood from my knees.
When the Peony Pavilion was arranged, he suffered another hellish experience. "Others have suffered, but they have not experienced it repeatedly." At the age of 24, she was chosen to play Liu Mengmei, practicing basic skills, catwalk and sleeves from the beginning. The school may only have two physical education class classes a day. "In these three months, I practiced the basic skills of various elements repeatedly from 7 am to 5 pm every day, just like strengthening military training." The effect is remarkable. He feels that his figure has become very tall and straight, but his fear of hell is unforgettable. "Mr. Wang Shiyu never praised me before 100 game."
The experience of Kunqu Opera is passed down from generation to generation.
"Peony Pavilion is the crossroads and turning point of my life. In the past, I just regarded Kunqu as a career, and now I regard it as a career. " Yu Jiulin said that he used to be a simple actor and never thought too much, but the youth version of Peony Pavilion gave him a sense of responsibility and mission.
"After learning from Wang Shiyu, he taught me the experience without reservation. This feeling is very precious, and it also makes me understand the meaning of inheritance. I will be old in a few years, and then I will pass on my experience to the next generation. The more you learn now, the more you pass on. "
Ms. S and Ms. X (the only undergraduate course graduates of Kunqu Opera in Suzhou University)
We finished reading Youth Edition and Peony Pavilion for three days, which were better. But as individuals, we still prefer to watch the Peony Pavilion performed by famous artists, but we very much support the present form, because it has derived the love story of young people. Both the costumes of the actors and the stage design are very beautiful and attractive, which should be attributed to Mr. Bai Xianyong's check. The present situation of Kunqu Opera is not optimistic. We and our classmates are very excited to see such a play, which can attract a large audience, especially young audience. It may be the first time for a large audience to see it, but this passion for art is enough. With an audience, it means the living environment of Kunqu opera.
But objectively speaking, Sheng Dan's understanding of Peony Pavilion is not very thorough. Acting is always a tempering process, and I believe they will gradually improve. We are deeply impressed by Xiao Sheng, the actor of Liu Mengmei, because his performance is more hierarchical, while Hua Dan is relatively dull, his personality is not very distinct, and the sense of hierarchy has not yet been opened. Maybe after 100 performances, I feel completely liberated.
We think "Youth Edition" and "Peony Pavilion" are full of vitality and very pleasing to the eye.
Bai Xianyong, a famous contemporary writer. People from Guilin, Guangxi. Son of Bai Chongxi, a senior Kuomintang general. When I was in primary school and middle school, I was deeply influenced by China's classical novels and the May 4th New Literature. He lived in Chongqing when he was a child, and later moved to Nanjing, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province with his parents. After graduating from Taipei Jianguo Middle School, he entered the National national cheng kung university in Tainan, and a year later he entered the Foreign Languages Department of Taiwan Province Provincial University. 1958, she published her first novel, Grandma Kim Dae. /kloc-in 0/960, he founded Modern Literature magazine with his classmates Chen Ruoxi and Ouyang Zi, and published many novels such as Dream on the Moon, Sister Jade Qing and Graduation. 196 1 graduated from university. /kloc-went to the United States in 0/963 to study and create in the writers' studio of the University of Iowa. 65438-0965 After receiving his master's degree, he lived in the United States and taught at the University of California. He has published a collection of short stories, Lonely Seventeen, Taipei People, The New Yorker, a collection of essays and the novel Evil Son.
Among all kinds of drama factors, the script is the foundation and the core to control the whole spirit and give it ideological vitality. In Tang Xianzu's original work, the editor arranged it, but did not adapt it. After careful combing, he created a youth version of Peony Pavilion with "dream love", "ghost love" and "human feelings" as the core, which fully embodied the spirit of Tang Xianzu's original work. The average age of the actors in the youth version of Peony Pavilion is about 20 years old. The leading role, supporting role and walk-on are all played by young actors. This stems from Mr. Bai Xianyong's unique creativity. He hopes to attract more young people to love the ancient Kunqu opera art and understand the profoundness of Chinese traditional studies with his performances. The most striking feature of the music of the youth version of Peony Pavilion is the application of opera music creation techniques to opera music. The whole play adopts the western opera theme music form, which enriches the opera itself and the expressive force of music and presents a colorful audio-visual feast for the audience. The singing of traditional Kunqu opera is too long and slow for the audience to accept. Mr. Bai Xianyong organized musicians on both sides of the strait to make bold innovations and breakthroughs in singing and melody, combined western opera with oriental opera, and added a lot of interludes and dance music to the singing of Peony Pavilion, which greatly enhanced the stage atmosphere. The overall color of the youth version of the clothing is elegant, with a strong style of China landscape painting, just as the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was stunning for eight minutes in the picture scroll! All the costumes are hand-made Suzhou embroidery, especially the traditional Suzhou embroidery technology of Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei will be the biggest highlight. Dance Youth Edition "Peony Pavilion" is full of flowers, and dances are all designed with costumes. The designer changed the traditional flower-picking dance to different flowers in December, and danced in traditional Chinese opera language, which made the atmosphere of the whole stage flow with the unique performance of the flower god. In order to integrate the classical aesthetics of Kunqu Opera with the modern theater, Bai Xianyong gathered experts from three places on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to make suggestions, and used the setting of "empty stage" to maximize the virtual space of singing and dancing. The stage floor broke the traditional carpet, using gray glue as the stage and applying the beautiful calligraphy of modern calligraphers to it. On the stage, Liu Zongyuan's prose was written. It is reported that the "Youth Edition of Peony Pavilion" has reduced the audience age of Kunqu Opera by 30 years, broken the habit that young people find it difficult to accept traditional drama, and improved students' aesthetic taste and artistic taste. "