Source title: Beijing Renyi held a memorial service for performing artist Zheng Rong. Before he died, he still cared about “there is still a play to be performed”
Participants of the memorial service visit the retrospective exhibition of Zheng Rong’s life.Photo by our reporter Fang Fei
On December 24, 2022, Zheng Rong, a famous performing artist and consultant of the Beijing People’s Art Committee, died of illness in Beijing at the age of 98. On the morning of the 6th, Zheng Rong’s relatives, friends and theater colleagues gathered in the rehearsal hall on the first floor of the Capital Theater to commemorate this senior artist with both virtue and skill. Zheng Rong’s wife Chen Xiuying said emotionally: “Zheng Rong’s heart has never left the theater in his life. When he was talking in his sleep a few days before his death, he asked us to dress him quickly and said, ‘I still have a play to play’ .”
The Zhou Puyuan created is hard to surpass
“Mr. Zheng Rong is recognized by everyone as the most diligent and hardworking scholar-artist in artistic creation, with theory and practice. He is one of the representatives of Beijing Renyi Drama School.”
Feng Yuanzheng, director of the Beijing People’s Arts, recalled that Zheng Rong played Zhou Puyuan in “Thunderstorm” for 44 years. In every performance during these 44 years, he would have a new understanding and creation of the role, and he would have new thinking and attempts. “The Zhou Puyuan he portrayed in 1979 was difficult for other actors to surpass, but in the face of success and praise, he also revealed his own shortcomings, which is so commendable. When he played Zhou Puyuan again at the age of 73, he He still found various versions of the “Thunderstorm” video and watched it repeatedly. He was not watching Zhou Puyuan, but staring at the opponent’s acting, looking for the inner reaction from the other party’s speech and behavior, so as to complete Zhou Puyuan’s complete thought Through the line, I finally handed in the answer sheet to Mr. Cao Yu that he thought was unfinished.”
The same is true of Zheng Rong playing Chang Siye in “Teahouse”. During more than 30 years of performances, he has been constantly studying and adjusting, “From simply playing Chang Siye as a tough guy at the beginning, to finally finding the feeling of the character and reaching the level of Lao She. The request made by Mr. ‘to present the cultural performance of “Teahouse”‘.”
He once directed Pu Cunxin to speak his lines
Gu Wei, director of Beijing Renyi, recalled that when he first watched “Thunderstorm” starring Zheng Rong, he was still a middle school student. “At that time, I was shocked by his calmness and prestige. I joined the drama business because of this shock. He has influenced my life.” After graduating and entering Human Art, he was shocked by Zheng Rong’s dedication up. “He arrived at the backstage at 4:30 in the afternoon. He didn’t have anything to say. After putting on his clothes early, he started preparing for the scene in the dark corner of the backstage. This scene left a deep impression on me. At that time, only Teacher Zheng Rong Once backstage, the young actors were all quiet, and his aura really influenced many people.”
“Artists like Mr. Zheng Rong are the most precious wealth of the theater. Renyi is a theater with a history to follow, a standard to follow, someone to learn from, and a theater to perform. Our confidence comes from the older generation of artists.” Beijing Renyi The former vice president Pu Cunxin said that when he first came to Beijing Renyi in 1986, Mr. Zheng Rong taught him, “You can’t use all your lines, and you can’t be passionate about everything. There must be lightness, severity, urgency, and slowness.” He has been used so far, and the motivation for him to play Chang Siye came from Mr. Zheng Rong, so he will always be grateful.
A staunch defender of human art style
In the mind of Ma Xin, the former party secretary of Beijing People’s Art, Zheng Rong is an artist who always insists on telling the truth. “When it comes to artistic creation and theater development, he always dares to speak out, no matter who wrote, directed, or acted the script in question, he will say something when he speaks, and he never speaks empty words, let alone speaks against his will. “When various literary and artistic trends at home and abroad had a huge impact on the Chinese drama industry, and when the realistic creation of Beijing People’s Art was challenged unprecedentedly, Zheng Rong wrote “Three Questions to Dean Cao Yu”, calling for the adherence to the spirit of realism. Lord’s creation.
When rehearsing “Longxugou”, “Thunderstorm” and “Tea House” in the theater, Yang Lixin received a lot of guidance and help from Mr. Zheng Rong in the performance. In his opinion, Mr. Zheng Rong is a staunch defender of human art style: “It is a very happy thing to be able to work with the older generation of artists in the rehearsal field. Their admiration comes from their performances.” Yang Lixin took out a letter that Zheng Rong wrote to him after the rehearsal of “Xiaojing Hutong”, and said in the letter: “Over the years, lighting sets, philosophical symbols, dance acrobatics Flooding the drama stage, people are forced into corners, behind masks, and become marionettes.” What he is particularly sure of is that this play has begun to create characters on the stage again.
Later, when director Tang Ye rearranged “Guan Hanqing”, Zheng Rong took the initiative to watch the rehearsal in the rehearsal hall and shared his thoughts and expectations for the play without reservation. Outdated, the drama stage should still focus on people, revealing the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and creating vivid characters.” Tang Ye mentioned that Teacher Zheng Rong often calls himself “a soldier of Renyi”, and hopes that Renyi will emerge. More “little soldiers” like Mr. Zheng Rong.