Author: Zhang Suqin
On the evening of August 28, the stage play “Activities Changing Human Forms” adapted from Wang Meng’s novel of the same name landed in the 2021 Guangzhou Art Season and was staged in the Guangzhou Grand Theater. This is also another “large” production after the opera “Marco Polo”, and the original power bursts with infinite charm. On the stage, behind the tragicomedy of married life is a deep-seated cultural conflict. Everyone can see their own shadow in the play, which aroused strong resonance and empathy from the audience. The applause was thunderous and prolonged at the curtain call. “This is a clear stream of stage play, we need to watch such a play too much!” Some audience said so. It is reported that the play will continue to present two wonderful performances on August 29.
“Activity Becomes Human” premiered in Guangzhou.
“Activity Transforms Human Form” shows the tragicomedy of married life.
“Activity Transforms Human Form” is adapted from Wang Meng’s novel of the same name.Photo/provided by Guangzhou Grand Theater
Assemble the stage play “top match” and spread out the tragedy and comedy of the world in the flowing narrative
The stage play “Activities Transformed into Human Forms” is the first time the work of “People’s Artist” Wang Meng has been put on the stage. The play premiered in Beijing on August 20, and aroused praise from audiences and industry insiders. It was regarded as “the most noteworthy new drama of the year” and “the ceiling of this year’s drama”. Such feedback also boosted the popularity of the show in Guangzhou. It will premiere in Guangzhou on the evening of August 28, and a ticket is hard to find.
“Activities Transformed into Human Forms” was published in 1987 and was selected as the “Most Influential Novel for the 40th Anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening-up” in 2018. From a unique perspective, the novel summarizes the historical situation and social changes in China over the decades.
How does a 200,000-word novel appear on stage? The curtain opened, and a carousel-like device appeared on the stage. As the stage turned, various characters appeared on the stage, and the door of Ni’s house slowly opened. In the flowing narrative, a human tragedy and comedy trapped in thought and reality unfolds.
What is “activities into human form”? There is a line in the play explaining: “Everyone can be said to be composed of three parts. His desires, hopes, and ideals are his head, his ability, behavior, and achievements are his body, and his environment and status. It’s his leg. These three can be harmonious, even if they are compatible with each other, he can live, maybe he can live well. Otherwise, there are only troubles and pains.” The human form of activities is a children’s toy. In the play, the protagonist Ni Wucheng I gave it to my children.
On the stage, the carousel presents Ni Wucheng’s life concretely, and through the three-part upper, middle and lower triple space corresponding to the three parts of the activity, it unfolds a picture of Chinese-style marriage life—the intellectuals who have returned from studying abroad want to treat their family members. Modernization has intensified conflicts within the family due to the simple and rude methods; the conflicts between husbands and wives in arranged marriages, and the unfortunate family life destroys themselves and affects the next generation; while a pair of children breaks free from the negative influence of their parents and is strong and strong. Actively face the new life…
On the turntable, inside and outside the frame of the mirror, combined with the wrapped image, constitutes multiple perspectives. The jump-in and jump-out spatial structure creates a stage space with a strong speculative temperament.
The actors are fully engaged, and the wonderful performances rebirth the classic literary image on the stage. The whole performance lasted nearly 3 hours, and it always affected the emotions of the audience. At the end of the play, the audience burst into endless applause.
After the show, many audiences started the “Amway” drama, “Sure enough, it is the top part of the stage play. The original work Wang Meng, director Li Boyan, screenwriter Wen Fangyi, lighting Xing Xin, choreographer Liu Kedong… It’s too worthwhile” “Long time no I have seen such a play, the script is solid, the stage is exquisite, and the multimedia images are very textured” “It is definitely a clear stream of stage play, we need to watch such a play so much!”
8-year-old children can understand, arousing empathy and resonance from the audience
Wang Meng’s novel has profound meaning, and the stage play presents this novel on the stage in a way that everyone can understand, which arouses the audience’s thinking.
Before the premiere, director Li Bonan said: This movie can be seen by any audience with a provocative perspective. The audience can take what they need from the ideological, emotional, and deep cultural levels, and have harvests.
The sharing session revealed that the daughter of the lead actor Chen Hao watched it over and over again, “She is only 8 years old, she can understand who can’t understand. Watching this movie, everyone can see what is elegant and popular, what is meant by in-depth explanation, what is meant by Anyone can watch it, and anyone can think about what it means.” said Chen Hao, the actor of Ni Wucheng.
This drama really powerfully explains what it means to appreciate both the elegance and the common, and explain it in a simple way. Some audiences spend the stressful theater time in the “lively” full of stage, the bridge section with concentrated contradictions is overwhelming, giving people a hearty experience. “It’s so enjoyable that the lines are going crazy.”
Some viewers have seen the sharp and complicated marriage life. The time setting in the play is in the 1940s. But can the problems concerning family, marriage, and relationships be solved today? Everyone can find their own shadow in it. Just as Li Boyan said, the transformation of husband and wife and the pain and entanglement caused by it are themselves an eternal topic.
Some viewers saw the deep-seated cultural conflict behind the protagonist’s sharp and complicated marriage life, which gave people a lot of room for thinking.
Li Bonan said: “This play is to guide the audience to rationally examine their own life situations, so as to achieve reflection in the resonance and empathy of the protagonist of the story.” This is also the social significance pursued by the play. And cultural value.
Another “Vast” production, the original force bursts with infinite charm
The stage play “Activities Transformed into Human Forms” was produced by China International Culture Group Co., Ltd., with China Performance Theater Development Co., Ltd. as the chief producer, and Guangzhou Grand Theater and Beijing China Performing Arts Global Culture Communication Co., Ltd. jointly executed the production. This is another “Broad” production after the opera “Marco Polo”.
Chen Rui, deputy general manager of the Guangzhou Grand Theater and executive producer of the stage play “Activity Into Human Form”, said that the play has been in preparation for two years. After Wang Meng was awarded the honorary title of “People’s Artist”, the National Theater Circuit wanted to adapt his work into a stage play. “Wang Meng strongly recommends “Activity Changing Human Form” because it is a novel that he particularly touches.”
In order to ensure the first-class production level of the play, “Activity Changing Human Form” assembled the “top match” of the stage play. Inviting the famous screenwriter Wen Fangyi to make an adaptation, “Her past works describing intellectuals, such as “The Face of Jiang Gong,” are very wonderful. She is a post-90s, but she resonates well with Wang Meng’s work created in the 1980s. Six drafts have been revised. Wang Meng also recognized it after reading it.” Director Li Boyan is from the National Theatre of China and is the “most box office director” in the Chinese drama market. “Especially good at making’Beijing Taste’ works.”
It took more than half a year to find actors in the play. “I’m looking for talents. Chen Hao is from Sichuan Renyi, Zhang Lu is from Shanghai Dramatic Art Center, and Zhang Jing is from Shanxi Provincial Drama Theater. There are four or five actors from Beijing Renyi, and the extras are all from China Opera.” Chen Hao has directed and starred in the stage drama “Suspect X’s Devotion” and “Love Letter”. He is also the queen voice of Donnie Yen and the voice director of the popular cartoon “Nezha: The Devil Boy Comes into the World“. Zhang Lu is the first “Wang Qiyao” of the long-running drama “The Song of Everlasting Regret”. “Beginning of Autumn” starring Zhang Jing is regarded as a classic by many drama fans.
The first “Marco Polo” produced by “Guangzhou” gathered international opera masters and created a masterpiece that crossed cultural barriers. It also returned to Marco Polo’s hometown of Italy to tour and became a model of “Guangzhou original”. As the second production of “Broad”, “Activity Transforms Human Form” has assembled the top forces in the domestic drama industry and brought Wang Meng’s works to the stage, whether it is its premiere in Beijing on August 20 or in Guangzhou on August 28 The premiere has aroused praise from the audience and industry insiders.
“Wang Meng’s works are very literary and artistic. We make works, hoping to make high-value high-quality products that can stand on the stage and survive.” Chen Rui said, “There is no halftime in the past three hours. The rest performance is a challenge to the audience. But the comments of young audiences shocked me. It is the mission of the theater people to provide high-quality works.”
“This drama is a double premiere. After the previous performance in Beijing, the response from Beijing’s cultural circles has spread to Guangzhou. At that time, many colleagues from Guangzhou expressed that they would watch it. Everyone said they were looking forward to this drama and there were more creations. This is a very good thing.” Chen Rui said, “We work together to let the original force burst into infinite charm, and let the stage blossom.” (Zhang Suqin)
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责编：崔益明 ]
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