Peking Opera “Yi Zhangqing” takes the lead in testing the waters of Jiangcheng and welcomes an immersive small theater
Daomadan’s flower spear swept over the audience’s head
On the evening of August 5, the immersive Peking Opera “Yi Zhangqing” landed in the newly built small theater of Wuhan Theater.Photo by Chutian Metropolis Daily Jimu News reporter Xiao Hao
“Yi Zhangqing” performance scene
□Chutian Metropolis Daily Jimu News chief reporter Zhang Cong correspondent Hua Lingyun Photography: Chutian Metropolis Daily Jimu News reporter Xiao Hao
Hu Sanniang’s flower spear passed over the heads of the audience in the front row, and the bantam tiger Wang Ying turned around in front of everyone’s eyelids; you can see the smugness on the face of the bantam tiger when he talked about the seat of Liang Shanbo, and it can also be seen at the end of the story. Here, I can see the loneliness that flashed across the face of Hu Sanniang, who was married with a red silk in her hand…
All the meticulous viewing experience is because of “closeness”.
On the evening of August 5, the immersive Peking Opera “Yi Zhangqing” landed in the newly built small theater of Wuhan Theater. The “immersive small theater performance” that has exploded in Shanghai in the past two years has finally arrived at the door of the audience in Jiangcheng.
The audience in the front row of the scene couldn’t help but hide from the flower gun
In an interview with Jimu News reporter, Fang Jiahuan, the actor of Hu Sanniang in “Yi Zhangqing” and a young actor of the Wuhan Peking Opera Theatre, mentioned that “Yi Zhangqing” is actually a new adaptation of an old drama. It tells the story of the “Yi Zhangqing” Hu Sanniang and the short-footed tiger Wang Ying, the leopard head Lin Chong and other Liangshan heroes fighting in the Hujiazhuang, and finally Hu Sanniang was defeated and married with Wang Ying.
However, the experience given to the audience in “Yi Zhangqing” is completely new – the audience is “closer” to the actors for the first time.
What is immersion? On-site interviews with Jimu news reporters found that, unlike other small theaters with smaller areas, fewer seats, and the stage set right in front of the auditorium, the stage of “Yi Zhangqing” is a curved, snake-like stage that is only two meters wide. The 80-seat stage surrounds the stage. The change of the space setting makes the viewing effect completely different.
In the middle of the plot, Hu Sanniang faced off against Wang Ying, who went down the mountain to attack Hujiazhuang. Hu Sanniang turned around with a flower gun in her hand, and the audience sitting close to the stage did not even consciously dodge.
The audience captured the actor’s “inner drama” more delicately: when Wang Ying was ordered to go down the mountain, her face was full of complacency, and when she talked about Hu Sanniang’s beauty, she couldn’t help winking wretchedly… Zhang Qingmin, who played “Wang Ying”, looked forward to the beauty of Hu Sanniang He raised his voice and shouted: “Have you seen that Hu Sanniang?” A small audience responded crisply: “I see, it looks good!”
The actors behind the scenes have to control their panting
The immersive experience also comes from the wrapping dance.
The small theater covers an area of about 170 square meters. In order to match the overall atmosphere of “Yi Zhang Qing”, the surrounding walls of the theater are covered with rolling mountain scenery, and the serpentine stage is surrounded by rocks and wooden stakes. , The scene is very artistic to restore the atmosphere of the story and the landform.
The actor’s appearance has also completely bid farewell to the fixed stage: Hu Sanniang’s appearance is to pass through the audience, Wang Ying is the first to nest in a corner of the serpentine stage when the light is dark. When the light is on, he jumps on it neatly. up the stage.
“I am an old drama fan, and I have taken my children to watch Peking Opera many times. Today is the first time to see the actors’ performances so closely. I am very excited.” In an interview with Jimu News, Ms. Wang brought her 8-year-old daughter to the scene. Expressed with excitement.
The newness felt by the audience is a test for the actors. In an interview, the three protagonists of “Yi Zhang Qing” all said that the viewing space of less than half a meter requires the actors’ hands, eyes, body, technique, and steps to be in place, and even breathing and breathing must be controlled. “The usual stage will weaken or even blur the problem of actors due to the sense of distance, but the immersive small theater will not work.” Fang Jiahuan mentioned. Of course, the actors also said, “We can’t help but work harder.”
Industrial immersive small theater landed in Hanshou
It is worth mentioning that the attempt of “Yi Zhangqing” is also the first test of the “immersive small theater” model in Wuhan. In Shanghai, the “immersive small theater” has become a representative of the new urban cultural performance space after several years of cultivation. Throughout the year, more than 380 musical “Apolonia”, which is still hard to get a ticket, will be performed in 16 small theaters. In the same Asian building, they have created a cultural phenomenon of benchmarking significance.
“The 10th Chinese Opera Festival, we have a desire to seek innovation and change.” In an exclusive interview with Jimu News reporter, Long Quan, general manager of Wuhan Performance Company and producer of “Yi Zhang Qing”, admitted that he watched it in Shanghai a few years ago. When the immersive drama masterpiece “Sleepless Night”, he always wanted to find a similar suitable project in Wuhan.
At this time, the Wuhan Theater canteen was renovated, and they quickly decided to build a small theater in this place that was going to be turned into a conference room. However, it is necessary to choose repertoires based on Wuhan’s “drama dock”. Peking Opera, Han Opera and Chu Opera undoubtedly have the highest acceptance level. “In addition to the compact plot of “Yi Zhangqing”, it looks good, and Wuhan Peking Opera Theater has a group of young people who stand out. actor……”
From having an idea to standing on the stage, it took only two or three months before and after the birth of “Yizhangqing”. Longquan said that this will be the beginning of an “immersive small theater”. After the 10-day performance of “Yi Zhang Qing” ends, they will think about the implementation of the musical project.