Beijing People’s Performing Arts’ original Beijing-style drama “Yongdingmenli” will debut at the Capital Theater on May 1st – Xinhuanet Client

On April 24, Beijing People’s Art Theater’s annual original Beijing-style drama “Yongdingmenli” held a media meeting. Screenwriter Jin Yun, director Tang Ye and young and middle-aged actors Miao Chi, Yang Mingxin, Yuan Yu, Meng Xiu, He Jing, and Zou Jian , Zhou Jiayu, Li Xuege, Wang Kun, Liang Guodong, Wen Bo, Yan Wei, Sun Xiaoxiao, Xu Du, Zhou Qingyun, Huang Qiyuan, Liu Wenyi, Du Zijun, Du Botao, Song Jianlin, Gong Yuquan and other main creative groups appeared. After more than ten years of preparation to create an original work, Beijing People’s Arts hopes to use this realistic masterpiece to lead the audience to feel the power of ideals and beliefs in the changing times, and to find spiritual resonance in taste and thinking.

Wang Wenguang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of Beijing People’s Arts, Dean Feng Yuanzheng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group Zhou Tong, Vice President Qin Xinchun, and Vice President Zhang Peng attended the meeting.

Feng Yuanzheng, director of the Beijing People’s Art Institute, said that “Yongdingmenli”, another work by Liu Jinyun, a famous playwright and veteran director of the People’s Art Institute, will soon be staged at the Capital Theater under the leadership of director Tang Ye by a team of young actors with strong acting skills. It plays an important role in the sustainable development of Beijing People’s Art in the new era. On the one hand, this work reflects the inheritance of Beijing-style children’s opera in Beijing People’s Art. On the other hand, it is a new attempt in script creation, artistic expression and talent cultivation. At the same time, he also hopes that more audiences can come to Beijing People’s Art Theater and appreciate this Beijing-style drama of Beijing People’s Art Theater in the new era.

Feng Yuanzheng, Director of Beijing People’s Art Institute, at the media meeting (Photo provided by Beijing People’s Art Institute)

Realistic approach condensedSocial changes in thirty years

“Yongdingmenli” is an original Beijing-style work created by screenwriter Jin Yun after more than ten years of efforts following his representative dramas such as “The Nirvana of the Dog’s Master”, “Boundless Love” and “Ruan Lingyu”. The work uses the changes in people and the environment over a span of more than thirty years to condense the changes of the times from the 1950s to the 1980s. As a realistic work, “Yongding Gate” focuses the story on people. “What I want to write about is people, men and women of that era.” screenwriter Jin Yun said. The main line of the story revolves around the two male protagonists, describing two people on different paths, more than thirty years of competition and competition, persistence and transformation, protection and transformation… demonstrating the power of faith and humanity. In terms of drama presentation, through the application of stage turntables, display of Peking Opera arias, restoration of courtyard houses and other elements, a vivid picture of Beijing’s Nancheng era slowly unfolds.

“Yongdingmenli” screenwriter Jin Yun reviewed the creation process of the play at the scene and expressed his wishes. He believed that being able to stage a new play of his own creation in his beloved theater can be called “a great blessing in life.” He specifically mentioned that seeing the fresh faces of young people in the theater crew was full of hope for the future of the theater, and wished the performance of “Yongdingmenli” a success.

Mr. Liu Jinyun at the media meeting (photo courtesy of Beijing People’s Art)

OriginalBeijing flavorThe subject matter bringsaudienceemotionresonance

“Yongdingmenli” has a profound literary foundation, which reflects the importance that Beijing People’s Art Theater has always attached to drama texts. The Beijing flavor has also become a major feature of the play. Director Tang Ye introduced: “The Beijing-style language in the play combines the characteristics of Beijing at that time. For the older generation, it is a humane memory; for young people, it is a rare viewing experience. Of course, For our young actors, it is also a Beijing-style training opportunity.” Tang Ye also thanked Director Jinyun again for creating such an original drama of great artistic value for the theater, and also thanked him for supporting this play. She said that it was the concerted efforts of different departments in the theater that allowed this work to be finally put on the Capital Theater stage.

Although it is a realistic work, this play is not limited to realistic expressions. A large number of expressions of psychological externalization allow the audience to see a layer of spiritual space beyond the real space. In the transformation between reality and reality, they can feel the strong inner feelings of the characters. Conflict and soul clashing. “We believe that excellent dramas are about people. Mr. Cao Yu once said that qualified screenwriters write stories, and excellent screenwriters write about people.” Tang Ye said that this creation uses rich plots as a carrier, and ultimately focuses on portraying What is more important is the power of faith and profound humanity. This kind of resonance can span time and space, leaving room for the current audience to recall. As screenwriter Jin Yun said, “I thought about half of it myself, and left the other half to the audience.”

Beijing People’s Art’s original drama “Yongdingmenli” held a media meeting (photo courtesy of Beijing People’s Art)

Inside and outside the playWork hard,useLifeInterpretationdrama

The difficulty of an original period drama is to find a sense of reality without a template. “We will ask the actors not only to interpret the script during rehearsals, but to interpret life.” Director Tang Ye said, “The younger generation of creators There is a certain distance from the era in the play, which is a difficulty in creation and needs to be made up for outside rehearsals. “To this end, the crew arranged special lectures by teachers, visits to archives to review materials, and watching documentaries, etc., so that the creators can go through a lot of work. Accumulate background information to experience the era in the play and explore the spiritual outlook of people under the background of the era. This is also the creative tradition of Beijing People’s Art Institute that goes deep into life and experiences life. It is hoped that through this rehearsal, the younger generation of actors can practice realistic works with Beijing-style themes, create vivid characters, and perform moving stage works.

This Beijing-style drama will be performed at the Capital Theater from May 1st to 12th.