Theater plays key role in dramatic tradition
Beijing venue helps with stage training, Chen Nan reports
In a rehearsal room at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, which is about 20 minutes’ walk from the bustling pedestrian shopping street of Wangfujing, Feng Yuanzheng sat in front of a wooden desk. To get into character, he sighed, yelled and hit the table with his right hand — the sound echoing loudly around the room.
Feng was in the middle of a rehearsal on Jan 10 for the play Family Reunion, in which he plays Wang Mantang, who devoted his life to repairing and protecting ancient buildings. He treasured his occupation, which was passed down by generations of his family.
The story, based on a novel by Ye Guangqin, spans four decades and centers on Wang’s family, who lived in the courtyard of a hutong (alley) area in Beijing for many decades. Feng, who heads the theater’s acting team, has performed the role for the past 15 years.
His wife, Liang Danni, an actress at the theater who also appears in the play, said: “I was worried when he hit the table with his right hand. He broke his right wrist when he performed in the play last year. I kept telling him not to force himself into the role, but he just didn’t listen. When he performs, he is not himself anymore.”
The rehearsal lasted from 2 pm to 6 pm, with no breaks. When it finally ended, Feng walked toward the young actors sitting at the back of the room, who had been watching throughout, and asked for their feedback.
One of them said: “Do you have to hit the table so hard? It’s just a rehearsal, not a real performance.”
Feng, 57, said, “I have to, because it makes me ‘feel’ the role, which helps me in my acting.”
The theater, founded in 1952 with renowned playwright Cao Yu (1910-96) as its founding member and first president, adopted the slogan “A play is bigger than the sky”, which is printed on a huge banner hanging on a wall of the rehearsal room.
“After being an actor for many years, I still feel the eagerness and passion to perform different roles,” said Feng, who joined the theater in 1985. He was sent to Berlin, Germany, to further his acting studies before returning to China in 1991.
Family Reunion was supposed to be staged in the capital during Spring Festival. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the performances of Beijing People’s Art Theatre in late January, February, March, April and May have been canceled or postponed.
Feng and Liang used to spend a large part of the holiday at the theater. This year is quite different since they stay at home like many other people because of the viral outbreak. For the couple, the theater means a lot to them personally.
“We don’t have children, so it seemed to be the best way to celebrate,” Feng said. “When the theater is full, we feel satisfied.
“People who travel to spend time at home with family come to our theater because the audience puts its trust in us. That makes a visit to the theater a lasting treat for them.”
The Beijing venue is relatively young when compared with many well-established theaters worldwide, and although it began
I grow and change with a role. For example, Wang Mantang, comes alive through me. Every time I play the part, I twist it a little bit to make the role more alive and full of emotion.”
Feng Yuanzheng on his role in the play Family Reunion
life just three years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it is still considered the flagship of Chinese drama.
Many of the plays staged at the theater, such as Teahouse adapted from the work by Lao She, and Thunderstorm, written by Cao Yu, are classic Chinese theatrical productions and are now used as training material for actors.
Born in Beijing and trained at a young age to be a parachutist, Feng started his acting career in the late 1970s. Two applications to join the Beijing Film Academy were rejected because he was considered not to be sufficiently handsome.
He became known through his performances in movies and television dramas, especially the 2001 TV series Don’t Talk to
Strangers, themed on domestic violence, in which he played a jealous husband.
But to Feng, nothing compares to acting in a theater.
“I grow and change with a role. For example, Wang Mantang, comes alive through me. Every time I play the part, I twist it a little bit to make the role more alive and full of emotion,” he said.
Last year, he directed a play for the first time — Du Fu, based on the life of the eponymous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet. Feng and his wife both performed in the production.
Liang, 66, who trained to be an acrobat from a young age and started her acting career during the 1970s, said: “It’s very rare for a Chinese play to be staged for decades and performed by different generations of actors. Acting is not all about academic training. We gain experience by working with veteran actors and learn from them.”
During Spring Festival in 2017, her father, the playwright Liang Xin, died. However, the classic play Sunrise, by Cao Yu, was being staged at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, in which Liang played two roles.
“I couldn’t leave the stage because all the tickets sold out. I didn’t want to disappoint the audiences,” Liang said, adding that Feng helped a lot and took care of the funeral. “When I finished on stage, I sat in the dressing room alone. At that moment, I totally understood the slogan ‘A play is bigger than the sky’.”
Last year, Feng was commissioned to conduct a class to train actors, A total of 15 were selected from more than 1,000 applicants, ages 24 to 42. Veteran performers such as Feng, Pu Cunxin and Song Dandan, teach at the class.
In March 2018, Feng, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, proposed launching a fund for young Chinese playwrights during the annual session of the country’s top advisory body in Beijing.
“There is an urgent need for young actors and playwrights. Many people don’t have the patience to polish their acting and writing skills — they just want to make money from their careers,” he said.
The Beijing People’s Art Theatre held six classes to train actors from 1958 to 1985. In 1978 and 2004, the theater worked with the Central Academy of Drama on training young performers.
Feng said the latest training class began on Dec 26, with a series of sessions, including Kunqu Opera, xiangsheng (crosstalk) and reading scripts. Every morning, he led the students in training their voices.
“All the 15 actors are experienced professionals. It took two years to prepare this class, and those who have been enrolled will continue the tradition of the theater,” Feng said.
Because of the viral outbreak, the training courses have been moved to online classes now.
In April next year, a new theater will open, increasing the number of venues under the umbrella of the Beijing People’s Art Theater from three to four.
“It means that when the four venues are all staging plays on the same night, we will need about 80 actors. But now the theater has just 100 actors. Some of its best actors, including Pu Cunxin and Yang Lixin, have retired or will do so in a few years. These new actors will dominate the stage one day,” Feng said.
One of the students at the training class is Cao Lei, 43, who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama Music Department in 2003 and has played roles in TV dramas and movies.
“I put all my acting experience aside to join the training class,” Cao Lei said. “There’s a creative energy here, along with a sensibility, style and discipline.”
Classmate Deng Li regretted not applying to the Beijing People’s Art Theater after she graduated in 2003.
“Though I have gained much acting experience during the past 10 years, I still feel empty inside. I want to fulfill a dream here,” Deng said.
“Our first lesson was given by 92-yearold actor Lan Tianye, who spoke for two hours without a break. He loves the theater and acting, which is very inspiring.”