Chen Peisi: There is a good work before a good performance (Interview)
The "Gold Medal Comedy Class" launched by the China Central Radio and Television Center's Art Program Center was well received after it was broadcast.
The show not only created a new positioning of "comedy heritage" in many comedy shows, but also invited Chen Peisi (pictured on the right), Yingda, and Guo Degang, three senior comedy incarnation mentors, to pass on word of mouth to the new generation of comedy.
Among them, Chen Peisi, who returned to the CCTV stage after 22 years, received special attention for his rigorous commentary style.
Recently, our reporter interviewed Chen Peisi and talked with this "golden comedian" about the comedy creation and performance in his eyes.
Reporter: As a senior comedian, in your eyes, what should a good comedy show look like?
Chen Peisi: A good comedy performance must be built on and after a good comedy work.
Without good works, good comedy performances are impossible.
This requires comedians to pay more attention to the literary creation of comedy, start with the script, organize comedy, structure comedy, and then talk about performance.
Comedy performances are no different from other theatrical performances. Don’t overemphasize so-called comedy performances. If comedy performances are emphasized, or a single field is delineated, it is wrong and it is easy to move towards a sense of form.
Only pursuing the form and forgetting the content will not become a good comedy.
I personally think that a good comedy is first in the structure of the story, second in the application of methods, and third in the ideological level. After these three are unified, it can become a good comedy.
Reporter: More than 30 years ago, the sketch "Eating Noodles" performed by you and Mr. Zhu Shimao was called a classic by many people.
The sketches portray ordinary people in a real and vivid way, which arouses everyone's sympathy.
What do you think of this phenomenon?
Chen Peisi: "Eating Noodles" has a shadow of the era, leaving a strong impression on people. People remember it, but it can't be called a classic because it is technically very immature.
If you have noticed that Zhu Shimao's and I's creation has been developing step by step in more than ten years.
Our second skit, "Making a Movie", from storytelling to character creation to the application of comedy methods, is much better than the first "Eating Noodles".
To the third sketch, "Mutton Skewers", we have improved a step further, completely exploring and practicing the methods of misunderstanding comedy and misplaced comedy.
Later, in "The Police and the Thief", four or five comedy methods are superimposed and used, and the technical content is much higher than the first three comedy works.
Some comedy methods are still in use today.
So in my opinion, the classic is not the story, but the technical method.
Reporter: What do you think of the relationship between comedy and life? Is "coming from life" a magic weapon for comedy's popularity?
Chen Peisi: Comedy is not life, comedy is comedy.
Comedy is essentially a play, the play is not real, it is virtual.
Although it is virtual, the characters and stories we create are best from life, because they are the easiest to create and the easiest to learn.
In addition, when we create stories, we must add our knowledge of life, knowledge of people, knowledge of human nature, and knowledge of the world, so that it can become a good drama.
It is not a drama to imitate life completely.
Reporter: How do you feel about participating in the recording of "Gold Medal Comedy Class"?
In this process, what are your observations on the current comedy development and the new generation of comedians?
Chen Peisi: There are a lot of comedy variety shows now, I feel this is a social demand.
We should try our best to protect and maintain this demand, take the audience more seriously, and create more carefully in order to maintain this good situation.
"Gold Medal Comedy Class" introduces the concept of "teacher inheritance" and takes the inheritance of comedy skills and spirit as the innovative point, which helps to stimulate the creative passion of comedy creators and cultivate more outstanding comedians.
I feel that the current comedy creation does not pay much attention to structure and storytelling. It is more to grasp the burden and put the creation of laughter at a too high position.
Taking the burden as the center and using the burden to evaluate a work is turning the cart before the horse. This direction is particularly bad.
It will cause some young actors to be more eager for quick success in chasing down the burden, instead of asking for a story, not to structure the story well, but to use nonsensical comedy solutions to solve all comedy problems and storytelling problems.
Before studying methods, comedy creators must study the essence of comedy and drama, starting from these things, and then thinking about how to create.
Reporter: Zheng Na