China News Service, Beijing, April 8 (Reporter Ying Ni) As the opening of the 7th China Original Drama Invitational Exhibition, the new drama "Iron Flow Eastward" produced and performed by the National Theatre of China will feature an all-male cast. Create a group of steel figures and compose a tragic and moving heroic hymn.
Adapted from the winning novel of the "2018 People's Literature Award", the play tells the story of a grandfather suffering from Alzheimer's disease suddenly proclaiming "I am a martyr".
Sun Tzu revealed the mystery of his identity through the words and deeds of his grandfather. In 1941, the third regiment of the Independent Division of Central Anhui Province was blocked from advancing eastward and was besieged by Japanese invaders in Baima Mountain. It was urgent to communicate with his superiors through radio.
The dispatcher who assisted the third regiment was a common man with excellent skills, but had no faith in the victory against Japan. Their encounter was like a stubborn stone smashed into the hot iron, sparks flying everywhere.
The play created an ordinary person who was influenced, transformed and awakened by faith, and a group of determined New Fourth Army soldiers, and composed a tragic and moving heroic hymn.
Rehearsal still photo by Wang Haochen
The main creative team has communicated with the original author many times. Based on the information and background provided by the novel, they have consulted a large number of historical materials and memoirs of signal soldiers. They have also collected stories and visited relevant people on the spot. In the process of in-depth excavation, the characters in the play have gradually become more plump and three-dimensional. .
Screenwriter Cha Wenbai changed his drafts and tried to express the most accurate stage expression. He said: "Some of the lines in the play are derived from the last words of real martyrs, such as 'Life is odorless, death is unsound, it is enough', the heroic martyrs Instead of being unknown, they should be remembered and celebrated by future generations."
From playing Deng Zhongxia in the TV series "The Age of Awakening" to directing the drama "Iron Flow East", director Cha Wenhao has the innovative power of young creators who dare to break through.
After two years of preparation, the crew was suspended several times due to the epidemic. He led the team to overcome many difficulties and never slack off.
In order to understand the combat life of the signal soldiers, he visited many old military sites, visited scholars from the History Research Association, invited radio experts to teach, and led the crew to create down-to-earth.
In his opinion, this play is to build a monument for the martyrs and a biography for the people.
It is worth mentioning that this is a tough-guy drama without female characters. The 30 male actors form a galloping iron current on the stage, which is unstoppable and marches towards the goal-a poetic scene is the climax of the drama.
Hou Yansong, a national first-class actor of the National Theatre and winner of the Plum Blossom Award, and Tian Zheng, a senior actor of the National Theatre, play the role of Li Anben, the broadcaster in the play.
Since recommending the original novel to the theater two years ago, Hou Yansong has been making every effort to promote the creation of the play, and solemnly submitted an application for party membership during the creation of the play.
Tian Zheng, who has rich stage experience, emphasizes the need to impress the audience with real performances, and believes that every actor in this play is very important, and everyone together constitutes a group portrait of the Iron Army. strength.
Photo by Wang Haochen at the press conference
It is worth mentioning that Tian Zheng once again shared the stage with Wang Ting, an "old comrade-in-arms" who had been away for 17 years in this drama. The two had cooperated in "Guests on the Iceberg".
This time, Wang Ting plays the head of the third regiment, and will use Sichuan dialect to portray a hero who leads the soldiers to break through in a desperate situation.
Having created many police and tough guy roles, he was called the "best choice" for this role by the director.
"Choices and beliefs are the most important spiritual qualities of the head of Gu, and I hope to pass them on to the audience." Wang Ting said.
National Theatre Actor Chu Shuanzhong, who played Gu Wenchang in the play "Gu Wenchang", will play Staff Officer Du, a returned overseas Chinese. He is knowledgeable and righteous. He hopes that through this role, the audience will experience the power of patriotism from that generation.
Zhang Zhenyuan, who appeared in a drama for the first time, studied in Chinese Opera. He said that it was a very beneficial experience to cooperate with the artists of the National Theatre. "I have learned a lot of performance experience from the teachers of Mandarin actors. Every time the teachers I admire the handling of the details of the performance." Zhang Zhenyuan plays Xiao Chaihuo in the play, and every time he stands on the stage as this young soldier, his heart is filled with a sense of mission and pride.
The show's choreography is also ingenious: white building blocks are placed on the stage and arranged into Morse code symbols, which form the White Horse Mountain.
In the eyes of stage designer Zhang Wu, this abstract stage is not only a trench maze, but also a monument to the martyrs, which can be extended to a richer connotation.
Through the change of the turntable and the light and shadow, the forms presented at different angles are like the ticking rhythm of a telegraph.
It is reported that the play will be staged at the National Theatre Theater from April 13 to 17.
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