Pu Cunxin: I'm the one hiding behind the character

China News Service, Hong Kong, January 1 (Xinhua) -- Pu Cunxin: I am the person hiding behind the character

China News Service reporter Liu Dawei

"I'm over 70 years old, and this book is one of the things I wanted to do when I was 70 years old. I don't want time to 'steal' my life, so I choose to write it down. On the evening of the 9th, Pu Cunxin, chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association and a famous drama actor, brought his new book "Pu Cunxin: Me and My Role" to meet Hong Kong readers at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. As soon as he opened, Pu Cunxin explained the intention of the book.

On the evening of January 1, Pu Cunxin, chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association and a famous drama actor, brought his new book "Pu Cunxin: Me and My Role" to Hong Kong readers at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Photo by China News Service reporter Liu Dawei

"This book is a record of forgetting for itself, and a confession of the inner world for the audience." Pu Cunxin said that it took him nearly a year to create, and at first the whole book was sprinkled with 30,20 words, and then after revision and refinement, it was finally condensed into 40,<> words and published. In the book, he focuses on the roles he has played, and shares his more than <> years of acting career and the mental journey behind the creation of his new book.

The word "character" is the focus of this autobiography. In Pu Cunxin's eyes, drama is like life, and an actor is a person who hides behind the role, doing the character's things, saying the character's words, and expressing himself in the name of the character.

Pu Cunxin's autobiography is like half of the history of human art. Pu Cunxin's father, Su Min, served as the vice president of the Beijing People's Art Theater (Beijing Renyi), and in 1952, as soon as Beijing Renyi was established, Su Min came to the theater and became the first generation of actors. A year later, Pu Cunxin was born, and some people joked that he was "the eldest son of Renyi". Growing up in the theater with his father, watching plays is like eating and sleeping for Pu Cunxin, which is a daily life. "The drama is bigger than the sky", Pu Cunxin has had a deep understanding since he was a child.

"I'm a candidate for the audience. Pu Cunxin wrote in the book that he likened the actors' performances on stage to being tested by the audience. In his opinion, as a drama actor, he must use real kung fu and characters to show the audience the realism of art. "Drama is an art form that must communicate with the audience face-to-face, and it truly presents the beauty of sound and space to the audience. ”

Over the years, through one work after another, Pu Cunxin has completed the interpretation of Li Bai, Lu Xun, Cao Cao, Master Hongyi (Li Shutong) and other characters. Among them, what impressed him the most was the portrayal of Li Bai.

After the premiere of the drama "Li Bai" in Beijing Renyi in 1991, Pu Cunxin has been performing for more than 30 years, and the role of Li Bai has become a part of his life.

From Li Bai, he learned a kind of indifference of "heaven and earth are the guests, and I am the master". At the meeting, Pu Cunxin mentioned that after the book was published, he asked a friend to engrave a seal with "I don't care", indicating that "the light boat has passed" to show the meaning of "giving up" and "leaving". "I think it's Li Bai who is shaping me, not me. ”

Talking about the fate with Hong Kong, Pu Cunxin first mentioned "De Ling and Cixi", in this mainland version of the original drama of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Pu Cunxin plays Guangxu. In Pu Cunxin's view, Hong Kong is an open, diversified and world-oriented window.

"Hong Kong is a very fast city, and the mainland is also very fast now. But sometimes it can't be too fast, too commercial. Mr. Wong Kar-wai's recent "Flowers", everyone is watching, slow work and careful work, it is good. Pu Cunxin is also looking forward to performing in Hong Kong in the future, and joked that he hopes to have the opportunity to join the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre in the future.

The creation of an autobiography allowed Pu Cunxin to complete a role change. This time, he will be a candidate for readers. In response to this test, Pu Cunxin's requirement for himself is to "try not to make up and not to be hypocritical". Pu Cunxin said that his writing ability is very poor, "Writing is a difficult thing for me, but in the process of writing, I always remind myself of the words 'confession' and 'moderation'." ”

Humility and courtesy are the impressions Pu Cunxin left on reporters that night. Today, Pu Cunxin, who has been in the art for more than 40 years, is old, and he laughs and says that he is older than the roles he has played, such as Li Bai, Cao Cao, Master Hongyi, and Lu Xun. However, he still hopes to play another three to five years and bring more good roles to the audience.

"I know I'm going downhill now, but I want to go a little slower and age a little slower. Pu Cunxin said that he hopes that he can be like Shakespeare's plays, old but also able to discover new spaces. (ENDS)