Chapter 372: Jiajing and Hai Rui
The next evening, Lin Weimin drove to the People's Art Theatre and met Yi Shizhi and Lin Zhaohua.
"Weimin, come here, I'll show you something interesting!"
Yi Shizhi was very happy to see Lin Weimin and couldn't wait to take out a script.
"Look at this?"
Lin Weimin took the script and looked at the title on the cover. He asked curiously, "Who in your hospital wrote this?"
Yi Shizhi kept it a secret, "Take a look first, and we'll tell you after you've finished."
After hearing what he said, Lin Weimin had no choice but to read the script first.
This is a three-act play with not much text content but an astonishing amount of lines.
The creative method is even bolder, with only one scene and two actors in the entire play.
The plot opens with Hai Rui's "Memorial on Public Security", followed by a conversation between Emperor Jiajing and his subject Hai Rui. All the plot advancement and conflicts are completed by the actors' lines.
The scene remains the same, only the dark scenes, it could be a court or a prison cell.
The king and his ministers sat and stood respectively.
His words were heard all over the world, and he was adept at maneuvering.
This unique and avant-garde temperament instantly attracted Lin Weimin's attention and reminded him of a classic drama by the People's Art Theatre of later generations - "Mutiny".
The same scene is simple and depends entirely on the actors' "talking". "Mutiny" has more than ten characters, but the script at hand is more radical, and it even has only two characters.
This extreme way of handling the matter is unexpected and surprising at the same time.
The three-act play was not long. Lin Weimin spent an hour watching it from beginning to end and then looked up.
Yi Shizhi looked at him with anticipation in his eyes.
"How do you feel?"
Lin Weimin recalled the contents of the script, "Very good! Very talented!"
Yi Shizhi smiled and asked, "Are you praising the script or yourself?"
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "It's all the same!"
He pointed at the cover of the play and asked, "Can you tell me who wrote it now?"
Yi Shizhi stopped keeping the secret and said, "It was written by a student from Yan Normal University and was submitted to our school two days ago."
"A student from Yanshi University?"
Lin Weimin looked surprised. He didn't expect that the National Theatre of China had so many talented people, but in the end it was a student who adapted his work.
"You're surprised too, right? Who isn't?" Yi Shizhi said, sighing, "Young people nowadays are amazing!"
Lin Zhaohua said, "Teacher Lin, Dean Yu and I would like to ask for your opinion on whether we can adapt the play "The Ming Dynasty 1566"?"
After listening to this, Lin Weimin looked at the script in his hand again. The title of the play was written on the cover.
"Jiajing and Hai Rui".
Seeing that he was looking thoughtful, Lin Zhaohua asked, "What are you worried about?"
Lin Weimin shook his head and said, "I don't have any concerns. The form of your play is very novel. Although it is derived from "The Ming Dynasty 1566", the script is ingenious, alternative and original. If you want to use it, I will certainly agree. But..."
His tone changed here, and Lin Zhaohua felt uneasy.
The script "Jiajing and Hai Rui" is an adaptation of "The Ming Dynasty 1566" and has a heretical flavor.
The entire novel, with more than 400,000 words, has been refined into a three-act drama. All unnecessary characters and side plots have been removed, and they only exist in the mouths of the two protagonists.
But it was precisely this unexpected approach that made it possible to adapt this novel, which has so much content that no one knows where to start.
“But given the current state of the play, if you say it’s adapted from my novel, many audiences will definitely feel disappointed when it’s actually performed.
So, my idea is that you should try not to mention "The Ming Dynasty 1566" when you promote it.
Just promote this as a brand new play.”
After listening to Lin Weimin's opinion, Lin Zhaohua immediately said: "How can this be possible? This play is novel in form, but the content is almost 100% from your novel. Without your novel, this play would not exist at all."
Lin Weimin smiled calmly and said, "What's the connection? If you don't tell me, will people not know the relationship between this play and my novel? I just don't want to misplace the audience's expectations!"
Lin Zhaohua felt that what Lin Weimin said made sense, but at the same time he felt that this approach was very unfair to Lin Weimin, so he turned his gaze to Yi Shizhi.
Yi Shizhi laughed and said, "Teacher Lin, we all know that you are a man of high moral character. You are doing this entirely for the sake of the drama itself. But it is precisely because of this that we cannot do this!"
“Think about it, even if we don’t promote it at that time, won’t the audience be able to discover it after watching it?
By then, the audience will no longer have what you call "misplaced expectations," but they will still criticize our People's Art Theatre. They used your novel but didn't even give you a credit."
Lin Weimin hesitated, "That's a problem."
Lin Zhaohua suddenly had an idea.
"Teacher Lin, how about this? Let's change the title of the play."
"How do I change it?"
"The Ming Dynasty 1566: Jiajing and Hai Rui, how about this name?"
Yi Shizhi snapped his fingers and said excitedly, "This is a good title. It lets the audience know at once that the play is derived from the novel, and also points out the differences from the novel. Teacher Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Weimin thought for a moment, nodded slightly and said: "Not bad, it is indeed good."
Yi Shizhi said happily: "Since you, Teacher Lin, have agreed, then our school can use this drama! The director asked Zhaohua to come, what do you think?"
"That's fine with me."
Ouyang Shanzun, with whom I had been working before, is too old and said last year that he would retire completely.
Besides, the script of "Jiajing and Hai Rui" is too avant-garde and different from Ouyang Shanzun's directing style. Instead, it is very consistent with Lin Zhaohua's style. It is just right to choose him as the director.
After discussing the script, they started talking about the actors.
"The Ming Dynasty 1566: Jiajing and Hai Rui", the names of the characters in the play are not even as long as the title of the play.
The script is more like a dialogue script for the two main characters, "Jiajing" and "Hai Rui" than a script.
This kind of work is very picky about the actors.
Yi Shizhi consulted Lin Weimin for his opinion, and he said without hesitation, "Let's choose Zhu Xu and Ren Baoxian. With their acting skills, it won't be a problem to support this drama."
Yi Shizhi and Lin Zhaohua thought about it carefully and decided that this candidate was indeed suitable.
Yi Shizhi complimented, "It's you, the original author, who found the most suitable candidate so quickly."
"The actors are there. It doesn't matter whether you choose me or not. There are only a few who can act."
Lin Weimin was telling the truth. Everyone knows that even in the National Theatre of China, there are not many actors who can handle a script as difficult as "Jiajing and Hai Rui".
After agreeing on the drama, Lin Weimin came out of the dean's office and was getting his car when he saw a familiar figure coming out of the People's Art Theatre rehearsal room.
"Mr. Lin? What a coincidence!" Zhang Guorong greeted Lin Weimin with a smile.
"Azi, why are you here?" Lin Weimin asked.
Zhang Guorong said: "I found a teacher here. After work, he will come here to teach in the evening."
"I see, you really work hard!"
"Why did Mr. Lin come to the People's Art Theatre today?"
"There's a script we need to discuss."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries and Lin Weimin was about to leave.
Zhang Guorong suddenly called out to him, "Mr. Lin!"
"What's the matter?"
"Are you free tonight? I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee."
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "It's better to have a meal. I haven't had dinner yet."
"Then I'll treat you to a meal." Zhang Guorong said with a smile.
"No need. It's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. Why don't you just come to our house for a meal? You and Huimin are familiar with each other."
"Okay." Zhang Guorong readily agreed to be invited to Lin Weimin's home.
Arriving at Tuanjiehu Apartment, Zhang Guorong followed Lin Weimin in and was amazed at the layout and decoration of the apartment.
It was the first time he saw houses similar to those in Hong Kong in the mainland.
Seeing his curiosity, Tao Huimin explained, "We are in the north, and it is inconvenient to heat in winter, so he will move to the apartment in winter. When it gets warm in spring, he will move to the yard over at Shichahai."
Zhang Guorong nodded, "Mr. Lin really knows how to enjoy life."
Lin Weimin smiled and said, "In terms of modernity, Yanjing cannot compare to Hong Kong. But when it comes to the fun of life, this place is very interesting. In two or three months, when the weather gets warmer, the scenery over at Shichahai will be very nice. You can come and sit down when you have time."
"Of course, of course."
Several people ate and chatted in a harmonious atmosphere.
After dinner, Tao Huimin went to clear the table.
Lin Weimin and Zhang Guorong sat on the sofa and drank tea. Zhang Guorong said, "Mr. Lin, I have always heard that your novels are very good, but I have never read them. I have been working in the mainland recently, and I happened to have some time in the evening, so I read a few of your novels."
Lin Weimin held the teacup and did not respond. He knew that Zhang Guorong must have something else to say.
"Your novel 'Farewell My Concubine' is really well written!" Zhang Guorong's eyes sparkled when he mentioned the novel.
Lin Weimin made a polite remark, and Zhang Guorong continued, "I studied with Teacher Yang, and everyone said that his performance of Cheng Dieyi was particularly good. Unfortunately, I came at the wrong time and did not see his grace on the stage."
The play "Farewell My Concubine" is performed at the Capital Theatre every June, and Leslie Cheung's visit was indeed at a bad time.
"Xiao Yang worked very hard for this role. He worked hard in the Peking Opera Theater for several months and was almost skinned. He finally got the essence of the role."
Zhang Guorong exclaimed: "Yes, I heard Teacher Yang say that, and others have also told me that one minute on stage is the result of ten years of hard work off stage."
He then added: "I heard that Ms. Yang Meng approached you before and wanted to make a movie of Farewell My Concubine."
"There is such a thing. You are well-informed!"
Zhang Guorong smiled and said, "I am in the entertainment industry after all!"
"But I didn't agree to this with Ms. Yang Meng. The conditions for filming Farewell My Concubine are not yet ripe."
Zhang Guorong asked seriously, "Mr. Lin, if Farewell My Concubine is to be made into a movie in the future, can I play the role of Cheng Dieyi?"
As expected, Zhang Guorong went through a lot of trouble just to ask this question.
"Movies have investors and production companies, so you ask me what I do?" Lin Weimin asked.
Zhang Guorong chuckled and said, "I have been in the mainland for such a long time, and I have learned a lot about you. I know that you have a say in your own works. Moreover, director Xu Anhua is currently filming your "Lover", and it is said that the male lead Tony Leung was designated by you."
When Lin Weimin heard this, he nodded in affirmation, "That's right."
He looked at Leslie Cheung and asked, "How do you think your acting skills compare to Tony Leung Ka Fai?"
Under Lin Weimin's gaze, a trace of panic flashed across Zhang Guorong's face. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "My acting skills are not that good, and I may not be as good as Tony Leung Ka Fai. But Farewell My Concubine is not about to start filming soon. If Mr. Lin is willing to give me a chance, I am confident that I can play the role of Cheng Dieyi well."
Lin Weimin did not comment, "Having confidence and having ability are two different things."
Zhang Guorong sensed the contempt hidden in his words and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Lin has never seen my efforts, so how do you know it won't work?"
"Then let me see your ability first." Lin Weimin was not moved at all and his face was indifferent.
Zhang Guorong followed up by saying, "If I can meet your standards, can you give me this role?"
"That's not necessarily true. There can be many people who meet the requirements, but there is only one role. Do you think Xiao Yang's Cheng Dieyi is necessarily worse than yours?"
Zhang Guorong felt discouraged when he heard this. He had been learning from Yang Lixin at the People's Art Theatre and was naturally familiar with his acting skills.
Yes, let alone anything else, the drama version of Cheng Dieyi alone is a huge mountain in front of me.
Zhang Guorong's face was full of disappointment, and it took him a long time to get rid of this emotion.
"It seems I still have to work harder."
Lin Weimin said in a gentle voice: "I am very happy that you like the role of Cheng Dieyi. No one can predict the future, including me.
Your main job in Hong Kong now is a singer. If you have the opportunity, you can develop in the direction of movies and hone your acting skills.
If Farewell My Concubine is really going to be made into a movie in the future, there might be a chance.”
Zhang Guorong's originally disappointed heart was lifted up again, and he asked in surprise, "Really?"
(End of this chapter)
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