Chapter 117: Flower Troupe
The performance venue of the Fanhua Troupe is in the west of the ancient city of Fan County. On the way to the venue, Ren Limeng noticed that there were many unrenovated historical relics along the way. The further they walked, the less people there seemed to be, but the camera was always focused on the two of them, and they seemed to be completely unconcerned about the scenery on the road.
"In previous years, we usually performed for three consecutive days on the stage in front of the guild hall. What kind of show are you guys bringing this year? This is our first time performing in the West Market. The environment there is better, but there aren't many fans."
Ren Limeng felt that Captain Liu's brow had never relaxed since they met for a moment, and a hint of worry arose in her heart, but she remained expressionless and just asked in front of the camera as if chatting casually.
"Today, four troupes are performing. Liu Tuan, have you ever had a competition like this before? You perform every year, so many residents of the ancient city should remember your performances, right?"
After all, Fanhua is a local troupe in Fan County. Even though the three major troupes of Meixiang Theater are well-known, Ren Limeng still believes in the appeal of Fanhua Troupe in Fan County.
"Of course everyone remembers it, but since you're here to record it, the audience this time is mostly tourists. Many residents have been asked to leave the inner city ahead of time. The boxing matches used to be just 'nonsense,' they just called it a competition to attract fans and have their own fun!"
Captain Liu couldn't help but sigh softly, "Of course we welcome you to our little place to film! But comparing our humble troupe with the three major troupes in Mei City, are you kidding me? If this gets broadcast, we'll be utterly embarrassed! Many of us members are so embarrassed that we don't even want to act! You celebrities may not know this, but we, Fanhua and Meixiang, are not even on the same level. These three golden nuggets and one dirt puddle, what's the point of comparing them?"
When Ren Limeng brought up this topic, Captain Liu, who had been taciturn all the time, seemed to have opened up. He couldn't stop looking sad while talking, and he sighed repeatedly.
Director Liu's words also confirmed Ren Limeng's thoughts when she heard the content of the quiz. As far as she remembered, the Meixiang Theater would not send a luxurious finale lineup of "director + national first-class actors" to the countryside. After all, the theater usually performed in the surrounding area all the time, and it was impossible for such a top-level troupe lineup to have the time.
"Liu Tuan, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ren Limeng. I'm from Meishi and I studied Huangmei Opera for a few years. I'm not a star, but today I'm here to learn from you and the seniors from the Fanhua Troupe. If there's anything I can do for the troupe, please let me know. I can be on stage or behind the scenes. I'll fill in wherever there's a vacancy."
"You're from Meishi? With all those shots, aren't you a star? You, well, just sit down and watch the show. We're very busy. Our troupe is all about self-entertainment. We're usually just farmers, so we don't have many people. And today we're at Xitai, so we have to get familiar with everything. We really can't spare anyone to receive you."
Ren Limeng had expected Captain Liu's perfunctory attitude. After watching Kaisheng in the morning, she felt somewhat puzzled. The Fanhua Troupe was obviously a local troupe, so why were all the actors so fair-skinned and handsome?
Forgive her stereotype. No matter if they are members of the rural troupe who can plant rice seedlings by putting down their props, or the hosts of the agricultural channel who "warm up their voices" in the morning, they are more like "actors". However, it is impossible for her to get to the bottom of whether the recording program is true or false.
Sensing the slight in Captain Liu's words, Ren Limeng maintained a smile. "The camera is a requirement for the show. Look, no one recognized me along the way. If it were the other three guests, they would have been stuck in traffic! I'm just lucky to have been chosen by my company to experience this. I'm a host on the Orange platform, which is where the show is recorded."
"Host? Then you and our troupe are quite a good match. We're all 'unemployed', so the pressure of recording these past two days has been quite intense. We've been featured on Huangmei Observation before, the local Huangmei TV station, you should know. This is the first time we've encountered such a large-scale event, and they even said they'd be doing a live broadcast this afternoon. Everyone in the troupe is very nervous!"
Upon discovering that Ren Limeng was just like his own troupe, drafted men to make up the numbers, Captain Liu showed sympathy. He looked at the cameras around him and finally couldn't help but ask Ren Limeng for advice.
Ren Limeng really wanted to remind Captain Liu that the program was being recorded right now, but she noticed that the camera crew was clearly focused on the camera. She immediately understood that Captain Liu's "ignorance" was the most popular reaction from passers-by during program recordings.
More importantly, she had clearly sensed Captain Liu's nervousness. He kept pointing his hands and making small movements while speaking. Ren Limeng was afraid that her reminder would make Captain Liu even more nervous.
"No problem! Liu Tuan, the Fanhua Troupe is a well-known troupe in our city. I've been listening to our plays since I was a child. We've seen all kinds of big scenes. Live streaming is just a few more shots to help us promote our work. It's no big deal!"
When talking to Captain Liu, although Ren Limeng still spoke Mandarin, this Mandarin was obviously not as standard as when she was hosting the event. It had a hint of Meishi dialect, deliberately trying to narrow the distance between the two. Ren Limeng hoped that Captain Liu would treat her as an ordinary person, or as a handyman or errand runner.
Anyway, anything is better than being a big star.
"Liu Tuan, I heard it's been raining in Fan County recently. Has the rice in the fields been affected?"
"The rain has finally stopped! As for the rice in the fields, it has definitely been affected. Fortunately, the water in the fields has been drained. We farmers rely on the weather for our livelihood!
"That's not easy. Luckily the rain has stopped. There have been a lot of pests and diseases lately. I heard that rice blast is most likely to occur this season, so be careful!"
"For a city kid like you, being able to identify rice is impressive, but you even know about rice blast?"
Captain Liu's tone was filled with surprise. Ren Limeng, with her fair face and clear eyes, was obviously a girl from the city who had never worked in the fields. Captain Liu couldn't help but look at Ren Limeng carefully.
"Of course! I'm the host of the Agricultural Channel. Two years ago, I even covered the front lines during the flood in neighboring Hsinchu County! Don't underestimate me! I can even recognize rice varieties like Longdao No. 3, Qiaoliangyou 17, and Hualiangyou 919 at a glance!"
Ren Limeng smiled confidently. Talking about agriculture was her old profession where she had worked hard. Just like when she spoke to Captain Liu, she had her own experience in dealing with the working people, and sincerity was the only shortcut.
The two were talking about the rice in the fields, and unknowingly they had walked to the central stage of West Market. The stage in West Market was obviously an antique building built later, and the venue was obviously smaller. More importantly, like the central stage in the ancient city, the stage here was also a completely open-air building.
Residents of the ancient city may be accustomed to watching open-air stages, but tourists may not be. The temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius this afternoon. If the play is not exciting, it will be difficult to retain the audience.
"Liu Tuan, which play are we going to perform this afternoon?"
"It's 'The Legend of the White Snake' or 'The Female Prime Minister'. Many people have family matters today. We'll decide after we count the number of people!"
“So flexible?”
So casual!
Ren Limeng felt a little embarrassed, but she could also understand the difficulties behind the casualness of the Fanhua Theater. Even for a big event like the Huangmei Week in Fan County, the performances of the local theater troupe were more likely to be well-received than popular, and they did not make much real money. The subsidies given by the organizers were only shared by everyone in the troupe, and it was estimated that there would not be much money left for props and costumes.
Even though Captain Liu didn't complain, Ren Limeng knew very well that almost everyone in the Fanhua Troupe was not a professional actor or staff member. They all persevered because of their passion for the show. Being able to complete a play was worthy of everyone's applause.
This is the current situation of many drama troupes. If they want to develop Huangmei Opera, more people must first understand it. Meixiang Theater chose the "Mountains and Seas" program, just as Fanhua Troupe finally agreed to record it.
What she can do is to present a more vivid Huangmei Opera on and off stage through the camera, accompanied by her own detailed and appropriate acceptance or questioning, so that the audience can follow her perspective to understand the Fanhua Troupe, get closer to Huangmei Opera, and move towards this already niche traditional drama.
Ren Limeng secretly decided that after tonight, she would find someone familiar at the station and contact the post-production editors of the "Mountains and Seas" program. She could have fewer shots, but she hoped that the story line of the troupe that she intended to present from the Fanhua Troupe must be seen by the audience.
Ren Limeng followed behind Captain Liu with a smile, watching him communicate with other actors in standard Fanxian dialect, and confidently introduce himself and the camera crew, asking everyone to remain calm and not care about these external influences.
Then, Captain Liu walked towards the prop truck and checked the worn-out props one by one, and fixed all the props with loose joints.
"You don't have to follow me. Running around is tiring. Go rest in the shade for a while! When our group is all together, I'll have someone call you. I heard you guys are skilled at filming. You're quite a friendly girl, and you know how to farm. As long as we can ensure the performance, we'll cooperate with you if you can!"
Captain Liu finally couldn't help it and looked at Ren Limeng who was leisurely beside him again, and spoke slowly. Ren Limeng could feel the sincerity in his words, and the smile in his eyes became even more intense.
"Thank you, Liu Tuan. Didn't you just tell us to pretend the camera didn't exist? You can also pretend I don't exist. You've just started checking. I guess you still have to check the costumes and the stage, and then there's makeup. There's so much going on, I can't miss it!"
Ren Limeng spoke in a gentle tone, but she had already picked up a red tasseled spear from the prop car, and her wrist moved quickly and flexibly.
"Can you do some fancy tricks?"
As she expected, her familiar movements immediately attracted the attention of Captain Liu, whose face was full of surprise.
"Liu Tuan, I've studied Huangmei Opera before, and I used to specialize in the martial arts role, but I should have no problem playing a small role in any of the male, female, or clown roles! Since your staff turnover is so high, why don't you find a role for me?"
"You'll be the lead actor!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
