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"Returning to the Snowy Night" synthesis and rehearsal scene. Photo by Beijing Daily reporter Fang Fei

　　In 1942, the famous dramatist Wu Zuguang wrote "Returning to the Snowy Night" with his timeless and profound pen. In the 1950s, the Beijing People's Art Theater brought it to the stage. Decades of time have passed, and the light of the classic will never fade. From April 25 to May 11, "Returning to the Snowy Night" will be the opening work of the Beijing People's Art Theater for the "Classic Reservation Program" and the first new drama of the Beijing People's Art Theater this year, premiering at the Capital Theater. At present, the crew is undergoing a final stage of synthetic rehearsal.

　　In "Returning to the Snowy Night", Wei Liansheng, who was born in the Pear Garden, is the anchor point connecting many characters, which makes the opera elements of the play particularly strong. Feng Yuanzheng, director of Beijing People's Art Theater and artistic director of "Returning to the Snowy Night", once revealed that one of the important reasons why this work has not been scheduled for many years is that there is no suitable candidate for Wei Liansheng among the actors. This time, Liu Heng, who plays Wei Liansheng, comes from the Northern Kunqu Theater, where he rehearsal site. Although his costumes and makeup are not fully in place, he can already feel the temperament of the pear garden from his elegant long silk dance and elegant gestures.

　　"From the beginning of rehearsals to now, Liu Heng has been very hardworking. Now his performance in lines and other aspects has become closer to that of a drama actor." Feng Yuanzheng introduced that Liu Heng and Lu Lu, who plays the heroine Yuchun, will have a very beautiful dance in the play. "This dance must be expressed with Kunqu elements such as roulette and somersault, and it is difficult." In order to perform the charm of the opera, many actors in the crew have put in a lot of effort: Lu Lu, who used to learn dance, changed her leisurely pleasure when dancing, and the transition from "release" to "collection" really made her "discomfort"; Liang Guodong, who played the famous actor Li Rongsheng, practiced the drum drum hard, and his little drum skin was not an outsider, and he worked hard every day...

　　On stage presentation, "Returning to the Snowy Night" is also in line with the Chinese aesthetic contained in the opera. The reclining branches, hazy gauze tents, simple tables and chairs, and low courtyard walls outline a streamlined and poetic space. Feng Yuanzheng said that he once half-jokingly told Chang Jiang, who was responsible for stage design, that he should "spend less money and do more things." The stage of Beijing People's Art Theater often gives people a sense of heaviness, "We want to break through this impression and make the stage beauty lighter." Feng Yuanzheng revealed that "Returning to the Snowy Night" imitates the "conservative" of opera (i.e. stage installations such as the bottom curtain and hall curtain), and has six or seven layers of curtains. Coupled with the embellishment of light and shadow, the extensive use of "soft scenery" has become a highlight of this version.

　　Let a work that was published decades ago face today's audience, "We want to try to interpret it in a modern way." Feng Yuanzheng said that in the "Class Retention Repertoire Plan" of Beijing People's Art Theater, new interpretation and restoration coexist. Unlike "Returning to People on the Snowy Night", the second work of the "Plan" "Camel Xiangzi" will completely follow the version presented by director Mei Qian in 1957. "Whether it is the set costume or the light-effect audio, it will be brought to the stage in its original form, without such a strong sense of form. Through this performance, young actors will understand how their predecessors interpret a work, and put the tradition of shaping characters in themselves in a solid manner." ( Beijing Daily reporter Gao Qian)

[Editor in charge: Tang Wei]