Chongqing - The starring sharing meeting of the drama "Jing Meng" (literally "The Interrupted Dream") was held at the Chongqing Grand Theater on September 14. Famous theatrical performance artist Chen Peisi, together with other powerful actors, shared with the audience the story behind the creation of "The Interrupted Dream." From September 15 to 18, this play will perform each day at the Chongqing Grand Theater.
The play "The Interrupted Dream" cast live show was held at the Chongqing Grand Theater. (Photo/ Chongqing Grand Theatre)
The play is inspired by the famous Kunqu Opera, "The Peony Pavilion." It tells the story of a Kunqu opera troupe struggling to survive in wartime and chaotic time.
During the sharing session, the actors shared exciting stories with the audience during the "The Interrupted Dream" rehearsal. This play combines the elegance of Kunqu Opera art with popular comedy. The director and lead actor Chen Peisi insisted on taking the classic Kunqu Opera, "The Peony Pavilion," as the play's core. To restore the charm of this Chinese cultural treasure to the greatest extent, he invited Kunqu Opera artist Wang Xiaoyan to train actors on-site and design action.
The director and lead actor Chen Peisi shared exciting stories with the audience. (Photo/ Chongqing Grand Theatre)
Learning an unfamiliar opera art is a big challenge for actors who don't know Kunqu Opera. Even director Chen Peisi admitted that would be a higher level of difficulty for actors. He began to listen to Kunqu Opera every morning. "I'm a very impatient person. I need to be more patient and put myself in Kunqu Opera little by little, soaking in and letting my soul be immersed." Chen Peisi believes that learning Kunqu Opera can more accurately show the characters' situation and state of mind and also pay tribute to the older generation of Kunqu Opera performing artists.
The audience at the Chongqing Grand Theatre. (Photo/ Chongqing Grand Theatre)
Actor and performance director Liu Tianchi has recognized Chen's idea." The core of comedy is to make the audience laugh from the heart. When creators create comedy, only by soaking in the characters can they grasp the essence of the art's creation." In Liu's opinion, the outdated comedy works only focused on how to amuse people and could not touch the nature of things.
In addition, Chongqing Grand Theater has prepared nearly 60 stunning performances in the autumn from September to November. Every month, one high-quality drama continues to be staged, inviting Chongqing audiences to experience the charm of art.