In the drama "The Protagonist", young actor Liu Liyouyou (second from left) plays the famous Qin opera artist Yi Qin'e. (Photo provided by the organizer)

On the afternoon of May 11, on the stage of the final review of the 32nd Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Awards, Liu Li Youyou, who played the Qin Opera actor Yi Qin'e, bowed and fell to the curtain call. The applause in the Greater Shanghai Theater has been endless, paying tribute to this masterpiece of drama that has been polished by Shaanxi People's Art Theater for more than five years and tempered with a 700,000-word literary heritage.

The reporter noticed that this drama that once made Chen Yan, the original author and Mao Dun Literature Award winner, burst into tears, also made many Shanghai audiences wet their eyes. As Chen Yan gave an evaluation: "(The drama) conveys a sense of destiny, sadness and frustration of life on the stage, and at the same time it is a strong sense of struggle and a sense of meaning of life." The "true feelings, sincerity, true kung fu and true strength" poured into the work is a stage interpretation of Qin'e's life, and it is also a spiritual praise to all those who trek through destiny.

Literary Genetic Achievement Drama Feature

"The three times created dramas based on the works of Mao Dun Literature Awards are derived from the persistence of Shaanxi People's Art Theater's adherence to literary traditions." Li Xuan, director of Shaanxi People's Art Theater, expressed his original intention of creation. "There are many writers in Shaanxi who have won the Mao Dun Literature Award, from Lu Yao, Chen Zhongshi to Chen Yan, their works provide fertile soil for the stage." At present, the "Mao Prize Trilogy" of Shaanxi People's Art Theater composed of "Ordinary World", "White Deer Plain" and "The Protagonist" has toured more than a thousand nationally.

"The White Deer Plain" shows the culture of Guanzhong, the Ordinary World carries the loess culture, and the Protagonist focuses on classical opera culture." Vice President Li Junqiang interprets the creative characteristics of the theater with cultural identity. "The Protagonist" embodies the efforts of director Hu Zongqi and screenwriter Cao Lusheng and other main creators. From a 700,000-word novel to a 3-hour stage presentation, it is not simply condensed, but allows literary nature to be reborn in lighting, stage design, and performance.

The play I like the sub-scenes such as "Yang Paifeng", "The Legend of the White Snake", and "Ghost Resentment" played by Qin'e are not only famous scenes of Qin Opera, but also a turning point in the fate of the characters in the play. Each opera clip is intertwined with the heroine's emotions and career, demonstrating the vivid charm of literary adaptation.

The path to breaking through the cocoon of the 90s actors

Liu Li Youyou, who plays Qin'e in the play, is one of the only five born in the 1990s to be the final judge of the Plum Blossom Awards. When she received the role, she was "pressure to insomnia": "I have never been exposed to opera, let alone interpreting the life span of such a big age from 11 to 51." But her growth trajectory is like a mirror of the characters in the play - from a student of the Central Academy of Drama to the first appearance on the stage of "White Deer Plain" to stand out from more than 30 actors, Liu Liyou worked hard and took five years of hard work and immersive thinking to step by step towards the "protagonist" of her artistic stage career.

As the actor who plays Qin E’s “Master” in the play, Li Junqiang witnessed the growth of Liu Li Youyou. "When she first came, she could only reach her waist and get over her head in a year. What's rare is that she not only practiced for the sake of performance, but really fell in love with opera." This kind of love made her persist in practicing during the tour, and even asked a teacher to tutor her at her own expense. "The stage is fair." Li Xuan sighed, "Youyou's efforts have allowed us to see the resilience of young actors."

"Director Hu Zongqi said that actors should be worthy of the audience who buy tickets." This sentence became the support of Liu Li Youyou's belief. She studied the original novel in depth: "When I read Teacher Chen Yan's book, I cried countless times. I recall Qin'e's patience, struggle and awakening, like a mirror, reflecting all those who struggle for their dreams." By distinguishing the different ages of characters through eyes, gait, and singing, she performed a "sense of experience", "I didn't step down for three hours, and every experience is the accumulation of characters. At the end of the performance, my heart sinks to that age." (Wenhui Daily intern Zang Yunjie)

[Editor in charge: Tang Wei]