Wartime survival saga returns to stage
Comedy and deep tragedy highlight how conflict tears society apart, Chen Nan reports.
It was a quiet afternoon rehearsal at Beijing People's Art Theatre 20 years ago that actor He Bing stopped suddenly. His colleague, actor Pu Cunxin, stood in the corridor of the theater, calling everyone to watch a rehearsal by Zhu Xu (1930-2018) of the Chinese stage adaptation of a classic script, Der Bockerer.
"My eyes, like the others, were locked on him (Zhu Xu), who, as always, commanded the stage with his effortless mastery. The way he moved between light-hearted humor and the intense moral weight of the role was something truly special," recalls He.
The role Zhu played was a butcher named Karl Bockerer, who manages to survive the societal upheaval caused by war. The Chinese stage adaptation is based on a script of the same title, co-written by German playwright Ulrich Becher and Austrian actor, writer and director Peter Preses.
"I was approaching 40 back then and I always admired Zhu Xu, dreaming of becoming a good actor like him someday," adds He, 57.
"But I was aware that it would take years or even decades to become a good actor, who has the ability to bring the character alive onstage not only with his or her solid acting technique but also with the personality of his or her own style."
