Different stage design and technology to feature in bringing poet Du Fu's story to life, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

A play from Beijing People's Art Theatre highlights the last 15 years of the life of Du Fu, a master poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Nearly three decades after Beijing People's Art Theatre presented the story of the "immortal poet" Li Bai in a play, that of Du Fu, the "sage poet", was brought to the stage in 2019. Both plays were written by veteran playwright Guo Qihong.

"Guo once said, that when Li Bai first became successful, many told him to write about Du Fu," recalls Feng Yuanzheng, director of the play Du Fu and actor of the protagonist.

This play is our theater’s new exploration in presenting a historical theme.

Feng Yuanzheng, actor and president of the Beijing People’s Art Theatre

"But he refused, for he thought that he was too young to understand the poet. The older he got, the more he liked Du Fu. That's when he started working on it."

Du Fu highlights the last 15 years of the life of the master poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). After the An Lushan Rebellion in 755 caused conflict across the Tang empire, Du Fu, working as a minor official at the time, was forced to live the life of a wanderer.

The director and main actors appeared recently at a rehearsal session for the upcoming round of 15 performances starting from Friday.

"This play is our theater's new exploration in presenting a historical theme. A highlight is that our approach is different from previous plays, including the stage design, the use of video technology, and the integration of classical and colloquial Chinese," Feng says.

This is the third time that the play will be staged. According to Feng, no major change has been made, but it's also not an exact reproduction of the previous editions.

While having the same actors for the main roles, the cast has included a group of young actors who recently joined the theater, aiming to give them the chance to gain experience and participate, so as to quickly fit into the troupe.

Feng Yuanzheng and the main performers of Du Fu at a recent rehearsal session at Beijing People's Art Theatre. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

This time, the crew gathered one month in advance and started by reading the script together.

"I told the younger members that they should focus on the script rather than read a lot of external material about Du Fu's life experiences. When writing the script, Guo read 187 books about Du Fu's poetry and life. Everything is encapsulated in the script, so it's essential to understand it fully," Feng says.

"Most of the actors who read the script for the first time understand it after the 10th day of rehearsal. The script has profound implications, yet tells Du Fu's life story in an ingenious way."

Halfway through the rehearsal session, Feng signaled for an intermission and began talking to actor Yang Mingxin about whether he could express the nuanced emotions when listening to the lines of another performer.

"This is a characteristic of Feng," Yang says.

"No matter how many times we've performed in a play, and whether he is the director or not, if he sees something that can be improved, he will come to discuss with us.

"And he won't tell us how to act. He will tell us his opinions, and let us mull over the ways to improve our own performances. It's very common for him to talk to both young actors and experienced ones."

Feng Yuanzheng and the main performers of Du Fu at a recent rehearsal session at Beijing People's Art Theatre. (JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY)

Feng notes that it is a conventional practice at the theater for the experienced actors to offer the newcomers guidance and instructions.

"In my youth, we were guided by the senior actors, and went through thick and thin on the stage. Now it is our turn to lead the young actors, and give them more opportunities so they can grow," he says.

Feng, 60, was recently announced as the new president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. He is the fifth president in the theater's 70-year history and the first one to come from an acting background.

"This is the most important turning point in my life. The appointment came as a surprise. To me, this job means more responsibility. I will keep on working hard," Feng says.

He says that, while overseeing the theater company's operation, he will not give up his work onstage.

"I will focus more on the future development of the theater, including nurturing talent and innovating our productions. These are the most important aspects of my future work," he says.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn