Debra Li

    debra_lidan@163.com

    FOR Chinese growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Chen Peisi’s gigs on CCTV Chinese New Year’s galas were part of their childhood memory and the most awaited show of the night. His exaggerated facial expressions, tones and slapstick humor gave families a good lot of laughs in the days when watching TV was a major form of entertainment in China. Next month, the veteran comedian will grace the local stage, starring in a comedy show directed by himself. “The Stage,” also starring Yang Lixin from the Beijing People’s Art Theater, premiered in Beijing in July and has been performed more than 20 times in sold-out theaters. It will tour to Nanjing, Shanghai and five other cities besides Shenzhen on the show’s first national tour.

    The period comedy is set in China in the early 20th century, when the country was divided by warlords who fought against each other. Chen, playing the head of a Beijing opera troupe, is to stage three nights of shows in collaboration with a big-shot singer. Unprepared-for scenarios, however, continue to pop up, such as the big-shot singer turns out to be a drug user and gangsters break in to extort money. Then, a warlord who is an avid fan of Beijing opera wants to change the plotline of the show.

    Although set in old Beijing, director Chen refused to define his comedy as Beijing-style. “Only three characters in the show speak the Beijing dialect, and Yang, the other lead actor, speaks a Hebei dialect. The lead actress is from South China,” Chen said during an interview Friday. “My ambition is to present Beijing as it was during that period, which was a melting pot to some extent.” The director said his major concern is to tell a believable story with fully rounded characters and bring laughter to the audience during the process. “It would be better if the show triggers some thoughts in people after they watch it,” he said.

    Taking the structure of a play within a play, the comedy follows the classical play tradition that arranges all the action within a day. “I couldn’t have completed this show without help from playwright Yu Yue and my pal Yang Lixin,” Chen said. Although only four lines are sung in Beijing opera style, every detail has to be right concerning the music, props, makeup and costumes of Beijing opera. Luckily, both Yu and Yang are well-versed in the traditional Chinese art form. Comparing this show with his previous works “Fraudster” and “Balcony,” Chen said “The Stage” is more complex in structure and more demanding of the directors and actors.

    Despite his success with a TV series shown on CCTV1 earlier this year, Chen said he has no plan to return to the screen or adapt his stage works into movies. “I enjoy the stage more than the others because the others are extensions of theater, and the essence of them (TV shows, movies and stage plays) is still drama,” he said.

    Quite a few small-budget Chinese comedies have become box office hits in China and have turned huge profits for their producers, but Chen wasn’t lured. When asked his opinion on the movies, he said, “For me, the structure and clash of characters are the most important, even for a comedy. But my opinion is not important at all. What’s really important is that audiences can watch whatever they like and producers have the freedom to make whatever kind of movies, TV shows or stage plays they want. There is no one authorized style for all.”

    At 61, Chen said he is not ambitious. “I pray to the gods that I can produce one more stage work before I am too old to work,” he said.

    Who is Chen Peisi?

    The most famous Chinese comedian before Zhao Benshan, 61-year-old Chen was the second son of Chinese veteran movie actor Chen Qiang (1918-2012). Though best known for his stand-up comedy shows at the CCTV Chinese New Year galas between 1984 and 1998, the junior Chen shot to fame in 1980 starring in the movie “Look at This Family” alongside his father. In 1988, Chen was named the best supporting actor at the Hundred Flowers Awards. His mini comedy shows with partner Zhu Shimao at the CCTV galas made him a household name in China. After winning an IPR case (started in 1999) against CCTV, however, Chen was cold-shouldered by the TV station, which didn’t have him appear on their channels for 16 years.

    In 2001, Chen made his theater debut with the first of his comedy trilogy “Fraudster” (《托儿》), which ran 120 nights in nearly 50 Chinese cities. His 2004 comedy “Balcony” (《阳台》) ran more than 150 nights, presented in three dialect versions. In early 2015, CCTV and Chen buried the hatchet and the TV series “What a Big Family” (《好大一个家》) starring Chen, and directed by him, was shown on CCTV 1. In May, Chen founded the Beijing Comedy Theater, launching his latest work “The Stage” (《戏台》) under the banner in July.

    Poly drama season unveiled

    Shenzhen Poly Theater will stage six drama programs between January and May in 2016. Apart from the opening show that stars veteran comedian Chen Peisi and actor Yang Lixin, the other shows will star household names like Pu Cunxin as Li Bai and film, and TV stars Liu Wei and Tao Hong will act in “Long Night,” a drama about the struggles of migrant workers in the city. The programs will also include a Chinese version of Shakespeare classic “Richard III,” where the backdrop is replaced by an ancient Chinese royal palace. “Four Generations Under One Roof,” originally a novel by late author Lao She, is a well-loved classic for the Chinese stage directed by Tian Qinxin. “Yindian Bridge,” directed by Lin Zhaohua, is another play that focuses on the life of the common folks and their frustrations in contemporary Chinese society.