The Common Man's Return in Chinese Entertainment

"Xiao Ji, make an angry face."

Upon hearing Pu Cunxin's signal, Ji Qingxu immediately put away his smile and repeated the ferocious expression he had when he hit Feng Yuanzhen earlier.

Seeing Ji Qingxu's previously kind smile instantly turn terrifying, everyone couldn't help but marvel.

"Whoa!"

"How strange, how strange, how wonderful!"

"This face is simply a gift from God."

"..."

Feng Yuanzhen chimed in, "Now I understand why Mei Ting was scared after filming this movie with me. When Xiao Ji hit me just now, even though I knew it was fake, a subconscious worry rose in my heart: 'This guy isn't going to do it for real, is he?'"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Old Feng, if Xiao Ji were twenty years older, no, even ten years older, he might be more memorable than the An Jiahe you played."

"Judging from facial features alone, Xiao Ji's two faces are more different, which makes the contrast stronger."

"..."

Listening to the discussion, Feng Yuanzhen agreed, "That's right, my face isn't as approachable or kind as Xiao Ji's. Luckily, I'm about twenty years older than Xiao Ji, otherwise I'd be in trouble."

"Hahaha!"

"Thank you for your praise, teachers. I still have many shortcomings, and I hope you can help me teach me so that I can improve further."

Seeing Ji Qingxu's humble and eager-to-learn demeanor, everyone exchanged glances and nodded in approval.

"Old Wang, leave the small plan to us. You can go back now if you have nothing else to do."

"No, what do you mean? You're not even going to treat me to lunch before sending me back, or are you planning to keep my student here and not let him leave? Let me make this clear first, he just finished his first year, so don't even think about taking him away."

"Look at how anxious you are, do you think we're that kind of people?"

"That's hard to say, but I'm going to eat here today anyway."

"Alright, alright, I'll give you a boxed lunch later. As for Xiao Ji, what do you think, should we start right away or let him get familiar with things first?"

"Let's get started. I watched the performance just now. Xiao Ji has a very solid foundation in acting. Getting started with stage acting shouldn't be difficult for him."

"No, there's no need to rush. Let him get familiar with the role first, explain the difference between stage acting and film/television acting, and then let him watch us rehearse a few times. That would be a safer approach. Xiao Ji, are you free during this time?"

"Some of you, Teacher Feng, won't be joining the TV series crew until the end of next month."

"What do you guys think?"

"Okay, we'll do as you say, Lao Feng."

"No problem. So, Lao Feng, will you do the basic training, or should we do it?"

"Let me do it. We just acted out a scene together, and I've roughly figured out Xiao Ji's acting style."

"it is good."

After everyone discussed and agreed on the plan, they went to the side to continue rehearsing the play that had just been paused. Ji Qingxu bowed to Feng Yuanzhen and thanked her, "Teacher Feng, thank you for your help."

Feng Yuanzhen immediately helped Ji Qingxu up, saying, "Child, we don't do this here. If you're willing to learn, I'll teach you. I'm not afraid of teaching you; I'm just afraid you won't learn."

Ji Qingxu smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "Teacher Feng, I will definitely study hard."

"Okay, let's go to the lounge. I'll get you some materials and give you some training first."

"Okay, Teacher Wang, I'll go now."

Wang Jinsong waved his hand, "Go ahead, I'll watch them rehearse here."

......

"Here, take it."

Taking the notebook from Feng Yuanzhen, Ji Qingxu opened it and looked at it. Seeing the neat handwriting, she looked up in surprise and said, "Teacher Feng, this..."

Feng Yuanzhen smiled and nodded. "Yes, this is my notebook. Let me make it clear, this isn't a gift for you. I just want you to look at it and study it for a while."

Ji Qingxu said gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher Feng."

Feng Yuanzhen smiled and waved his hand, "Don't be so polite, let's begin officially."

"it is good."

Are you familiar with different genres of performance?

"I know, the Stanislavski system has been localized into the experiential school, the method school and expression school that are extensions and variations of the Stanislavski system, and there is also the stylized performance aesthetics of traditional Chinese opera that are unique to our country."

"Okay, that's very true. The mainstream and cornerstone of Chinese theatrical performance is the Stanislavski system, also known as the Method acting approach. This is because theatrical performance is different from film and television performance. Theatrical performance is a direct face-to-face interaction with the audience, requiring actors not to imitate the character, but to 'become' the character. Therefore, when performing..."

And so, with one teaching and the other learning, time flew by.

When Feng Yuanzhen looked up at the time on the wall, he smiled and said, "Let's stop here for now. We'll have lunch and rest for a while before continuing in the afternoon."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Teacher Feng."

"Hey kid, this is nothing. I only have to talk. Let's go eat."

"it is good."

......

"Goodbye, Teacher Feng, Teacher Pu, Teacher Lü... all teachers."

"Xiao Ji, come early tomorrow so we can practice our morning exercises together."

"Okay, Teacher Feng."

"Alright, child, go back and rest now."

Ji Qingxu smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.

After Ji Qingxu disappeared from sight, Pu Cunxin, Wu Gang, Yang Lixing, and the others asked curiously, "How's that little guy?"

Feng Yuanzhen pondered for a moment, "Does our Beijing People's Art Theatre have a precedent of admitting second-year students?"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged surprised glances.

"Old Feng, you mean this kid is very talented?"

Feng Yuanzhen nodded. "Extremely outstanding. He understands things quickly, can apply what he's learned to other situations, and has an excellent memory. Plus, with that face, he's a rare talent. As we say, he's a gift from God."

"Hiss, if Old Wang knew what you meant, would he regret sending him over?"

"Hahaha!"

"Old Feng, is he really that outstanding?"

"That's right."

"That......"

"No, no, no, I think we can wait. Of course, I'm not against it. What I mean is, Xiao Ji is only 19 years old this year. You said he has a very good foundation, so let him explore for a couple of years first. If we recruit him now, what if, I mean, what if he gets used to the theatrical performance style? I'm afraid it will stifle his natural talent. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Everyone nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

"That's right. The best way to teach someone with such natural talent is to teach them some basics and let them learn by listening, watching, and studying on their own. We can only offer some guidance. We should never teach them using traditional methods, as that would be counterproductive."

"That's right. Exploring things on your own is far more profound and suitable than being taught by others. Only what suits you best is truly the best."

"..."

"Alright, let's wait until he graduates from university. We'll just teach him the basics so he doesn't go astray."

"Old Feng, if what you're saying is true, it won't be long before he's on stage rehearsing with us?"

"Yes, I don't intend to pressure him. If he learns quickly, then we'll speed up the teaching process. There's no need for excessive practice. If we really need to practice, we'll practice on stage."

"Interesting. It's been a long time since we've had such a young actor in the theater. I'm really looking forward to rehearsing with him."

"I'm also very interested. I've been acting with you old acquaintances for years, and I'm a bit numb to it. It would be perfect to have a young person."

"Haha, you guys better take it easy then."

"..."

......

Starting from the second day, Ji Qingxu would get up at five o'clock every day, exercise, and then run to the Beijing People's Art Theatre. It was not far from Ji Qingxu's residence, Guanchengyuan Community, to the theatre, about ten kilometers away. At a steady pace, it would take Ji Qingxu about half an hour to run there. After arriving, he would first practice his morning exercises with the actors from the theatre.

The youngest actors currently working at the Beijing People's Art Theatre are all over 40 years old. Of course, there are also actors in their 30s, but they are currently acting outside. According to Ji Qingxu, these older generation actors practice morning exercises with him every morning, the most basic kind, and they practice very seriously.

It must be said that the Beijing People's Art Theatre's great reputation is not something that can be achieved by hype, but rather by the hard work of its actors.

After learning basic knowledge from Feng Yuanzhen for three days, Ji Qingxu was directly pulled onto the stage to rehearse a play with the rest of the Beijing People's Art Theatre crew.

The play that everyone was rehearsing was the famous "Teahouse," a representative work of Mr. Lao She and the "treasure of the Beijing People's Art Theatre."