用真情表现现实生活——写在《钱塘里》首演之后

文 /毋 丹

尾声：唯愿人情似月圆。（剧情图片）The ending scene of Qiantangli.

初闻《钱塘里》的首演消息，我感到一丝忐忑。现代戏创作难度大，在戏迷群体中也不讨喜，这是小百花第一部以现实题材创作的现代越剧，作为一名百花铁粉，我不由捏了一把汗。走进剧场后，两个多小时的时间在笑与泪中遽然流过，起初的紧张忐忑早已抛到九霄云外。

舞台上方高悬着钱江新城的剪影，柔和的光影铺洒在因一场车祸相识相亲的两家人身上，诠释着“家人闲坐，灯火可亲”式的温暖。毫不受控地，一句东坡词浮上心间—此心安处是吾乡。我仿佛突然理解了剧名的深意，在《钱塘里》所叙述的市井故事中，“钱塘”并不仅仅作为故事展开的地点而存在，它升华为一种精神符号，象征着杭州城的性格气质，传递着平凡世界中的人情美和人性美，与我在这座有温度的城市里找到的归属感完美契合。

中国戏曲凝结着中国文化中乐观尚善的民族精神，浩如烟海的古今作品不乏对美好人性的讴歌，但往往立足于人们对现实的憧憬和想象。《钱塘里》营造的是一座新时代的“桃花源”，它并非极致和谐到失真的乌托邦。戏中人有着最平凡的欢喜和悲辛、迷茫与烦恼。他们也许是我们身边的人，也许，就是我们自己。在这里，人性的弱点被不加粉饰地呈现，但人性的光辉在与弱点抗争的过程中显得越发夺目。真实的现实生活避免不了一地鸡毛，正因如此，我们的世界需要一束光。这看似童话的故事，带来心酸，又给人宽慰，同时还发出一声灵魂的拷问 ：我们应该用怎样的心态去面对不如意的人生？我想《钱塘里》给出了一个有分量的答案：与能力相比，更重要的是选择。

《钱塘里》是一部现代中透着“传统”的新戏，从舞台设计到艺术表现手法，没有诡谲技巧的堆叠，或高深理论的实践，故事按照时间发展的顺序，平稳有序地向前推进。在细节的渲染下，戏剧冲突更多地转向人物心灵的交锋，跌宕起伏的剧情、张弛有度的场面，又与戏曲的抒情性特征结合得恰到好处，使朴素叙事时见警策。

全剧在一个工作日的城市生活图景中徐徐展开。演员们改换了面貌的虚拟表演，让我们看到了马路上形形色色的行人，公交车上为了柴米油盐奔波着的上班族，还有如潮水一般涌出的电瓶车大军，他们是这座城市跳动的脉搏，经过富有青春感的舞台演绎，使一切显得亲切自然而又透出蓬勃的生命活力。

写意舞台上的心灵邂逅

在看到《钱塘里》之前，我很难想象花儿们穿着现代装在舞台上表演的模样。小百花以“诗化越剧”著称，现实的题材和现代化的表达是否会使戏曲的诗意精神荡然无存？脱离了水袖、失去了传统戏曲功法的加持，表演是否会变得如白水一般寡淡无味？走进剧场之后，我就明白了自己是庸人自扰。

我们都读过杜甫的诗，他的许多时事诗明白如话，抓取典型画面和细节，以极简之言叙极长之事，虚实相生，而至神来之境。《钱塘里》撷取现实社会的一个侧影，以个别事件展示人世百态，以个体形象绘制众生群像，何尝不是一种诗意精神的体现？这种大写意的手法，正是中国戏曲显著的艺术特征。

舞台上的道具布景富有现代气息，甚至带有一些“科技感”，但并不喧宾夺主。传统表演程式不得不被放弃，而依然采用了虚拟表演，这无疑是对戏曲演员更大的考验。深入挖掘人物内心的同时，他们还必须有效提炼生活动作，形成一套新的肢体语汇。

我曾听方小米的饰演者、“水袖公主”李云霄说起过她对《焚香记 · 阳告》的舞台处理 ：在戏曲身段和情感表达中加入了部分影视剧的表演方式。若非她的自述，我竟丝毫未能分辨，最终所达到的妙不可言的艺术效果无疑能够说明她敏锐的艺术感悟力和程式创新的能力。在对她抱有十足信心的前提下，舞台上的方小米依然大大地超出了我的预期。祸事刚至时的六神无主，咽下心酸后的坚毅决绝，女儿生病时的焦急崩溃，绝望失落时拖着的沉重脚步……现在回想起来，都止不住眼中酸涩。

生行演员们则面临着更大的困难和挑战。坤生是女子越剧的一大特色，在情感的细腻表达和儒雅书生形象塑造方面有着天然的优势。而女演员在现代戏中扮演男性形象，少了许多造型和表演程式上的加分，提炼生活动作时还需要完全站在自然性别属性的对立面。坐在观众席上，我被她们的高超表演技巧折服，同行的友人甚至丝毫没有看出陈运河与老陆是女扮男装。我想，这背后必定藏着常人难以想象的刻苦训练。而另一方面，优秀青年小生演员李霄雯却又需要去适应新的“舞台性别”。不得不承认，主创团队在选角方面的确独具慧眼。女小生扮演女强人陆亚飞，将难以言传的微妙气质展现得淋漓尽致。李霄雯饰演的陆亚飞大方、机敏、果敢又英气逼人，与当下青年群体审美标准中的“又A又飒”不谋而合。

谢幕后，观众久久不愿离去。Audience calls for an encore after the end of the show.

来自陌生人的善意与信任。（剧情图片）A scene from Qiantangli.

优秀的演员诠释角色，深刻的角色成就演员。演员与角色进行心灵的触碰并紧密结合，观众在剧场与之邂逅，便能幸运地享受一场既美妙又现实的精神之旅。舞台上，方小米勇于承担、知错就改的品质令我感佩、动容，她让我明白在困境中守住本心是多么重要。陆亚飞是最能引起我情感共鸣的人，内卷中身心脱力的状态仿佛让我看到自己，少年时辗转于无休无止的培训班和深不见底的题海，成年后扫尽满地的落发、继续着“垂死梦中惊坐起，打开word写两行”的生活。陆亚飞在家人的关怀和朋友的情谊中重拾斗志，她敢于直面人生挑战的勇气给我以鼓舞。陈运河对妻子无条件的包容、理解和支持；金月芳和老陆携手暮年后的相濡以沫，以及对他人的谅解和信任；小米婆婆言语不饶人却默默为子女的小家庭奉献……这些无不深深地印刻在我脑海中。

《钱塘里》最动人之处就在于演员与角色完美融合，不刻意拔高，只用心发掘，让现实生活中的真实人性得到再现。也许正因如此，才使全剧现实而不板滞、通俗而不俚俗，形成一种独特的艺术风貌。

新时期传统越剧何去何从？

中国戏曲是活态传承的艺术，当下的我们，正书写着行进中的戏曲史。戏曲自产生起，便在“破”与“立”之中不断往复。没有魏良辅改良昆山腔，就没有今天名列“世界非遗”名录的昆曲；没有齐如山、梅兰芳等剧坛泰斗的国剧改良实践，中国的戏曲表演体系便无法进入国际视域；没有袁雪芬等老艺术家扛起“越剧改革”的旗帜，越剧便无法跻身“五大地方戏”行列。面对文化艺术，我们往往抱有尊古卑今的心理，殊不知在漫长的戏曲发展史上，先贤们的所思所为远比我们想象的“新潮”得多。

当然，中国戏曲经过千年的酝酿与发展蜕变，已经形成了独有的精神气韵和审美格调，这是当代戏曲人应当坚守的宝贵财富。然而，保护文化遗产不等同于一味的守旧。灌注新鲜血液，让戏曲艺术不断延续、传承下去，才是最好的保护方式。多元文化的冲击下，传统的越剧艺术该走向何方？《钱塘里》进行了一次成功的创新实践，为当代戏曲舞台上的尝试与探索提供了一条可供借鉴的新道路。

《钱塘里》一亮相即引起了热议。我们不难发现，无论是剧场内、还是各媒体平台的宣传视频中，都充斥着年轻的面庞。青年观众认可，仅仅因为这是一部现代越剧吗？我想，答案是否定的。

就我近年来在大学生群体中开展戏曲普及活动与课堂教学的情况来看，年轻人与古老的戏曲艺术之间并不存在文化鸿沟，他们只是缺少一个走近戏曲的契机。而当走近之后，因普遍较高的文化素养和审美能力，浮于表面的流行元素，并不能真正获得他们的青睐。最打动他们的，总是那些经得住历史淘洗、具有永恒生命力的经典作品。从这一方面而言，“现代”并非《钱塘里》的制胜法宝，反而给主创团队以更大的压力。想要得到观众的肯定，意味着要打破成规，建立新的美学范式，与有着深厚积淀的传统戏站在同一赛道上。《钱塘里》大获全胜，并非有赖于它的“现代”与“时尚”，而在于它迸发出的超越时空局限的人格力量，在于传统戏曲精神与现代舞台的完美融合。

《钱塘里》将深刻的立意熔铸在现代化的舞台表达中，但不一味迎合，亲切而不媚俗。演员虽摒弃传统的戏曲表演程式，但洞察人物内心，以细腻的唱腔、丰富的表情和熨帖的肢体动作，将复杂人性表现得淋漓尽致。舞台布景不着重体现杭州城的历史感，而彰显着数字之城、科技之都的新气象，贴合故事背景的同时，也拉近了观众的心理距离。而这一切却并没有“逾越”感，整场戏不见炫目的高科技手段，“数字化”背景默默地尽着自己的本分，渲染舞台的氛围、烘托人物的表演。在音乐设计方面，则将现代音乐与越剧流派唱腔结合得恰如其分。保留越剧声腔悠游婉转的总体风格前提下，既能表现人物张力，又能突出演员唱功。因此，当一些新鲜的词汇、甚至英文字母被传统的声腔演唱出来时，观众并不感到突兀。更为难得的是，全剧的唱段数量非常充足，这很大程度上调和了老戏迷与新观众的不同口味。

融媒体时代，人们的娱乐方式和文化的消费体验方式都有了诸多新的变化。作为传统戏曲的守护者，我们与其抱怨“文风日下”，不如借力而上，以戏曲之美承载时代精神；与其一味迎合大众口味，不如潜心钻研，为当代舞台塑造不朽传奇。我们期待更多如《钱塘里》一般的佳作。

Representing Real Life with Sincerity

By Wu Dan

Upon learning the premiere of(In Qiantang),Xiaobaihua Shaoxing Opera Troupe’s first modern drama based on realistic themes, I felt a bit apprehensive. Difficult to write,modern dramas are not popular even among drama fans. As a diehard fan, I couldn’t help but get concerned. Yet in the theater, after more than two hours of laughter and tears, my anxiety had long since been dissipated.

The silhouette of Qianjiang New Town high above the stage,soft light fell on the two families attached to each other because of a car accident — “The family sits leisurely, and the lights are lovely”. I suddenly understood the meaning of the play’s title.“Qiantang” is not only the place where the story unfolds, but a spiritual symbol for the character and disposition of Hangzhou city, conveying the beauty of human sympathy and humanity in the ordinary world.

Chinese opera epitomizes the national spirit of optimism and goodness in Chinese culture. There are many ancient and modern literary works eulogizing the wonderful human nature,which are nevertheless based on people’s longing for an ideal life in imagination., however, presents no unrealistically harmonious utopia. The characters in the play have the same joys and sorrows and confusion and troubles as ordinary people,and the human weaknesses are portrayed without modification.In fighting against such weaknesses, though, the brilliance of humanity becomes more dazzling. Bringing both sadness and relief, the play also sends out a profound question: What kind of mindset should people have in an unsatisfactory life?gives a powerful answer: more important than one’s personal ability is their choice.

Before seeing the opera, it was hard for me to imagine Xiaobaihua actors performing in modern attire. As the troupe is known for its poetic Yueju opera or Shaoxing opera, one might wonder whether the poetic spirit would fade away in realistic themes and modern expressions. After walking into the theater, I realized it was just a nonissue.

Taking an aspect of the real society,shows the vicissitudes of life with individual events, and draws a group portrait of living beings with images of individuals. A notable artistic feature of Chinese opera, this freehand-style technique embodies exactly the poetic spirit. Though traditional performing patterns are abandoned, virtual performances are still adopted in the drama. This undoubtedly poses a greater challenge to the actors, as they must effectively refine real-life movements and form a new set of body language.

I once heard Li Yunxiao, known as a “Water Sleeve Princess”,who played the role of Fang Xiaomi here, talk about her stage handling in the playthat performances used in films and TV dramas were employed in the figure and emotional expression. But for her explanation, I couldn’t have told any difference here. Fang Xiaomi on the stage greatly exceeded my expectations — her angst when the accident just happened, her determination after swallowing the sadness, and her distress and emotional collapse when learning her daughter was ill. ... Looking back now, I can’t stop the tears in my eyes.

The(male) role players of the troupe are faced with even greater challenges. Usually performed by an all-female cast,Yueju opera features, i.e., female role players as,who enjoy natural advantages in expressing subtle emotions and presenting refined scholar images. However, playing male roles in modern dramas deprives them of the blessings of makeups, hair styling and traditional performing patterns. They have to base themselves on the opposite of natural gender when refining reallife movements. Sitting in the audience, I was impressed by their superb acting skills. Lu Yafei, played by Li Xiaowen, a(young male) actor, is handsome and heroic, who meets the aesthetic standards of the current youth group.

Excellent actors interpret roles, and profound roles make actors. Watching the play, the audience are lucky enough to enjoy a wonderful spiritual journey. On the stage, not afraid of committing herself, Fang Xiaomi confessed faults and made amends instantly, which left me in awe. Lu Yafei, the character who aroused my emotional resonance the most, got physically and mentally exhausted in the rat race of city life, letting me see myself.

The most touching thing aboutis the perfect integration of role players and the characters. With no deliberate exaggeration but in-depth exploration of humanity, the opera reproduced human nature in real life. Perhaps because of this,the whole drama is realistic yet not rigid, popular but not vulgar,forming a unique artistic style.

Chinese opera is an art of living inheritance, and we are currently writing its history. Since its inception, it has been going back and forth between “breaking the old” and “making something new”.

After a thousand years of development and transformation,Chinese opera has formed a unique spiritual charm and aesthetic style, which is a valuable asset that contemporary opera actors should hold onto. However, to preserve the heritage does not mean blindly sticking to the old. The best way is to infuse fresh blood and make the art live on. Where should the traditional opera art head under the impact of multiculturalism?is a successful innovative practice for exploring the contemporary opera stage.

The play sparked heated discussions as soon as it debuted.Whether it was in the theater or in the promotional videos on various media platforms, there were many a young fan. Young people are appreciative of the ancient art if provided with a chance to get closer, and the ones that impress them the most will always be the classics which have withstood the test of time. From this aspect, modernity puts more pressure on the playwright. To gain the audience’s acclaim means establishing a new aesthetic paradigm and standing on the same track as traditional dramas with their profound cultural accumulation. The great success oflies not in its modernity, but in the personality power that transcends the limitations of time and space, and the perfect combination of traditional opera spirit and modern stage.

casts a profound idea in a modern stage expression, which is cordial yet not blindly pandering to popular tastes. Though abandoning the traditional performing patterns,the actors portrayed the complex humanity incisively and vividly,penetrating the souls of the characters. The stage setting showcased the new look of Hangzhou, a digital and high-tech city, shortening the psychological distance between the actors and the audience.However, there is no sense of incongruity with modernity. The digitalized background silently renders the atmosphere of the stage. Modern music and Yueju opera singing are combined appropriately, not only retaining the general style of the opera’s melodious and graceful voice, but expressing the tension of the characters.

观众几度潸然泪下。Many spectators are in tears watching the show.

《钱塘里》主创人员在集体研讨剧情。The production team of Qiangtangli discusses the plot of the play.

In the era of integrated media, ways of entertainment and cultural consumption have undergone many new changes. As guardians of traditional opera, we should take advantage of our strengths to carry the spirit of the times with the beauty of opera, and commit ourselves to creating immortal legends for the contemporary stage. We look forward to more masterpieces like