The first time speaking on stage, dancer Liu Jia: The body becomes a shackle for the first time

"I am a dancer, and" Frankenstein "requires speech and dialogue, like a real theater actor shaping characters on stage. I have done a lot of psychological construction. From September 22nd to September 24th, the play" Frankenstein "made its debut at the Shanghai Grand Theatre.". As one of the leading actors, dancers Liu Jia, Yuan Hong, and Yan Nan took turns interpreting Frankenstein and humanoid creatures.

Liu Jia's Media Meeting

Before starring in "Frankenstein," Liu Jia had hardly ever spoken on stage in the theater. As a dancer, Liu Jia has an impressive resume: he graduated from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts and has won numerous domestic and international awards, including the Chinese Dance Lotus Award, the Military Art Performance Gold Award, the CCTV Dance Competition Performance Gold Award, and the Best Director Award. He has also appeared at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala twice, and the variety shows "Dance Storm" and "Brother Who Braves the Thorns" have brought him into countless households.

Moving on to "Frankenstein," Liu Jia felt uneasy. "When you first entered a foreign field, you must have felt very uneasy. Rehearsing" Frankenstein "for just a few months was a very unforgettable memory and an important turning point in my life."

Liu Jia in "Frankenstein"

Frankenstein, hailed as the pioneer of science fiction, was created by British female writer Mary Shelley in 1818. The story begins with scientist Frankenstein's countless explorations, and finally creates a repulsive humanoid creature in the laboratory. The lack of love and discipline, as well as the discrimination encountered in reality, gradually ignites hatred in the hearts of kind-hearted humanoid beings.

The play "Frankenstein" requires male actors to capture Frankenstein and humanoid creatures. He plays Frankenstein in the afternoon and humanoid creatures in the evening.

"The novel 'Frankenstein' is wonderful. Although it was written two hundred years ago, the characters in Mary Shelley's works can still be integrated into life today. A creator and a created, Frankenstein and humanoid creatures seem to be two extremes, and I gradually realize that they are two lives that exist in everyone's body. Different character transformations make everything new."

Liu Jia hopes to break the audience's stereotypes - seeing him, it seems like he can only dance in the theater, and on TV, he is just a dancer. "Life has infinite possibilities, why not play?"

Liu Jia and Yuan Hong

Liu Jia and Yuan Hong

Liu Jia's drama stage started with imitation, "I memorized my lines proficiently and had a very clear positioning before I could talk about my second creation." On the first day of the "Frankenstein" rehearsal hall, Liu Jia had already solved all the lines. "The rehearsal time was very short, and only when I was ready can the director set higher requirements for me in three weeks."

Liu Jia transformed his nervousness into a rational examination of the director's demands in the rehearsal hall, "How should each line and word be expressed, what emotions and volume should be conveyed, and how to convey them to the audience... I gradually transitioned from being a newcomer to drama to a student receiving a master class education."

The dialogue is difficult, but what's even more difficult is to forget the identity of the dancer. "My body is my bonus and has become my shackles. The label of a dancer appearing in a play is actually contradictory and abrupt. My body needs to serve the character, seeking natural instincts, rather than letting it become another language expression."

Liu Jia gave up his physical advantage and went all out to welcome a new character. "All the movements that shape humanoid monsters are based on the growth laws of natural people. Because I have dance experience and basic skills, when I perform a body that is not so coordinated, there is more space and possibilities. This also opened up my cognition. When I return to the role of a dancer, besides using body language to speak, I will also consider the character more."

Liu Jia and Yan Nan

Liu Jia and Huang Hong

"This is Frankenstein!" Yan Nan felt that his understanding of the humanoid creatures and Frankenstein characters had deepened this year, and he quietly integrated them into the performance. Yuan Hong once again marveled at the foresight of this century old classic literary work. The theme and critical spirit proposed by it have become a prophecy with the development of social technology in recent years.

The Chinese version of the stage play "Frankenstein" was co directed by former art director Dominic Dromguer and Chinese director Li Ren at the Universal Shakespeare Theatre, with choreographer and body choreographer Wang Yabin and others joining in. Since its premiere in June last year, it has toured 40 shows with a score of 9.2 on the barley, setting a record for box office success.

The Chinese version of Frankenstein attempts to incorporate the character of Mary Shelley for the first time. In the drama, the relationship between humanoid monsters, female creatures, and Frankenstein Elizabeth adds a strange romantic atmosphere to the cold and alienated story. Reality and fiction refer to each other, and the motifs contained in literary works are amplified through stage interpretation, colliding with the current era to create more vivid meanings.

Huang Zhaohan, who just won the Best Newcomer Award at the Magnolia Drama Performance Art Awards this year, played the leading actress Elizabeth. She said, "Many viewers cannot understand why Elizabeth needs to rely on Frankenstein's side. I am pleased to see this lack of understanding, which indicates that our society is progressing. Women in 200 years have more choices and more independent personalities, and can do what they want, customize intimate relationships, and freely choose the way they love."

Group photo of the main creator