What is the meaning of life? "Requiem" Comes to Shanghai Again: Facing Death, Ni Dahong and Sun Li Stare in Chinese Version | Israel | Life
The Chinese version of the Israeli drama "Requiem" starring Ni Dahong and Sun Li will be staged at the Yunfeng Theater in Shanghai on July 28th and 29th.
The Requiem is the last work of Israeli national treasure playwright Hannah Levin. He created more than 60 plays throughout his life, and was still directing "Requiem" on the eve of his death from bone cancer in 1999. Levin is known as the "conscience of Israel", and he devoted his entire life to the stage. In the Requiem, there is a lament for the sorrowful songs of ordinary people, as well as a reflection on the value of survival.
Still photos of the Requiem.
The Requiem is adapted from fragments of Chekhov's three novels, "The Violin of Loshir," "Sorrow," and "In the Canyon." It tells the story of a remote village where an old craftsman and his wife lived for over fifty years, but never gave her any care. They only felt regret when they were on their deathbed; A young mother walked all night on the pitch black wilderness holding her dead baby; A coachman who has lost his son drives people from all directions, but no one listens to him. He can only confide in his own horse.
There are many memorable golden lines in the drama that leave a deep impression on the audience: "What kind of life is this, child?" "Like everyone else's life, I stand in a long line, leading my small handful of candy. The line is long, and I didn't make it." "Who says hallucinations are lies, our lives are lies." "In our world, laughter means we haven't cried yet."
On March 19, 1999, "Requiem" premiered at the Carmel Theatre in Israel, causing a great sensation. The work won six Israeli Drama Awards and was subsequently invited to perform in multiple cities including Athens, Budapest, London, Berlin, Warsaw, Hanover, and Beijing. In the past two decades, "Requiem" has come to China four times and won the sympathy of Chinese audiences.
Director Meng Jinghui said, "I know the director was already critically ill while rehearsing this scene. He was rehearsing in a hospital bed, and now he has passed away. This is a scene about death, and also about how people face themselves. When I saw it for over 30 minutes, tears streamed down my face."
Actor Pu Cunxin said, "When the curtain opens, we become children. We see houses that can be pushed and carriages on stage, all of which turn us into children. We seem to see the drama of the past - the curtain is pulled up, it's dark, it's opened, it's light. The Requiem is the return of each of our souls in the drama."
The Chinese version of "Requiem" is co directed by Norman Samar, former director of the Carmel Theatre in Israel, actor Pu Cunxin, and director Wang Xiaoying as artistic advisors, and directed by the new Israeli director Yael Sherman. In Yael Sherman's view, the creation of the Chinese version of "Requiem" is not simply a replication, but rather a creation of "Requiem" that belongs to the Chinese stage from the perspective of the Chinese audience. Through continuous adaptation and collision, the creators and actors overcome language barriers and present this touching work to the audience.
When selecting roles for the Chinese version of "Requiem", the first choice in the minds of producer Li Shujun was Ni Dahong. Ni Dahong said that being able to appear in this drama is his luck, and it takes him back to his youth. As an actor at the National Theatre of Drama, Ni Dahong has been exposed to foreign dramas for a long time. In the process of creating the Chinese version of "Requiem", the exchange and collision of two cultures aroused his passion and freshness for drama creation when he was young.
Actor Sun Li plays the role of a "young mother" in the play. At the beginning of the rehearsal, the director led all the actors to read the script, and Sun Li cried uncontrollably in the rehearsal hall. The most widely spread golden lines in "Requiem" are almost all her lines. She cried almost every time she rehearsed, until the middle of the rehearsal when the director trained Sun Li to put aside any overflowing emotions.
Playing the role of "Old Woman" is "Old Actress" Du Ninglin. She smiled and said, "I drove for over an hour to come to the audition site of this play. I have been in the industry for 45 years, and this is my first time because this play is a" Requiem "." In addition, she also had one reason, "Ni Dahong plays an old man, and I want to get along with him."
Since its premiere in 2019, the Chinese version of "Requiem" has toured the country and participated in the 21st Shanghai International Art Festival in China. Coming to Shanghai again, the actors have gained a new understanding and interpretation of their roles. Norman Samar said, "I know some plays will succeed and some will fail, but today, nothing can replace drama."
