Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, I became a legend in the entertainment industry by avo

14:58

Zhang Qilin arrived at the entrance of the small theater and looked at the half-open door. He could vaguely hear conversations and footsteps coming from inside.

Zhang Qilin calmed his breathing and gently pushed the door open to go inside.

There were already five or six people in the small backstage area. Director Gu Wei was sitting behind a table, looking down at something.

Gu Wei raised his head when he heard the noise, and his gaze lingered on Zhang Qilin's still slightly flushed face.

He glanced again at the clock on the wall that pointed to three o'clock.

"Get ready now that you're here," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "You have five minutes to adjust."

Zhang Qilin walked to a corner, sat down, closed his eyes, and tried to regulate his breathing.

A few minutes later, her breathing stabilized.

He began to immerse himself in the role of a busy bubble tea shop employee.

When he opened his eyes again, there were some different things on his body.

He walked up to Guwei's table and stood there.

"Director Gu, I'm ready," the voice said, not loudly, but clearly.

Gu Wei leaned back, his eyes scanning Zhang Qilin.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Then let's perform a scene."

Zhang Qilin nodded, moved the prop table next to him to his front, and performed the scene that He Bing and Song Dandan had helped him reshoot in front of Gu Wei.

Throughout the process, he led himself into a milk tea shop.

He is no longer acting; he is.

As he bent down to pretend to adjust his apron, he glanced out of the corner of his eye in Gu Wei's direction, as if there really was a girl standing there waiting for milk tea.

He needed to determine as quickly as possible who this girl was so that he could resolve the immediate crisis in the most effective way.

From the moment Zhang Qilin began his performance, Gu Wei's movements remained unchanged, his eyes intently focused on the young man's performance.

Only after Zhang Qilin finished his performance did Gu Wei place his hand on the edge of the table, his fingers tapping lightly unconsciously.

He looked at Zhang Qilin with a playful smile on his lips.

Yang Yu's recommendation piqued his curiosity about Zhang Qilin.

Meeting the real person brought an unexpected feeling.

This young man, apart from arriving at the venue on time, was exactly in line with his preferences in terms of clothing, speech, and the rhythm of the entire performance.

One or two points might be explainable, but for someone who has lived for seventy years like him, the fact that everything matches up is not a coincidence.

Even if Yang Yu had revealed his preferences beforehand.

This young man was able to do it so naturally in such a short time, to the point that I couldn't even see any flaws, which shows he had put in a lot of effort.

More importantly, he saw the styles of two familiar people in the audition scene.

To gain a foothold in the Beijing People's Art Theatre, in addition to one's own abilities, cultivating connections is also very important.

The young man performed very well in both of these aspects in front of him.

He wouldn't mind giving him a chance.

Whether he can persuade Feng Yuanzheng depends on the young man's own abilities.

"We'll start script readings tomorrow," Gu Wei said slowly. "Rehearsals will begin in ten days."

Zhang Qilin looked troubled.

"Teacher, I have classes during the day, is it okay if I go in the evening?"

"You can arrange your own time from 2 pm to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 8 pm."

"Okay, teacher."

Gu Wei gestured to his assistant, who was not far away:

"Give him the script."

The assistant handed over a thick script.

Zhang Qilin accepted the gift with both hands, bowed slightly to Gu Wei, and turned to leave the small theater.

Back in the rehearsal room, he continued his lessons.

During the break, he went to a corner by himself and opened the script.

The Grand Suite is adapted from the work of American playwright Neil Simon.

It tells the story of three unrelated emotional conflicts that occur at different times in the same hotel suite.

The play is divided into three acts, each telling a story:

The first act features an elderly couple experiencing marital burnout.

The film producer in the second act is caught between his lover and his wife.

The third act depicts a young couple who have failed to elope and are in a state of panic.

As an extra, he blends into the background of the hotel lobby or corridor.

The compass indicated that he could secure the role of the groom in Act III, and he quickly skimmed through the story of Act III.

The third story revolves around a young couple who confront each other at a hotel because the wife suspects her husband of cheating.

The character's dialogue includes arguments, probing, and reconciliation, with distinct emotional layers.

Upon seeing this passage, Zhang Qilin began to think about it seriously.

To truly understand this character, he felt he needed to read other works by Neil Simon.

Understand the deeper meaning of this story.

He knew the chances of success were slim, but how would he know it was impossible if he didn't try?

Opportunity always favors the prepared.

After his afternoon classes ended, he went to browse the drama bookstore next to the Capital Theatre.

I selected a few books by Neil Simon, paid for them, and went back to the cafeteria for lunch.

17:50

A row of tables and chairs were set up in the rehearsal hall, where three or four people had already arrived and were talking in hushed tones.

Upon seeing him enter, the conversation paused, and several pairs of eyes turned to him.

One of the young men stared at his face for a few seconds, his expression unconsciously becoming wary.

He cast an inquiring glance at a female actress in her forties standing next to him.

Director Gu Wei has not arrived yet.

Zhang Qilin chose a seat on the side and reopened the script.

"A newcomer?" A gentle voice came from beside me.

Looking up, I saw a woman who looked to be in her forties, wearing a dark gray cotton-linen long gown, her hair loosely tied up.

She smiled at him:

"I play the wife in the first act, Su Wen."

"Zhang Qilin," he bowed slightly, "Hello, Professor Su, please give me your guidance."

"I wouldn't dare offer advice," Su Wen said, glancing at him and then at the script in his hand. "Which role are you playing?"

"Extras are here to learn from the teachers."

Su Wen smiled:

"Being an extra is fine too; young people can gradually accumulate experience."

The young man breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but the unease in his heart still lingered.

He glanced at Zhang Qilin a few more times, and suddenly understood why.

This kid is too eye-catching.

If they were on the same stage, the students who came to see the play would probably all be drawn away by him, and who would still want to watch him, the lead actor?

Then, the door was pushed open again.

Director Gu Wei entered right on time, carrying a thermos cup, and sat down directly in the main seat.

He didn't waste any time, briefly explained the rules of the reading, and then started from the first act.

The atmosphere quickly became immersed in the script.

When Su Wen and the veteran actor playing her husband opened their mouths, their honed acting skills were immediately apparent, and subtle weariness and undercurrents were hidden in their seemingly ordinary conversation.

Zhang Qilin listened quietly, jotting down his thoughts in the margins of the script.

In the second act, the atmosphere becomes both comical and sharp.

The actor playing the film producer speaks extremely fast, conveying an exaggerated sense of being overwhelmed and stressed.

She juggles a lover on the phone and an actress playing her wife on set.

Laughter rippled through the rehearsal hall.

In the third act...

Zhang Qilin knew that the young man playing the groom was named Chen Xu.

His voice was clear and bright, carrying the impetuousness and temper unique to young people, portraying a husband who was questioned by his wife and was eager to defend himself.

The actress playing the wife delivered a powerful performance, conveying a progressively deeper sense of questioning, sadness, and probing.

The two actors' scenes flowed smoothly, clearly indicating that they had put in the effort to rehearse together.

Zhang Qilin listened more carefully. He noticed that Chen Xu seemed slightly deliberate in handling certain emotional transitions.

The traces of acting were very obvious in such a close-up reading session, compared to the way the veteran actors lived their roles in the first two acts.

Director Gu Wei would interrupt him from time to time, offering suggestions for adjustments.

Chen Xu took notes carefully, and occasionally when he nodded, his eyes would unconsciously glance in Zhang Qilin's direction.

Soon, it was 8 p.m., and the reading session ended.

Zhang Qilin packed his things and hurriedly returned to the courtyard.

I practiced my lines for three hours first.

Then I washed up, went to bed, and picked up the Neal Simon books I had just bought to read.

24:00

Turn off the lights and go to sleep on time.

In the following days, Zhang Qilin was so busy that he had no time to spare, which put him under tremendous pressure, but he persevered.

During the day, I attend regular classes, receive explanations of the lines from teacher Feng Yuanzheng during breaks, and participate in reading sessions in the evening.

We went back to the courtyard and recorded lines for several hours.

Next, read Neil Simon's other works to experience the author's language style and comedic rhythm.

After reading several works, I reread Act III of The Grand Hotel Suite.

Based on the director's explanations at the reading sessions over the past few days, he tried to read the lines aloud in his own understanding.

Imagine the breathing and heartbeat of a young husband who loves his wife but is forced into a passive position for various reasons, in that specific situation where he is suspected and questioned.

Ten days later, the reading session ended, and formal rehearsals began.