Lu Shi's words caused everyone to fall silent.
Owen first appeared on the stage in 1856 and became famous in the 1970s.
Moreover, he was not only an actor, but also a theater manager. He rehearsed a series of Shakespeare's plays at the Lyceum Theater, winning widespread acclaim and even being knighted for it.
When it comes to performance, no one can question him.
When George Bernard Shaw was worried about Owen's anger at Lu,
"Lu, that..."
Unexpectedly, Owen jumped in directly and asked Lu Shi: "Mr. Lu, do you think there is something wrong with my lines? Is it different from the Humphrey you expected?"
There was no trace of annoyance in his tone, and he was obviously asking for advice humbly.
Lu Shi pondered for a moment and said, "It's not different, I'm just worried about your breathing... Sigh... I don't know what to say."
breathe?
Owen and Lawton exchanged glances subconsciously.
Breathing is indeed a basic skill in performance, but it is not something that needs to be taken seriously.
Owen asked for advice: "What did Mr. Lu mean by 'breathing' just now? It shouldn't be a simple gasp, right? Could it be that breathing has an impact on the endurance of the performance?"
The other party asked such a sincere question. Even if Lu Shi was a second-hand swordsman, he would not hide his secrets.
He thought for a while and decided to make use of his Chinese cultural background, so he asked the other party: "Sir Owen, have you heard of Peking Opera?"
Owen nodded matter-of-factly,
"Of course! It's a traditional Chinese drama."
Lu Shi continued: "It is said in the Singing Theory, 'The sound is like a sheng, and it sounds like a sheng when you exhale and inhale.' It means that breathing must be used delicately and with tacit understanding. So..."
Before he finished speaking, Lawton on the side asked: "Tacit understanding? How to breathe in a tacit understanding?"
Lu Shi gave an example: "It's a very simple principle. For example, when a person is in the four emotions of happiness, anger, sadness, and joy, his breathing must be slightly different. Another example is drinking. A drunk man's breathing is different from when he is sober. Completely different. The so-called tacit understanding means that the breathing must match the state of the character."
As he said that, Lu Shi looked at Owen,
"Sir Owen also pays attention to experience. He should be very experienced, right?"
Owen was deep in thought and didn't hear.
Lu Shi called the other party again:
"Sir Owen?"
Owen suddenly woke up, smiled sheepishly, and said, "Sorry, I was a little distracted."
In fact, it's not that I'm distracted, but that I'm in a state of trance.
Owen had just been thinking about what Lu Shi said and was deeply inspired.
As an actor, and a senior actor at that, he has countless practical experience, combined with some theoretical basis, he believes that except for people like Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, it is difficult for others to give him guidance.
But what Lu Shi said made him feel refreshing.
Owen said: "Professor Lu, can you explain it in detail?"
They had known each other for less than an hour, and the title Lu Shi was naturally upgraded to "professor".
Lu Shi couldn't show his timidity either.
"no problem."
He himself is an amateur in acting,
This layer of identity is a perfect shield:
Irving and Laughton are genuinely impressed when what he says about acting shines;
When he says something unrealistic, he can be laughed off tolerantly.
In this way, the two sides continued to communicate until noon.
Owen stayed in Lu for a meal and wanted to continue the discussion.
Lu Shi, however, had already exhausted his little knowledge of deceiving others, and refused with a smile: "Sir Owen, let's not take acting classes, otherwise, if we continue like this, "Yes! Prime Minister" will never be on the list. stage."
This is a joke,
Owen didn't mind being teased and said, "Don't worry, Professor Lu, I will definitely fulfill my mission."
Bernard Shaw chuckled,
"In that case, let me stay."
Owen rolled his eyes and complained: "Professor Lu stays, you can discuss acting with me. What do you want to do here? For Ellen?"
One sentence almost caused George Bernard Shaw to suffer internal injuries again.
Lu Shi couldn't help but laugh and said: "Sir Owen, please let Mr. School Superintendent stay. He likes "Yes! Prime Minister" very much and helped me polish the script. He also contributed to the script, so he naturally wants to be on the scene. Watch the rehearsal.”
Bernard Shaw agreed: "Yes, I can still follow the progress if I stay here."
Speaking of progress, Irving also became serious.
He calculated silently in his mind for a while and said: "Professor Lu, the plot of "Yes! Prime Minister" is almost entirely indoors, so the stage setting is very simple. If there is no problem with the rehearsal, the time to go on stage should be within a week."
You can't rush things like rehearsals even if you want to.
Of course Lu Shi would not do what an amateur would do to command an expert. He chatted with Irving and Bernard Shaw for a few more words, and then left with Natsume Soseki.
The two boarded the carriage.
London is cold and humid in December,
Lu Shi opened the car curtains to let the sunlight shine into the car, dispelling the dampness of the package.
The main road in Westminster is bustling, with shops lined up on both sides of the road. Elegantly dressed ladies holding umbrellas pass by, stopping from time to time to look at the dazzling products in the windows.
At this time, a newsboy ran by,
"No Survival! No Survival! Seven pounds a copy!"
It should be that the Royal Publishing House has issued a reprinted single volume.
Lu Shi stopped the carriage, then waved to the newsboy, handed over the money, and said, "Son, give me a copy."
The newsboy smiled and pushed the book to Lu Shi.
Lu Shi put the book in his hands and weighed it.
Very heavy
The material is very good.
He turned to Natsume Soseki and asked, "Natsume, do you want to take a look?"
Unexpectedly, Natsume Soseki shook his head,
"I've already read the serial."
Lu Shi couldn't help but say "Huh?"
Having been roommates with Natsume Soseki for such a long time, he already knew Natsume Soseki quite well.
Natsume Soseki was a bookworm. According to his habit, even if he had finished reading the novel in The Scotsman, he would still be delighted when he saw the reissued book. Even if he did not read it, he would hold it in his hand and smell it. The fragrance of ink.
what is it today?
Lu Shi was curious,
"Natsume, are you worried?"
Natsume Soseki's expression froze, and then he sighed: "Just now at the Lyceum Theater, I heard you and Sir Owen discussing performances, and suddenly I got the urge to write a novel."
Is there a direct connection between the show and the novel?
Lu Shi couldn't figure it out.
"Um...can you explain it more clearly?"
Natsume Soseki explained: "Just now, Sir Owen mentioned that there is a faction in performance - the experiential school. Actors should actively feel the characters and turn their emotions into part of the art, rather than just acting calmly. Moreover, you also I said, when you write the script, you will try your best to take on the role."
Lu Shi touched his chin with his fingers.
Faintly, I felt that the Japanese literary giant in front of me was awakening.
Lu Shi asked, "Do you have any ideas?"
Natsume Soseki nodded,
"Well, I also want to use this substitution method to create a novel. However, the protagonist I want to substitute..."
Halfway through his words, Natsume Soseki fell into hesitation.
Lu Shi waited quietly,
He knows that the desire to express cannot be controlled,
When a writer is ready to create, he will definitely enter the creative state consciously without the encouragement of others.
Natsume Soseki said: "Riku, I told you not to laugh at me."
Lu Shi nodded,
"certainly."
Natsume Soseki gritted his teeth and said, "I want to raise a cat."
Riku Shi never expected that Natsume Soseki's masterpiece "I Am a Cat" would appear so early in advance.
