I went to see the legendary "The Young Jin Chai Boy Meng Mu". It was a good play, but it didn't seem as legendary as I imagined. It could be because I expected it to be more "mysterious", or it could be due to the passage of time. There was also one thing: the role of Yu Rilang/Niang was played by a biological female, which I didn't expect. However, the "feminine" feeling she emitted was too strong, which made me unable to fully immerse myself in the play.
So I couldn't help but wonder: what is preventing me from being convinced? When I watch Gezi opera, what makes me believe in the "man" portrayed by Kunsheng? I have always been curious about this subtle psychology, but I cannot come up with a convincing argument.
This time, I speculated again that perhaps the programming of the opera could create a foundation for my identification? When Xin Yi played Jia Baoyu, she was dressed in pink from head to toe, and there was someone who doesn't usually watch plays next to me, who mistakenly thought she was playing a young female role. When I found out she was playing a young male role, I found it strange. But I felt that based on her attire, she looked like a weak scholar, completely unable to be seen as a girl. Most people, based on gender stereotypes, cannot see pink as masculine, but the established programming of opera, starting from the clothes, replaces social customs and forms another label. When I see these labels, I only see a specific gender and role.
So is it because the opera's way of creating dreams is missing that I can't enter that dream? I'm not sure. Qing Gege played Cai Songpo, and I still felt a strong masculine vibe, but the interpretation was still opera, not realistic drama.
Perhaps it also has to do with the actors? In "The Young Jin Chai Boy Meng Mu", the boys, except for Yu Rilang/Niang, are all biological males. However, when I watched Qing Gege and Yang Ge interact, I always found it cute. I didn't see it as a male-female interaction, but rather felt a slightly ambiguous atmosphere between two men.
So maybe it also has to do with the personal characteristics of the performers and my personal preferences. And I think Xu Yanling-san may not necessarily interpret a male character, but simply use her own way to portray this role. So the rigidity that I feel might be due to my own biases.
In general, it's a personal preference. Therefore, I think the most unforgettable character is Chen Dalong played by Li Yixiu-san. I think he is the most touching, the most intense, and the most deeply emotional. Only on that night, when he softly played the Nan Guan flute, it was so vast and boundless. And he pushed away the "other" who came to seek warmth. To some extent, although he has an apparent obsession with someone who seems different from himself, it still boils down to a kind of subtle narcissism. In the second generation, it seems like a kind of compensation for reincarnation.
On the other hand, Xu Huaqian-san's way of speaking made me feel strange. There were several times when I almost couldn't understand him. For me, it was a strange and impatient voice, which further distanced me.
Finally, my original intention was not to write a review of this play. (?)