novellhall Chapter 19 The Subtleties of Rehearsal
Chapter 19 The Subtleties of Rehearsal
The first formal rehearsal was on Monday evening at 7 p.m.
Classroom 201 was packed with people, and the desks and chairs were pushed against the wall, leaving a space in the middle empty.
All the rehearsal participants had arrived: Chen Nianbei, Nazha, Wang Hao, Zhang Yue, Li Rui… Each of them held a script in their hand, their faces showing either nervousness or excitement.
Teacher Li hadn't arrived yet, so everyone gathered in small groups to discuss the matter.
Naza wore a beige sweater today, with her hair tied in a ponytail, looking fresh and neat.
She walked over to Chen Nianbei and whispered, "I'm a little nervous."
"That's normal." Chen Nianbei flipped through the script. "It means you care."
"Were you nervous on set?"
"It's alright," Chen Nianbei said honestly, "but it gets better when you start acting."
Just then, Teacher Li pushed the door open and came in.
She wore a black knit sweater today and had a serious expression.
"Everyone's here? Okay, let's start with the first act."
Rehearsals have begun.
The first scene takes place in the Zhou family living room, where Zhou Puyuan, Fanyi, Zhou Ping, and Zhou Chong are all present.
Li Rui's portrayal of Zhou Puyuan perfectly captured the authoritative aura of a feudal patriarch, and his deep, powerful voice was spot-on.
Zhang Yue's portrayal of Fan Yi appeared somewhat reserved and not very relaxed.
She always unconsciously looks at the ground when reciting her lines, lacking the seemingly gentle but inwardly crazy qualities of Fan Yi.
"Zhang Yue,"
Teacher Li called out, "Raise your head. Although Fanyi is repressed, she is not weak. Her gaze should be strong, even in front of her husband."
Zhang Yue took a deep breath: "Okay, teacher."
She was noticeably better after the second attempt.
It's Chen Nianbei and Nazha's turn to act.
It is the second half of the first act, the scene where Zhou Ping and Si Feng meet by chance in the garden.
The two walked to the center of the classroom and stood facing each other.
"Let's begin," said Teacher Li.
Chen Nianbei spoke first: "Sifeng, what are you doing here?"
His voice was soft, with a cautious, tentative tone.
Zhou Ping's feelings for Si Feng are complex, including affection, guilt, and a kind of escapist dependence.
Naza raised his head, his eyes clear and bright: "Young Master, I'm waiting for Madam."
She acted well, capturing Sifeng's simplicity, kindness, and her mixture of awe and secret affection for Zhou Ping.
But Chen Nianbei noticed that her fingers were gently stroking the hem of her clothes when she was reciting her lines.
This is a subconscious movement of tension.
"Don't wait any longer," Chen Nianbei said. "Your wife is in a bad mood today, you should go home first."
As he said this, he looked at Naza, but his gaze was somewhat evasive.
Zhou Ping felt inferior in front of Si Feng, feeling that he was not good enough for this pure girl.
Naza felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze.
This wasn't the first time I'd acted opposite Chen Nianbei, but this time it felt different.
On the set in Huairou, she watched him play Xiaoman as an observer.
Now, she is Sifeng, and he is Zhou Ping. They are characters in a play, with real emotional entanglements.
"Then I'll head back now."
Naza said, turning to leave.
"Wait." Chen Nianbei subconsciously reached out, then stopped in mid-air and slowly withdrew her hand.
This detail wasn't in the script; he added it on the spot.
Zhou Ping wanted to keep Sifeng, but she didn't dare.
Naza turned around and looked at him.
The two stared at each other for three seconds.
The classroom was quiet.
"Card."
Teacher Li said, "Very good. Especially Chen Nianbei's last gesture of reaching out and then withdrawing his hand, that was very delicate."
She looked at Naza: "Naza, your reaction just now was also very natural."
Sifeng should have sensed at this moment that Zhou Ping had something to say, but couldn't bring herself to say it.
Naza nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed.
She definitely felt it just now.
There was something indescribable in Chen Nianbei's eyes that made her heart beat faster.
Rehearsals continue.
For a whole week, every evening from 7 pm to 9 pm, without fail.
Everyone gradually got into the zone.
Zhang Yue's portrayal of Fan Yi is becoming increasingly captivating, with the suppressed madness beginning to emerge.
Wang Hao's Zhou Chong is sunny and innocent, but occasionally a hint of melancholy flashes in his eyes, which is his hopeless love for Si Feng.
Li Rui's Zhou Puyuan was extremely imposing; every time he spoke, the air in the classroom would become heavier.
Chen Nianbei and Nazha's on-screen chemistry is also becoming increasingly strong.
One evening during the second week, we were rehearsing the third act, the scene where Zhou Ping confesses his love to Si Feng.
This scene is very emotional; Zhou Ping has to muster all her courage to say, "I like you."
Before rehearsal, Naza was a little nervous. She drank several sips of water and kept flipping through the script with her fingers.
"take it easy."
Chen Nianbei said, "Let's just pretend it's true."
"Why are you taking it seriously?"
Naza asked.
You think to yourself, "You really like me, and I really like you, but there are too many obstacles between us."
Chen Nianbei said it naturally, "That's how the emotions come about."
Naza paused for a moment, then nodded.
Rehearsals begin.
Chen Nianbei looked at Na Zha with a struggle and guilt in his eyes, but more than anything, there was a resolute determination to go all out.
"Four Phoenixes,"
His voice was soft, but every word was clear: "I have something to tell you."
Naza raised his head, his eyes sparkling: "Young Master, please speak."
"I……"
Chen Nianbei paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, "I like you."
He spoke slowly and earnestly, as if he were using all his strength.
Naza's heart suddenly raced.
Although I knew it was just a play, Chen Nianbei's eyes and tone when he said that line were so real.
It was so real that she was momentarily dazed, unable to tell whether it was Zhou Ping speaking or Chen Nianbei speaking.
"Young Master, please don't say that..."
She lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly.
This is the kind of reaction Sifeng should have.
Panic, shyness, but a hint of joy deep inside.
"I mean it."
Chen Nianbei took a step forward, but kept a foot's distance. "I can't control myself."
Naza looked up at him.
This time, she did not dodge.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and for a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
The classroom was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.
"good!"
Teacher Li's voice broke the silence, "This passage is very good. Especially the feeling of wanting to say something but holding back, it's very well done."
She looked at Chen Nianbei and Nazha: "You two have great chemistry, keep it up."
The word "chemical reaction" made Nazar's face turn even redder.
She glanced at Chen Nianbei secretly and found that he had a calm expression and was writing something in his notebook.
It was as if he wasn't the one who had just made that heartfelt confession.
After the rehearsal ended, everyone left one after another.
Naza packed her things a little slowly, and it wasn't until almost everyone had left the classroom that she walked over to Chen Nianbei.
"You performed well today," she said.
"The same to you."
Chen Nianbei closed her notebook. "Especially that last look in her eyes, it was very nuanced."
"Really?" Naza laughed. "Actually, I was a little distracted at the time."
"Distracted?"
"Um."
Naza hesitated for a moment, "When you said 'I like you' just now, it sounded so real that I almost thought it was true."
Chen Nianbei laughed too: "Acting has to be real."
"Too."
Naza nodded. "Let's go, the dorms will be locked if we get back too late."
The two walked out of the teaching building together.
The campus was quiet on an autumn night, with streetlights casting a warm glow under the sycamore trees.
Naza walked beside Chen Nianbei and suddenly felt that this night was wonderful.
We rehearsed, practiced our lines, and then walked back to the dormitory together.
Simple, yet fulfilling.
"Oh, right."
She remembered something, "The audition for Police Story is scheduled for next Wednesday."
"So fast?"
"Yes, Sister Li said the production team is rushing to meet deadlines and wants to finalize things as soon as possible."
Naza said, "I've been practicing crying scenes every night for the past few days, but it still doesn't feel natural."
"The most important thing in crying scenes is finding the emotional trigger point."
Chen Nianbei said, "You can try this method: think of something that makes you the saddest, and then put yourself in that role."
"The saddest thing..."
Naza thought for a moment, "It doesn't seem like I'm particularly sad."
"Then imagine it."
Chen Nianbei said, "Imagine how you would feel if something happened to the person you love most."
Naza nodded: "I'll give it a try."
When they reached the girls' dormitory building, Naza stopped and said, "Then I'll go up."
"Okay, get some rest."
Naza took a few steps, then turned back: "Chen Nianbei."
"Um?"
"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for teaching me so much."
Chen Nianbei laughed: "Don't be so polite."
Naza laughed and turned to run into the dormitory building.
Chen Nianbei watched her retreating figure, shook his head, and turned to walk towards the boys' dormitory.
In the days that followed, rehearsals became a daily routine.
Every evening at 7 p.m., the lights in classroom 201 are turned on on time.
Everyone became more and more involved, and the play got better and better.
Zhang Yue's Fan Yi made a qualitative leap in the third week.
She finally found that feeling of being outwardly docile but inwardly insane, especially when confronting Zhou Ping, the obsession and madness in her eyes were chilling.
Wang Hao's portrayal of Zhou Chong is becoming increasingly three-dimensional. Beneath his sunny exterior, the occasional hints of melancholy and helplessness add depth to the character.
Li Rui's portrayal of Zhou Puyuan remained steadfast throughout; every time he appeared on stage, the entire atmosphere changed.
Chen Nianbei and Nazha have such a deep understanding that they can understand each other's thoughts with just a glance.
Friday night of the third week, we rehearsed the last scene.
Zhou Ping breaks down, Si Feng dies, Fan Yi goes mad, Zhou Chong is electrocuted... The tragedy reaches its climax.
The scene was very emotionally intense, and everyone was quite tired after rehearsals.
Naza sat in the chair, his face somewhat pale.
She cried a lot while filming the scene of Sifeng's death, and her eyes are still red.
Chen Nianbei handed her a bottle of water: "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing." Naza took the water, took a sip, and said, "I'm just a little tired."
"This scene was truly mentally taxing."
Chen Nianbei sat down next to her. "You acted very well just now, especially the last line, 'Young Master, I don't blame you,' the timing of your tears was just right."
"Really?" Naza turned to look at him.
"Really." Chen Nianbei said with certainty, "Teacher Li nodded."
Naza smiled, her eyes crinkling.
The students in the classroom left one by one, leaving only the two of them.
The night outside the window was as dark as ink, and occasionally a gust of wind would blow, rustling the leaves of the sycamore trees.