Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 410 Liu Yifei: I really have become Little Dragon Girl!
Due to the blizzard in Frankfurt, Lufthansa's North American routes were delayed across the board, with flight times postponed until 10 p.m.

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei snuggled in bed for a while, and their original plan to visit Melsin before leaving seemed to have more time.

The two got out of the car and the local German driver drove through the snowstorm; the journey was not short.

In the car, Mr. Lu introduced this performing arts educator to her. Back in 2002, Xiao Liu had mentioned him briefly to Feng Yuanzheng at the Venice Film Festival (Chapter 110).

"Mercin was considered Lao Feng's foreign teacher. She was the wife of the counselor at the German Embassy in Czechoslovakia. In 1986, she was invited by director Lin Zhaohua of Beijing People's Art Theatre to teach there. She was also a professional teacher of the Grotowski school."

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "If you aspire to be a people's performing artist, you'll learn more from her than from me."

Liu Yifei gestured to the gifts in her hand, which were all local specialties and handicrafts from Beiping that Feng Yuanzheng had asked them to bring: "Is it impolite of us to bring these?"

"Old Feng said the old lady has a strange temper. If you bring her too much, she might be kicked out."

"All right!"

The vehicle turned onto Schillerstrasse in West Berlin, and the two men got out and walked.

The snow was slippery, and Lu Kuan put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and said, "You Grotovskys are the Tomb Raiders, and this old lady might be Lin Chaoying. Let's try to learn a move or two from her today."

"Let's see if this old Polish man has any secret skills that he hasn't passed down."

Xiao Liu covered her mouth and chuckled: "You really never leave empty-handed. Weren't you here today to visit Teacher Feng's teacher on his behalf?"

Boss Lu waved his hand: "Visiting is one thing, but you need to understand the mindset of these artists."

“Mercin visited the Beijing People’s Art Theatre in 86 and paid for all her own meals, only asking the school to provide them. She had a strong interest in Chinese culture, and even at the age of 60, she became a student of Cai Yaoxian, the master of the Northern School of Kunqu Opera, and passed it on to her German students after returning to Germany.”

"Because they valued Feng Yuanzheng, they invited him to Germany to study three times, let him stay at their home, and even paid him a salary every month, all so that Lao Feng could study well."

"She's just an old lady obsessed with theater. She's not interested in small talk or anything else you do with her."

"But if you say you practice Grotowski, her eyes immediately light up, even brighter than when I look at you!"

Liu Yifei took his arm and gave it a light pinch. The two arrived at an ordinary-looking residence according to the address provided by Feng Yuanzheng.

"Boom boom boom!"

A voice in German came from inside the house: "Who is it?"

“Ms. Melsin, we are from China and are friends of Feng Yuanzheng.”

Lu Kuan's voice faded into the Berlin snowstorm, and there was no response for a long time.

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei looked at each other, worried that the old lady might not be hearing well. Just as they were about to repeat themselves loudly, the old door creaked open.

An elderly German woman with a cool demeanor sat in a wheelchair, looking at the young couple in front of her with a mixture of confusion and excitement, this time speaking in English.

"Struggle? Are you talking about struggle in China?"

Seemingly realizing she had been somewhat impolite, the grumpy old lady shifted her wheelchair: "It's snowing heavily outside, please come in."

The wheelchair creaked as it rolled over the old wooden floor, but Melsin's back remained ramrod straight.

Liu Yifei entered the room and put down the gift. As expected, she was scolded by Melsin: "What are you doing? Are you arguing?"

"He didn't come, so he asked us to bring some things over as a token of his appreciation."

Xiao Liu squatted down beside her wheelchair and said softly, "Ms. Melsin, today is your birthday. He specially asked us to come and visit you. He misses you very much and hopes you are doing well."

The old lady wasn't having it: "Hmph."

Liu Yifei then took out a jewelry box from her bag, which contained a jade bracelet that looked quite valuable.

"This is a gift from Feng Yuanzheng to you."

Melsin sighed, "Take it, and you all leave. I don't need these."

Liu Yifei turned around awkwardly to meet her boyfriend's gaze. He gave her a look, signaling her to quickly use all her sweet talk skills to bewitch the old lady.

The girlfriend, who seemed to understand him perfectly, turned to him and said, "Grandma Melsin, it's not that Feng Yuanzheng doesn't want to come see you, it's that he feels guilty for leaving you and returning to China eighteen years ago."

"This is Chinese jade, as precious as Western diamonds. It's usually given to the closest female elders. He treats you like his own mother!"

Boss Lu secretly gave her a thumbs up, which was a bit like Huang Rong coaxing Hong Qigong to teach her the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

Melsin shifted her wheelchair, her eyes slightly red. As she turned around, the wind and snow swept in through the half-open door, causing her silver-gray hair to tremble slightly.

The old lady had a thin and pale face with deep-set eyes, but her ice-blue eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they held decades of stage glory and obsession.

"Zheng should have come on his own; I miss him so much..."

Elderly people often enjoy telling stories. Melsin's two sons followed in their footsteps and became diplomats, leaving her an empty nester. So, fueled by this surge of emotion, she began to recount stories from her past:

“Zheng is a promising talent. I have been to China three times, and only his perseverance and tenacity impressed me, which is why I invited him to study in Germany.”

“He adapted very slowly. He couldn’t speak German for four months. I got impatient and scolded him, and made him give up his rented house and move into my house.”

“He had a strong sense of pride and insisted on paying my rent. He also cooked two Chinese meals for us every month and eventually paid back the tuition fees I had lent him.”

“I want him to pursue a doctorate in drama studies at a prestigious art academy in Germany, to follow in my footsteps and study Grotowski, or to become a performance teacher or a master of drama like me.”

Melsin sighed deeply as he spoke, his forehead and the corners of his eyes etched with deep wrinkles, but his jawline still maintained a stubborn curve.

"But he insisted on returning to China, saying that what he wanted to do most was still to be an actor, and that was his obsession."

Looking at the old lady with the cold, Germanic expression in front of her, Liu Yifei sat in the chair with many feelings.

She is also someone who is obsessed with the profession of acting.

Whether in this life or the previous one, no matter how far she has gone down this path, the Liu Yifei that everyone sees will always appear in her works.

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Feng Yuanzheng is now one of the best male actors in China. We came to deliver tickets to the premiere last week, but no one was home. Otherwise, you would have been able to see his performance."

Melsine frowned: "I was in the hospital for treatment last week. Can you tell me the name of the movie? I'll try to get the DVD."

She was eager to see what level her former beloved student had reached now.

“It’s called ‘The Sky of History,’ and I brought it with me.” Lu Kuan took the disc out of Liu Yifei’s bag and said gently, “Feng Yuanzheng has always had a dream of winning the Best Actor award in Berlin, and he came to visit you with that honor.”

"Otherwise, he would feel he has failed you in your efforts to nurture him."

“In his heart, you will always be his mother.”

The word "Mom" that Lu Kuan uttered was so soft that it was almost swallowed up by the wind and snow outside the window.

The perceptive Liu Yifei quietly turned her head and saw a rare tenderness and remembrance on his face.

Perhaps sensing something, Lu Kuan regained his composure in the blink of an eye, concealing the fleeting lingering affection between his brows.

"Mom," these two most touching words in the world, not only evoke complex emotions in the speaker, but also brought tears to Melsin's eyes, who was hearing them for the second time today.

Her deep-set eyes were filled with tears, her icy blue pupils like glass soaked by wind and snow, blurry and trembling.

"Watch his performance."

"it is good."

It's fine for a young couple to go, since their flight is at 10 pm anyway, they can just do their filial duty on behalf of Lao Feng.

Next to the DVD player in the living room, there were many labeled discs neatly arranged. Lu Kuan looked at them strangely, then put the DVD player in and started playing.

The old lady didn't say a word, nor did she ask when Feng Yuanzheng would appear. Apart from the wind and snow outside the window, the only other thing in the living room was the noise of the movie plot.

After watching for about twenty minutes, Melsin suddenly turned to look at Liu Yifei and asked, "You played this Chinese character?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?" The old lady, a theater enthusiast, finally remembered to ask the names of the two young Chinese men and women.

"My name is Liu Yifei, you can call me Liu!"

This word is relatively easy to pronounce in various Western languages.

She pressed the button to pause the movie.

"Liu, what acting style do you study?" Melsin was a little unsure, but she was very impressed by the close-up shots of the Holocaust photos that Xiao Liu had just seen in the movie.

"Grotovsky and Stanislavski."

"Oh?" Just as Boss Lu had predicted, Melsin became completely interested, like a sect elder discovering a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

Perhaps in other performance teaching styles such as the method school or the experiential school, Xiao Liu's talent is mediocre.

But for "body cultivation," which is the Grotowski school of thought that focuses on developing the performer's physical potential, she is the most extraordinary of all spiritual roots!

He is over 1.7 meters tall, with long legs and arms, soft facial features, and the graceful lines of his shoulders and neck, reminiscent of a ballerina.

When I knelt down next to her wheelchair, the girl's hip joints were almost fully open, which is very rare among European actors.

Melsin stood up shakily: "Do you know Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera from your country?"

As mentioned earlier, the old lady went to study Kunqu Opera at the age of sixty in Beiping in the 80s because she loved Chinese opera.

"Won't..."

"There's a movement in Kunqu Opera called 'water sleeves'," Melsin demonstrated simply, without exerting any force, then gestured to the girl.
"Try it and let me see. It's okay if you can't do it, and it's okay if you don't have professional clothing. I'll see how you use your body."

"Ah? Oh!"

Liu Yifei paused slightly, then nodded and took off her down jacket, handing it to Lu Kuan, revealing her close-fitting turtleneck sweater underneath, so that her body movements could be displayed more clearly.

A girl who exercises regularly has a beautiful body shape.

The slim-fit jeans on her lower body perfectly outlined her long legs, and the tight fabric hugged her round and perky buttocks.

The black turtleneck sweater perfectly showcased her superior shoulder and neck lines, and the barren mountain area, which had been developed by the washing machine for half a year, was beginning to take shape, just right outlining an elegant curve.

Of course, this is how Boss Lu, who was standing quietly to the side, saw his girlfriend.

But in Melsin's eyes, the big girl was simply delightful.

Her feet were naturally apart, shoulder-width apart, with her knees slightly bent. This was the basic stance that the martial arts instructor taught her when filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Immediately, he loosely clenched his right hand and gently raised his left hand to his chest, his fingertips drooping naturally, as if he were holding an unopened lotus bud.

Although this starting posture is not standard, it is excellent because of its upright posture and the straight lines of the shoulders and neck, which are as upright as the "Ziwu Xiang" of a female role in Kunqu Opera.

As he swung his arm, Melsin's blue eyes narrowed sharply!

Xiao Liu's force spun from his waist and hips, transmitted through his spine to his shoulder blades, and his forearm suddenly swung out like a piece of silk being blown open by the wind.

Although the cuffs do not have three-foot-long flowing sleeves, the curve of the wrist bones actually brings out a sense of "white silk flowing across the sky"!

"Didn't you say you hadn't studied it before?" Melsin asked, a look of delight on his face.

If Feng Yuanzheng were here, I wonder if he could see that the way his German mother looked at Liu Yifei was exactly the same as how she looked at him twenty years ago.

Liu Yifei stuck out her tongue cutely and explained, "I've acted in many Chinese period dramas, all of which feature wide-sleeved costumes, and sometimes there are similar movements in the martial arts scenes."

"Excellent power exertion! Excellent physique!"

Melsin stretched out her withered, twig-like hand and pinched Liu Yifei's muscles. With her experience, she could tell that a lot of effort had been put into it.

Grotowski once said: "An actor's exertion should be like seeing an electric current flowing in a glass tube."

"For example, in the movement just now, the transmission trajectory of the force from the lumbar spine, scapula, elbow crease, and wrist bones is clearly visible. Your neutral spine and lumbar spine rotation range are perfect."

The elderly woman, who had taught acting for decades, explained casually: "This is called maintaining the subtle framework of Eastern opera while possessing the explosive elasticity required by expressionism." "Child, how long have you been practicing?"

From not wanting to know the name, to Liu, and then to the child, the emotional progression has been quite rapid.

"Hmm... I've been practicing my basic skills for over four years, but I've been acting in movies for the past two years, so I haven't been training as often."

Melsin nodded in satisfaction; Feng Yuanzheng had only trained for less than three years back then.

Having looked at the hardware, she also wanted to check out the software. The old lady took Xiao Liu's hand and led him to an open area in the living room, then gestured to the side where people could watch the show:

"Sir, please close the doors and windows tightly so she doesn't get cold."

"Okay!" Boss Lu went off eagerly, not caring at all that his name was still unknown.

As he said, there is less and less he can teach Liu Yifei about acting. It's time for her to explore other acting styles or further refine her training methods.

Melsin was Grotowski's protégé; was there a better teacher than her?
"Come on, recite a passage from Shakespeare."

Liu Yifei takes her performance very seriously. She cleared her throat and said in a clear voice, "To live or to die? That is a question worth pondering."

"To endure the relentless ravages of a raging fate, or to rise up and defy its boundless troubles!"

The elderly woman, a theater enthusiast, gently felt with her fingers the top of her head, occipital bone, lower ribs, chest, and abdomen to check the sound production of her resonance cavities.

Almost perfect.

This was the first thing Lu Kuan did to correct her performance flaws back then.

Melsin's face grew even happier, and he then tested Liu Yifei's flexibility, facial muscle control, and so on before finally holding his hand tightly.

"Liu, you're a promising talent."

Xiao Liu beamed with joy, raising his eyebrows triumphantly at the washing machine. "Turns out I, Liu Xiaolv, am a genius!"
This damn washing machine has been lying to me for so many years!
Looking at the old lady's fanatical expression, Lu Kuan knew that his girlfriend's "Heavenly Spiritual Root" physique had taken effect.

How well does Xiao Liu know about his physical condition? How strong are his hips, waist, and legs? Is there anyone who knows better than his boyfriend?

Countless nights, those long legs were like spears, that slender waist like a knife...

Melsin had lost interest in watching the movie. She remarked, "I left Zheng in Germany because I wanted him to follow in my footsteps and explore Stanislavski's third phase."

"The third stage?" Liu Yifei asked in surprise. "I have studied Chinese and foreign academic theories of performance, and it seems that there are only the first two stages."

Stanislavski's acting theories are complex and numerous, and it is not convenient to elaborate on them here.

In short, in the various acting styles centered around Stanislavski, the first stage is called the perceptual element, which includes basic acting skills such as pantomime, the actor's sense of conviction, and emotional recall.

The second stage is called the action element, which aims to help actors construct the ultimate task and the running action. Just like Liu Yifei wrote the biography of Iris Chang, what is the ultimate task of this character in each plot, and what running action can link the emotions?

Among the world's most renowned acting styles, top method actors such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Lewis belong to the first stage of Stanislavski.

They deepened the training of the first-stage perceptual elements, strengthening relaxation, emotional memory, and emotional substitution.

Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Vivien Leigh, and other actresses are representatives of the method acting school, and they belong to Stanislavski's second phase.

What about Grotowski's acting style, which focuses on developing the actor's physical potential?
This is the third phase of Stanislavski's story that Melsin is going to talk about.

"In 1930, Stanislavski raised a question: he found that not everyone has the capacity for empathy, nor do all actors have rich life experiences."

"Neither the method school nor the experiential school can help them, so how can we help these actors who lack talent or life experience to become successful through acting training?"

Liu Yifei was stunned. The joy she felt from being praised by the sect elder was immediately dampened.

That's exactly me!

The old lady continued to explain: "So Stanislavski planned to start with standardized physical movements that are easy to teach and train, and to use external movements to drive inner emotions in order to pursue the unity of the actor's inner and outer emotional world."

"But he was already over 70 years old then, just like me now, and he didn't have the time or energy to continue exploring."

Melsin held Liu Yifei's hand: "I asked Zheng to stay in Germany. I originally wanted him to study Stanislavski's third stage with me and carry forward our school of thought, but unfortunately..."

Xiao Liu asked doubtfully, "Are there any research findings worldwide regarding the third phase?"

"No, otherwise, as you said, you wouldn't be unaware of it."

“I have traveled to Asia three times to study your Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, I have studied Noh in Japan, and I have studied yoga in India. These are all methods that can train an actor’s physical abilities, but unfortunately, I have not achieved any results so far.”

She sighed, wheeled herself back to the study, and piled a large stack of manuscripts next to the DVD player.

"These are the results of my research over the years, but Grotowski's journey was so difficult that few people could persevere."

"There are fewer and fewer stage actors now, many theaters in Berlin have closed down, but more and more cinemas are opening."

"My child, I'm old and can no longer be a teacher. Would you be willing to continue down this path and continue studying Grotowski?"

Melsin's withered fingers pressed tightly against the stack of yellowed manuscripts, his gray-blue irises like the sea before a storm, churning with the last hope before entrusting his life's work to someone.

Liu Yifei was in a dilemma, but she did not ask her boyfriend's opinion and chose to tell the truth: "I'm sorry, I actually only want to be an actress."

"The study of these acting theories is merely a means to further improve one's acting skills, Ms. Melsin..."

The old lady smiled nonchalantly, as if she had heard this answer countless times.

"It's ok."

She was like a withered branch falling in the Berlin snowstorm, making her seem as if she had been frozen in the last century.

"You should take it. Almost none of my students are in this industry anymore."

“Take it back. If you’re interested, continue your research. If you’re not interested, give it to Zheng. That will fulfill one of my wishes.”

"You are still young, and I believe that continuing to study these things will still be of great help to you as an actor."

Liu Yifei's fingertips unconsciously caressed the cuffs of her cashmere sweater, creating tiny wrinkles in the smooth knit fabric.

When she lowered her eyelids, she just happened to conceal the hesitation surging in her eyes.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she solemnly held the manuscript in both hands, looked up with a radiant smile, and brought the entire living room to life.
“Ms. Melsin, I will keep it safe. After I return to my country, I will go to the Beijing People’s Art Theatre for further studies, and I will have plenty of time to study it.”

"If I have any questions, can I call you?"

Melsin's wrinkles came to life: "Of course! Of course! You can tell me how you feel anytime."

Seemingly having settled her most pressing matter, the old lady held Xiao Liu's hand tightly, just as she had treated Feng Yuanzheng as her son back then, perhaps now treating her as her granddaughter as well.

Who wouldn't love such a bright-eyed and beautiful Chinese girl?

"Grotovsky's training is very tough and he is prone to injuries, so you must be careful."

She patted her knee: "I've had joint problems since my 50s. Arthritis has bothered me for many years, which is why my research was interrupted later."

Xiao Liu nodded, then glanced back at her boyfriend: "My home has the world's best sports recovery and physiotherapy equipment. I'm very careful, so don't worry."

The two stayed at Melsin's house for nearly four hours, until Melsin's nanny went home, at which point they reluctantly parted ways.

The old lady stood on the porch, leaning on her oak cane. The wind and snow whipped her silver-gray hair, casting dappled shadows on her aged face.

Her deep-set eyes held back tears as she stubbornly followed their receding figures.

The young couple walked side by side in the snow. The wide road and tall figure shielded Liu Yifei from most of the wind and snow. The girl occasionally jumped to reach the icicles on the branches, only to be pulled back to her side by her boyfriend with a smile.

Such a vivid and lively scene brought a slight smile to the old lady's wrinkled eyes.

It's great to be young.

Melsin suddenly frowned: Hey, what's this Chinese kid's name again?

There were few cars on the road, and Afei didn't follow. The two of them were getting soaked in the snow in a foreign land.

Looking at the desolate world before her, and recalling Melsin's reluctant farewell at the porch, Liu Yifei suddenly felt a pang of emotion:
“Lu Kuan, why are people like Melsin, who have lived most of their lives in the last century, so pure?”

"I feel that all industries are quite superficial these days."

Mr. Lu pondered for a few seconds: "In the 80s, the world was in the final stages of the Cold War, and the cultural and artistic fields would place greater emphasis on intellectual depth and social responsibility."

“Performance educators like Melsin often had an idealistic approach to their art, which was a distinctive feature of that era.”

"But after the millennium, with the expansion of neoliberal economies around the world, the cultural industry has also become increasingly capitalized, just like the question of boundaries."

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "Whether it's movies, music, or other aspects, entertainment products tend to pursue quick and easy commercial returns, leading to the rampant phenomenon of 'entertainment to the death'."

"It will be very difficult to see artists like Melsin who travel around at their own expense to research, disseminate, and teach again in the future."

What he didn't say is that this situation will only become more pronounced as the second half of the 21st century arrives.

Therefore, many people born in the 80s and 90s feel that the fine food we used to eat has all gone, and they are not very interested in the young actresses and idols who have emerged under the traffic economy and the principle of entertainment to the death.

This reflects the changing times.

In a way, Liu Yifei, who has always insisted on identifying herself as an actress, can be considered a refreshing change from the old ways.

Back at the hotel, Xiao Liu plopped down on her boyfriend's lap, her voice sharp and stern: "Honestly, have you been lying to me all along?"

"Actually, I'm a genius girl, right?"

Boss Lu laughed and said, "When it comes to Grotowski, you are indeed a genius."

"Didn't you hear what the old lady just said? This training method was created to fill the gaps in Stanislavski's first two stages."

"How do you train people who have no talent for acting, and who, like you, grew up in a wealthy family but have little experience?"

He patted a pile of documents on the table: "Just grit your teeth and practice until you have complete control over your body. Then, combining that with methods or experiential learning will make things much more effective."

"Just like writing essays and giving speeches, some people can write but not speak, while others can speak but not write."

"It's the same with acting. Zhou Xun has never studied acting. She doesn't know how to act, but she can still pull it off."

"But in the first few years after you've laid a solid foundation, it's okay to tell you how to act, but it's difficult to figure it out on your own. It's the same principle."

"Your growth path is to first hone your inner skills, then learn the moves. As long as you are willing to calm down and play more different types of in-depth roles, you will eventually succeed."

Liu Yifei hummed twice, half believing and half doubting: "Let's assume what you said makes sense."

"However, now that I have a martial arts manual in hand, it's only a matter of time before I surpass you in every way."

Lu Kuan laughed and said, "That's right, you've really become Little Dragon Girl now. Lin Chaoying has passed on all her family's secret techniques to you."

"But these are all issues that nobody cares about. The whole world is now looking to Hollywood for inspiration. Stars make so much money, who would bother to train hard and perform in plays?"

It could be said that the insights of Grotowski's direct disciples, when passed on to Liu Yifei, were like poison to him but honey to her.

Teacher Liu, who aspires to become a veteran performing artist, cherishes it as a treasure.

Perhaps in a few years, the title "Fairy Sister" will be gone, and the industry will be filled with calls for "Teacher Liu".

"Huh? What are you doing?"

The washing machine flipped through the manuscript, which was a mix of English and German, and frowned as it glanced at it: "Since it's the kung fu of your Ancient Tomb Sect, let me see if there are any techniques for dual cultivation between men and women."

"Fuck off!"

At 10 p.m., after bidding farewell to Berlin, where they had won numerous awards, the crew of "The Sky of History" was about to head to the Oscars.

A fierce battle awaits them.

(End of this chapter)