Qi Shejiang pretending to eat was enough to make those present nod in approval. A comic dialogue performer indeed did not come without merit.
Although he was not from a performing arts school, his portrayal of eating was practically lifelike, exceeding many serious film actors. Good comic dialogue performers must possess excellent acting skills; with so many routines, regardless of which one they perform, on stage, they must embody the character. The greatest taboo is to let the audience feel that you are acting, that it is fake.
Just like when performing “Peeling Off the Overcoat” and “The Wrong Body Rebirth,” it needs to be particularly natural and lifelike in performance, which can win the audience’s trust, drawing people into the story without looking awkward on stage.
Meanwhile, the casting director scratched his head, feeling puzzled. As a casting director, he was well acquainted with the script and instantly recognized what Qi Shejiang was performing.
Before the first line, there was a short action description: Xiao Yinyue eats a plate of celery. During the reading, actors wouldn’t pay attention to these few words, as there were no lines to recite. If performed, their actions would be completely different from Qi Shejiang’s—don’t get me wrong; it was also a mime performance, and some could perform it much better than Qi Shejiang.
However, no one furrowed their brows like Qi Shejiang did.
In normal logic, this sentence conveys the message that Xiao Yinyue eats celery; if he didn’t like it, why eat celery?
The casting director looked at Tang Shuangqin and found it was just an action; Tang Shuangqin and Luo Xia beside him both widened their eyes as if witnessing something incredible.
“Director Tang, what’s wrong?” The casting director thought, a good mime performance shouldn’t be that shocking, but was Tang shocked by how strange it was for him to frown and “eat”?
Tang Shuangqin didn’t even look at him and simply held up a finger, signaling him to be quiet.
Casting director: “??”
Tang Shuangqin and Luo Xia exchanged glances, both seeing each other’s surprise, especially Luo Xia.
There had been actors who mentioned the role of Xiao Yinyue, referring to details in the audition script, like eating celery. Boiling celery with vinegar is one of the ways experienced artists maintain their voices.
But they didn’t know that Luo Xia had told Tang Shuangqin something unknown to outsiders: while her grandfather did eat celery, he himself actually disliked it, even hated it, always frowning when finishing a small plate.
He insisted on doing it just because his father made him eat it since childhood; he got used to it but still didn’t love it, thus creating this contradiction.
Tang Shuangqin hadn’t included this detail in the script, intending to train it all at once later.
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Yet today, just now, Qi Shejiang actually exhibited this small action and performed it with a sense that details determine success or failure. Just one action, even though he looked nothing like her grandfather and was much younger, it instantly made Luo Xia think of her grandfather.
Was this a coincidence, or did Qi Shejiang somehow find out? Wait, wasn’t he familiar with Meng Jingyuan? Did someone from the Meng family tell him? Xiao Yinyue was acquainted with the Meng family.
Qi Shejiang did not know what they were thinking. He had been friends with Xiao Yinyue for several years and often spent time together.
Xiao Yinyue continued his performance, which seemed to be a scene where Xiao Yinyue would intervene and sing a few lines. Qi Shejiang had also learned Bianxi. This drama, passed down from the Northern Song Dynasty, had hardly changed over the years, maintaining a traditional singing style that was not overly fancy, which had its unique charm.
Although it was named after Bian, mainly because it was promoted in Bianjing, the intonation followed the ancestral sounds of Zedi. Qi Shejiang had already gotten into character, taking careful steps as he walked, his footsteps seemingly silent. He stood on tiptoe, peeking out, and recited four lines of rhythmic prose: “The frost bell is yet to ring, willows float like silk; The grain flowers strike beside the spring water. Old tunes are turned into new palace melodies, Composing the separations and reunions, joys, and sorrows.” Tang Shuangqin had watched many videos and talked to advisors like Luo Xia for a long time. How could he not see how well Qi Shejiang was imitating? Sitting cross-legged, he radiated the aura of a performer from a century ago. He then looked at Xiao Yinyue’s granddaughter; Ms. Luo Xia’s breathing quickened, clearly excited.
The most wonderful part was that he captured the characteristics and essence of his grandfather’s demeanor, speech, and singing style. Luo Xia’s perspective shifted dramatically, from being skeptical of Qi Shejiang to feeling genuine affection, smiling unconsciously. With this improvised performance, Qi Shejiang must either possess talent and diligence or have long been fond of and researched Xiao Yinyue. While Luo Xia continued to listen, she started tapping a rhythm on her leg, and as she tapped, she realized that Qi Shejiang’s timing was incredibly precise! It sounded as if he sang casually, without accompaniment, yet every note landed perfectly on the beat.
In this context, using a recorded Bianxi accompaniment, it would fit seamlessly with Qi Shejiang’s performance just now!
After singing this part, Qi Shejiang recited a few lines of dialogue. The final action in the script was supposed to be drinking tea. Just in time, there was a cup of water on the table. He casually picked it up as a prop, took a sip, and added naturally, “Why is the water cold?” This single remark made Tang Shuangqin slam the table, “Excellent!” The gesture of Qi Shejiang drinking water, his meticulous lines, conveyed the spirited essence of Xiao Yinyue on stage while appearing even more youthful. This naturally flowing line seemed like he truly was a star on stage; otherwise, how would he care about such details? —He had just warmed up his voice; how could he drink cold water? Tang Shuangqin felt that his own PTSD from Xia Yiwei was being cured by Qi Shejiang. He exchanged a glance with Luo Xia; this outcome was far beyond their expectations. Qi Shejiang not only lacked the awkwardness typical of a new actor—this was likely due to the necessity of imitating in crosstalk—but even more remarkable was his inexplicable old-time aura combined with accurate imitation of Xiao Yinyue’s tones and meticulous attention to detail, exceeding anyone on their shortlist! . . “How was it, Jesse?” Once they got into the car, Li Jing asked.
