The journey into the charms of drama

In the gymnastics room of a swimming pool, students are lined up, focusing intently on their empty hands. Their expressions shift from furrowed brows to smiles as they delve into the world of drama. Suddenly, one student raises their head, feeling their way around in search of something, while another carefully adjusts the position of their hands in front of them.

"I hope to open a door to the world of drama for students, allowing them to see what drama is all about. It is not as unapproachable as they might imagine, but rather very accessible and understandable," said JIA Yaopeng, who has created this unique drama course with the aim of introducing students to drama and encouraging them to develop a love for it.

"What I remember most are the interactive games incorporated into the lectures," said SHEN Hanyang, a 2022 undergraduate from Chu Kochen College, who was one of the first students in this course. "One class involved a game of 'finding the ghost.' Students formed a circle, with one person playing the ghost and everyone else trying to imitate their movements. There was also an observer whose task was to identify the ghost. This lighthearted warm-up game helped us engage more deeply with the course material." JIA Yaopeng explained that he hoped these games would help students develop their skills in imitation and observation, as actors not only need to focus on their own movements but also learn to observe others.

In addition to these interactive experiences, the course also includes insightful drama appreciation sessions. JIA Yaopeng uses plain language to explain complex drama concepts, revealing the secrets behind the stage. From "Home" to "Romeo and Juliet" to "West Side Story", students are immersed in innovative performances by artists inspired by masters such as CAO Yu, one of the most important playwrights of the 20th century, and Shakespeare. This experience enhances their ability to feel, understand, and empathize with drama art.

"In drama, the actor's performance is the soul of the entire show, " said JIA Yaopeng, who uses "non-physical acting" techniques to train students in performance skills. During these exercises, there are many prescribed situations: suddenly losing power while studying, attending an important event in a formal dress, or meeting a lost friend on the street. JIA Yaopeng guides students to re-examine these seemingly ordinary situations and immerse themselves in the experience of acting, exercising their focus, belief, and imagination.

"I hope that through constant practice, students will learn to 'see' things they have habitually overlooked and be more attentive to meaningful details in their daily lives," said JIA Yaopeng.

In addition to non-physical acting exercises, the most attractive part of the "Opening the Art Door - Drama" course is the opportunity for students to create their own campus drama. JIA Yaopeng selects short stories by Chekhov and asks students to adapt them into scripts, assign roles, and complete rehearsals.

Chu Kochen College 2022 undergraduate QIU Wenxi took on the role of scriptwriter for "Rothschild's Violin ". "This is my first time fully immersing myself in the pure world of drama and trying to integrate my own thoughts based on understanding the theme of the novel," said QIU Wenxi. Creating a script requires strong overall control, including transitions between scenes, background music, and actor costumes, which all need to be considered.

CHEN Huijie, a 2022 undergraduate from Dqing Studio, was the group leader for In the Cart. Making drama is a team effort. "We coordinated our weekends to create plots, hone scripts, and organize rehearsals. It's rewarding to see your ideas reflected on stage, condensed into lines and expressions," said CHEN Huijie.

Under JIA Yaopeng's guidance, students have immersive experiences of writing, directing, and acting in their original campus dramas. In this process, they complete themselves and realize the goal of educating through beauty and transforming through drama.

"The charm of drama never fades," said JIA Yaopeng. "I hope more students can feel the beauty of drama through this course, absorb artistic nourishment, and better understand themselves and the world around them to discover a better version of it. " JIA Yaopeng also mentioned that in the next semester, a public art space specifically for undergraduate courses will be officially opened. This will not only allow students to better appreciate the beauty of drama but also meet the needs of other art courses, promoting the development of aesthetic education in schools.

Adapted and translated from the article written by WANG Jiazheng, CHEN Yongnan

Translator: LU Yangtianci ('2027, journalism)

Photo: the interviewees

Editor: TIAN Minjie