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March 25, 2016

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In musicals and dramas, chameleon actor shines

EDITOR’S Note:

Laughs, tears and a lot of sweat — after a long slump, drama is blooming on China’s mainland. Theater is now an integral part of the city’s cosmopolitan lifestyle, and production budgets increase along with audience numbers. Numerous outstanding talents are emerging as they try to pursue their dream of being on stage. In this column, we interview those devoted to producing original theater in China — from directors, playwrights and actors to those pulling the strings behind the curtain.

WHEN Zong Juntao became a resident actor at Stan Lai Sheng-chuan’s Theater Above in Shanghai, he rose to the ranks of theater stardom. The young musical and drama actor has impressed with outstanding performances at the theater’s opening shows — “Sand on a Distant Star” and “A Servant of Two Masters.”

Last year, Zong received the “Best Actor” award in Modern Drama Valley.

When I watched “A Servant of Two Masters” ahead of an interview I had scheduled with Zong, I found his performance flawless. As Truffaldino, he managed to make his audience laugh each time he entered the stage.

Nobody would have known that Zong was possibly the most nervous he has ever been, albeit not due to unexpected stage fright. His wife had been taken to the hospital as she was about to give birth to their son.

In true “the show must go on” mentality, he went on stage to enthrall the audience, and rushed to the hospital afterward.

Only our interview was rescheduled.

“This was really a once-in-a-life time experience — I was extremely calm and concentrated on the stage,” Zong said, two weeks after the birth of his son.

“I will tell my son (this story) when he grows up,” he added.

Adapted and directed by Lai, “A Servant of Two Masters” is an adaptation of the classical Italian comedy “Commedia dell’Arte,” originally written by Carlo Goldoni. The story evolves around Beatrice’s servant Truffaldino, who always complains of an empty stomach and tries to satisfy his hunger by eating everything in sight. When the opportunity presents itself to be the servant to another master, a series of hilarious plot twists ensues, until the story reaches its exciting finale.

“A Servant of Two Masters” is one of Lai’s classics, and has starred actors like Jin Shi-Jye and Lee Li-Chun.

“My version was under the pressure of those classic versions performed by those talented actors, but I still give myself a good mark, especially the show on January 31 afternoon (the birthday of his baby),” Zong said.

A graduate from the Shanghai Music Conservatory, Zong has spent eight years on stage in plays and musicals. He believes he was born with a sense of humor and natural talent to be a comedian.

When asked what makes a good comedian, he said that comedians — like any actors — needed to be sensitive about life in all its details. “Performance comes from life,” he said.

“Making others laugh is not easy at all. You have to make yourself laugh, really laugh from the heart at first. That’s when you get the chance to amuse your audience,” the actor said in a serious voice.

If there’s one thing Zong can’t stand, it’s silence in social settings. He was forced to be a good icebreaker, he said, perhaps part of what made him an outstanding performer. At home, however, Zong enjoys being quiet.

“I don’t know which one is the real me. Maybe both of them are part of my true self,” he said.

His mother, a traditional opera performer, frequently took Zong to performances. From his childhood days on, he was in love with the stage, and dreamed of becoming an actor himself.

“I remember when I was a little boy I could perform all the programs, including Chinese opera, cross talks, singing and dancing,” Zong says.

A talented actor, singer and dancer, he stars in musicals and dramas. He’s also known for seamlessly switching from one role to another, a talent he proved in the comedy musical “Finding Destiny” adapted from a Korean musical, in which he played 19 roles.

The drama was staged more than 200 times in Shanghai.

“I call this ‘multi-man’ — you need to catch and present every role with his or her key characteristics in a couple of minutes,” he said.

The live performance with partners on stage and direct communication with the audience are what Zong appreciates most about his work.

“This charm cannot be found from shooting a TV series or a movie,” he said.

Recently, he signed a contract with a performing management company, which aims at providing some opportunities to shoot for movie productions.

Working on the stage, he said, doesn’t pay very well, and he now has a family to take care of.

“It’s just to earn more money to support the family, as a drama actor is not a high-paid job.”

But the stage, he says, is his true and only love.

This month, “A Servant of Two Masters” and “Sand on a Distant Star” will start touring around China.




 

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