Tong Chao

Tong Chao

Tong Chao (1925-2005.3.24), born in Tianjin, is a famous Chinese theatrical artist, member of China Dramatists Association, director of Beijing Federation of literary and art circles, and former deputy director of Beijing People's Art Committee.

Born in Tianjin in 1925. He entered Beijing People's Art Theater in 1952. In 38 years of artistic life, he has played roles of different personalities and ages in more than 60 plays. Among them, eunuch Pang in teahouse, second strong son in Camel Xiangzi, Liu Zhensheng in the death of a famous actor, Wang Fusheng in sunrise, Yang Zirong in outwitting tiger mountain, Zuo Xianwang in CAI Wenji, etc. have left a deep impression on the audience with their simple, deep and vivid performance style.

Personage introduction

Personal life

Tong Chao (1925-2005.3.24), a famous Chinese drama artist, was born in a big house in Tianjin in 1925.

Under the influence of his grandfather, Tong Chao showed an unusual obsession with opera when he was young. Whenever he had time, he would stay in the opera garden. All the famous artists in Peking Opera and quyi circles were very rare. When he was 9 years old, he could sing Beijing Opera "Famen Temple" and "beating drums to scold Cao" perfectly. The edification of his childhood laid a solid foundation for his future artistic career.

In 1943, Tong Chao was admitted to the Department of civil engineering of Beiyang University (today's Tianjin University), and his artistic talent was fully displayed on the campus. After graduating in 1947, under the introduction of LAN Tianye, Tong Chao joined the motherland troupe led by the underground party, and became an official actor. Tong Chao's stage name was from then on. Later, his colleagues called him Lao Chao affectionately After the founding of the people's Republic of China, he worked in the drama troupe of the Central Academy of drama.

In 1952, Tong Chao joined the newly established Beijing People's Art Theater and began his new artistic career. On the stage of Beijing People's art, Tong Chao created eunuch Pang in teahouse, the second strong son in Camel Xiangzi, Liu Zhensheng in the death of famous actor, Wang Fusheng in sunrise, Yang Zirong in outwit tiger mountain, Zuo Xianwang in CAI Wenji and Dan Wu Wang Fu Chai in Jian Pian and Luo Bin Wang in Wu Zetian have bright personality and brilliant artistic images. His simple, deep, realistic and delicate performance style has left a deep impression on the audience. Some people even say: "there is Zhao Dan in the film, and there is Tong Chao in the drama."

Tong Chao's greatest wish in his life is:

Even if I die, I will die on the stage

！

He joined the Communist Party of China in 1956 and is a member of the Chinese Dramatists Association. He once served as the director of the Beijing Federation of literary and art circles and deputy director of the Beijing People's Art Committee. In 1992, Beijing People's art launched the series of artists of Beijing People's Art Theater, the first volume of which is Tong Chao.

Drama life

In his nearly 50 years of acting career, Tong Chao has played more than 50 dramas and created more than 50 distinctive but different roles, such as Zuo Xianwang in CAI Wenji and Pang Eunuch in teahouse. (the information of the period of the Republic of China is incomplete and needs to be supplemented.)

In 1925, Tong Chao was born in a big family in Tianjin. His real name is Zhu Tongchao, and Tong Chao is his stage name. Influenced by his grandfather, he showed an unusual obsession with traditional Chinese opera when he was young. Of course, in addition to obsession, Tong Chao also has an extraordinary talent. In the face of this talent, his grandfather often takes him to the theater out of cultivation. At the age of 9, Tong Chao was able to sing a large part of "beating the drum to scold Cao" and "Famen Temple", for which his grandfather was very proud.

After the May 4th movement, new dramas emerged, and Tong Chao began to come into contact with this new art. However, after his baptism in China's operas, he has absorbed the essence of the oriental traditional drama, so it can be said that he has his own personality and unique style. As for the origin of Tong Chao's stage name, one source mentioned that his motherland troupe was an art group led by the underground party. This stage name came from that time and has been used to this day.

In 1952, Tong Chao joined the newly established Beijing People's Art Theater. In 1957, when the Chinese drama movement was 50 years old, Tong Chao made a sensation in the whole world with his performance in the death of a famous actor. Liu Zhensheng, who was created by Tong Chao, also became an eternal classic. Chen Ping (famous director) recalled in the article: "I watched" the death of celebrities "six times, all for Tong Chao." According to the old archives of Beijing People's art show, after the public performance of the play, the screenwriter Tian Han excitedly ran to the stage to shake hands with Tong Chao, and then wrote a seven temperament poem to give to Tong Chao

Once wrote for the pear garden injustice, orchestral complex, ghost people fight. Gao Che suddenly reported that Yang Da was coming, and the wine was so sweet that he could cry. The enemy and the enemy are equally beautiful and ugly. It's hard to distinguish death from life. Only fate

The crowing of chickens

Bitter, the East is brilliant

.

In 1958, Tong Chao played Xu Guoqing in red heart of fire and Yang Zirong in outwit tiger mountain, and was elected as the representative of the national group of heroes Association (he was the only representative in the drama industry). Thus, Tong Chao reached the peak in art.

From 1957 to 1966, it was the golden age of Tong Chao's performing arts, and his performance reached the peak. In this decade, he has participated in more than 20 plays. It has created 21 stage images, such as Liu Zhensheng in the death of a famous actor, Pang Eunuch in teahouse, Zuo Xianwang in CAI Wenji, Yang Zirong in outwit tiger mountain, er Qiangzi in Camel Xiangzi, Luo Binwang in Wu Zetian and Wang Fusheng in sunrise. The contrast and vividness of his characters are astonishing. Indeed, it's hard for you to imagine who can play eunuch Pang after playing Zuo Xianwang, and then play a second strong son. Moreover, they are very vivid! But Tong Chao can!

There can be a great contrast between the roles, but at the same time, there will never be any common trace between the two roles, which can be described as superb. That is to say, when he is playing a role, you can never see what he has played. At most, you think that this person can only play this role. Zhao Dan's performance also has such characteristics. Of course, there is a theory that this generation of actors has absorbed the essence of China's traditional theatrical performance, but actually, it may be due to talent. In any case, before the cultural revolution, Tong Chao was always the pillar of Beijing People's art.

In 1966, when the Cultural Revolution began, the Beijing People's art collapsed, and Tong Chao's acting career was forced to stop. After ten years of Cultural Revolution, his artistic life has been at a standstill for ten years.

After the cultural revolution, Tong Chao devoted himself to the performance, but in 1979, Tong Chao suffered an unexpected stroke. Although he soon recovered and participated in the rehearsal of Camel Xiangzi, death of famous actor and teahouse, he failed to appear on the stage because of his health. He just went abroad for several performances with the troupe of teahouse, but he finally said goodbye to the stage. As a result, his wish of "dying on the stage" could not be realized, which was the biggest regret of his life.

After that, he took part in the shooting of "garland under the mountain", "Zheng Banqiao", "the last emperor" and other films and TV dramas intermittently; until 1987, Tong Chao had a fourth attack of cerebral thrombosis, which aggravated the phenomenon of hemiplegia, and even made his speech indistinct due to the compression of the language nerve by the embolism site. "As a drama actor, he can't speak." "This is my father's second regret," said Zhu Panpan, Tong Chao's daughter

Since then, Tong Chao bid farewell to the stage completely and gradually faded out of people's vision. However, the audience, his friends and the young people who have only seen him or heard his love of drama from sporadic materials and legends are all nostalgic for this art giant in their own way. Of course, among those who miss him is his beloved art.

In 1992, Beijing People's Art Troupe launched the series of artists of Beijing People's Art Theatre, the first of which is Tong Chao.

In the early morning of March 24, 2005, the performer who had vowed to "die on the stage" finally died at home. His family kept the utmost silence, so that Zheng Rong and other old friends who have worked with him for nearly 30 years are not known; this is Tong Chao's last wish: no memorial service or farewell ceremony. Tong Chao thinks: "don't disturb my old friends. They are old and can't bear to be sad."

Mr. Zheng Rong, who plays fourth master Chang in teahouse, sighs after hearing the news, "Tongchao's regret is also our regret."

Character evaluation

(to be added)

There is a saying in the performing arts circle that "no madness, no survival". Tong Chao is such an actor He didn't die when he saw the play. ——Hu Jianqing (Lao She's wife)

"Death of a famous actor" has caused a sensation in the world. No matter what experts, laymen, domestic or foreign, people who have seen it say that it is good that Liu Zhensheng he plays is a classic! ——Zheng Rong

Tong Chao is a very outstanding actor. He has a good temperament and a good voice. The most outstanding thing is that he is always full of passion when performing. ——Cattle ring

Representative works

Drama works

(to be added)

Teahouse (as eunuch Pang)

Death of a famous actor (as Liu Zhensheng)

Cai Wenji (as Zuo Xianwang)

Sunrise (as Wang Fusheng)

Take the mighty Tiger Mountain wisely (as Yang Zirong)

Wu Zetian (as Luo Binwang)

Chinese PinYin : Tong Chao