






2012年是北京人民藝術劇院建院60周年。人藝一甲子,上演優秀劇目300多部,培養了許多受觀眾歡迎和愛戴的優秀藝術家,在中國話劇史上留下了輝煌印記。
北京人藝秉承“戲比天大”的藝術宗旨,歷經幾代戲劇人的藝術實踐,形成了鮮明藝術風格,成為一座兼具藝術性、理論性和人民性的國家級藝術殿堂。
7月18日至8月5日,北京人民藝術劇院攜《知己》《原野》《窩頭會館》《我愛桃花》《關系》5臺新戲到滬演出。北京衛視也在播放一部10集紀錄片《人民的藝術》,用300分鐘演繹人藝60年風雨歷程。
在紀念北京人藝建院60周年的《北京人藝》集子中,第一篇就是藍天野的《藝術家心中的“人民”就是觀眾》,他在文中寫道:“北京人藝從不保守,人藝風格就是勇于創新的碩果,這種精神今天仍在不斷發展。”
趕上文化大發展的好時代
2012年早春,京郊通天苑小區藍天野府宅顯得春意盎然。碧玉般晶瑩淡雅的蝴蝶蘭正在吐蕊,散發著幽香。記者如約登門拜訪,藍老在會客室熱情相迎。他說,最近家里比較熱鬧,春節前,李長春同志在劉云山和北京市領導的陪同下來過這里,代表黨中央和胡錦濤總書記向老藝術家致以節日問候。
天野老人年屆85歲高齡,投身話劇事業已經半個多世紀,20年前已經告別舞臺,從人藝離休。在客廳的墻上,人們還可以看到他和夫人狄辛1980年同臺演出話劇《王昭君》的劇照。為紀念黨的90華誕,北京人藝聚集了老中青幾代實力派演員,同臺通力演出該院的保留節目《家》,年逾耄耋之齡的老演員藍天野和朱旭也熱情參演。藍老為了挑戰自我,一改從不演反派角色的成規,居然主動請纓要演戲中馮樂山這個老朽腐儒的角色。人藝領導為此還專門讓副院長濮存昕寫了一封表揚信貼在院門給大家鼓勁。藍老說:“我們特別激動,趕上文化大發展、大繁榮的時代,給了我這個機會,讓我參與進去,能為黨的文藝事業多做一點事。”他說,李長春同志勉勵北京人藝既要出一批精品力作,也要出一批人才,還要在改革開放的形勢下,不斷解放和發展藝術生產力,出精品、出經驗,在全國率先垂范,推而廣之。這下他就閑不住了,在有生之年既要當好老戲骨,搞好傳幫帶,又要當好顧問和參謀,不辜負領導的期望。令他感到欣喜的是近年來,人藝的演員隊伍在茁壯成長,像濮存昕、馮遠征、何冰、梁冠華、宋丹丹、徐帆、陳小藝、劉蓓、王姬、朱媛媛等大批年輕演員脫穎而出,并挑起大梁。
為促進文化交流,藍天野曾隨人藝同行帶著《茶館》等經典劇目到歐洲訪問演出,受到東道國的熱烈歡迎。他說,盡管話劇是泊來品,在我國的誕生和發展,遠遠落伍于歐洲,但由于中國劇目如《茶館》具有戲曲的根基,劇情的編排經過千錘百煉,有血有肉,演員富有生活體驗,表演力強,在國外的演出達到震撼的效果。因此,不能妄自菲薄。然而,由于時代的變遷,影視的沖擊,戲劇已經成為小眾藝術,這對業界是極大的挑戰。
藍天野原名王潤森,又名王皇,祖籍河北省衡水市饒陽縣大官亭鄉。這位德高望重的話劇表演藝術家,一直在北京人民藝術劇院擔綱專職導演兼演員,打從1944年開始從事話劇事業以來,先后塑造了《北京人》中的曾文清,《茶館》中的秦仲義,《蔡文姬》中的董祀,《王昭君》中的呼韓邪單于等眾多鮮明的人物形象。《封神榜》中飾演仙風道骨的姜子牙,《渴望》中王滬生那溫文爾雅的老父親形象更是家喻戶曉、深入人心,尤其是《封神榜》中的姜子牙一角堪稱經典,迄今無人企及。另外,他還演過《記憶的證明》中的老年蕭漢生,《便衣警察》中的萌萌爸爸,《末代皇帝》中的攝政王,《楊貴妃后傳》中的唐玄宗,還在《欽差大臣》《羅密歐與朱麗葉》《小市民》等外國名劇中擔任過主要角色。他還曾導演過《針鋒相對》《貴婦還鄉》《吳王金戈越王劍》和《孤獨春曉》等。他的演技或所設計的舞臺藝術形象往往“令人拍案叫絕”。他瀟灑自如的舉止和風流倜儻的形象總讓他在舞臺上展示獨特的藝術魅力,使無數觀眾為之傾倒。連不少年輕演員也都交口稱贊他是“真正有藝術品質和追求高級趣味的藝術家”。藍天野就是在人藝這座“煉丹爐”中千錘百煉造就的一專多能的老戲骨。
丹青幸得名師真傳
藍天野曾入國立北平藝專油畫系,并師從李苦禪和許麟廬兩位大師潛心學畫,頗得真傳。20世紀90年代后期,他全身心投入中國畫的創作。由于他堅持“勤于筆墨、獨辟蹊徑”,作品飽含鮮明的藝術個性和深厚的文化內涵,被海內外人士爭相收藏,先后在中國美術館舉辦三次個人畫展,均獲得成功。1996年8月還在日本福岡市舉辦過三人畫展。
藍天野對繪畫情有獨鐘,談起早年學畫的往事他就會津津樂道:“上世紀60年代初,我去上海時認識了許多畫家,并陪他們一起去看望了林風眠、潘天壽等老先生。由于當時腦子里整天想的就是畫,也經常接觸畫,有幸結識了李苦禪和許麟廬兩位老先生。他們的戲劇造詣也頗深。”從此,他以頑強的藝術創造力和對夢想的執著追求,堅持每周最少3次,每次最少一個上午,風雨無阻地向兩位大師學習繪畫,接受他們的悉心指導和幫助。他踏踏實實地從用筆、用墨等基礎技法入門,廢寢忘食地刻苦努力,繪畫技法長進很快,終于獲得了李苦禪和許麟廬的贊許。1986年藍天野舉辦個人畫展,許麟廬特意為他題了“勤于筆墨,獨辟蹊徑”八個大字,這無疑是對藍天野書畫水平的高度肯定。“許麟廬老先生果然了解我啊!他的鼓勵讓我受益良多。學藝首先是要‘勤’,只有勤學苦練,才能攀登高峰。‘獨辟蹊徑’,就是要開辟自己的路,創造出自己的風格。”正如齊白石大師的教誨:“學我者生,似我者死。”行家們贊揚藍天野的山水畫作潑墨淋漓,揮灑自如,更簡約古樸,蘊涵著淡薄世俗的心境;他的寫意花鳥以畫鷹見長,有著獨特的審美視角和藝術追求,流露出靈動的神韻和真摯的天趣;他筆下的人物主要以觀音、達摩、山鬼、姜太公、屈子等古代神話人物為主,立意新穎,造型傳神。
童年夢想在暮年得以實現,那是人生最大幸福。
藍老在為我國話劇表演藝術事業作出重大貢獻的同時,居然在繪畫藝術上也達到驚人的成就,這不能不說是他在藝術人生中所創造的一個奇跡。當人們在中國美術館的展覽大廳里盡情欣賞那琳瑯滿目的“藍天野畫展”時,不能不為這位老人的執著追求和驚人付出感到欽佩。“說來也真是陰錯陽差啊!”藍老說,“我童年的真正夢想其實是繪畫,而演戲卻是偶然的。我從小就喜歡畫畫,對各種能入畫的東西都感興趣。那時家住白塔寺附近,每逢逛廟會,總會把各種各樣的民間工藝品一一畫下來;我還常去戲園子,那里的臉譜、戲裝、兵器都是我學畫的對象;我還畫過小人書、插圖、連環畫等。”1944年,藍天野終于如愿以償,考入了國立北平藝術專科學校(今中央美術學院前身)油畫系,希望在那里實現他的藝術理想。那時的他對繪畫已經達到入迷的程度,水彩畫、鉛筆畫、版畫、漫畫,各種形式他都練習過。“那時我感到逍遙自在,不經意間成了班里黑板報美術版面的設計者,還經常在課堂上偷偷畫老師,甚至敢于在全校的板報上開辟‘每期一師’的漫畫專欄。”1946年,徐悲鴻接管了這所學校并出任校長,也就在這一年,19歲的他竟然做出一個令常人難以置信的決定:重考。“重頭學習,可以把基礎打得更牢固、更扎實,這不是很好嗎?”可見他是性情中人,而且說到做到,在重學的時間里,還特別用功。待在畫室里一畫就是一天。談到這里,藍老說:“那時我們慣用炭筆作畫,要修改就用饅頭擦掉。不知不覺到了中午饑腸轆轆時,才發現饅頭已被用得差不多了。”
在長達半個多世紀的舞臺藝術生涯里,藍老主演了70余部話劇,特別是《茶館》這部中國現實主義話劇的扛鼎之作,從1958年首演至今,贏得了戲劇界和廣大觀眾的肯定和贊譽,藍老所飾演的秦仲義也成為了人們心目中永恒的經典藝術形象。但在頭頂無數光環的背后,藍老卻抱有莫大遺憾:“在這大半個世紀中,我因為演戲而荒廢了繪畫,這是我的最大遺憾。”不過,藍老的繪畫藝術對他的演藝事業不無裨益。長期的繪畫創作,不但培養了他的藝術情操,而且也有助于提高他對于造型、動作、氛圍的感覺。凡有演出他總是堅持自己化妝。久而久之化妝師對他有了“意見”。他耐心地解釋:“舞臺上的人物是由演員創造的,憑演員對角色的理解才能化妝出得體的形象。”藍老認為,演戲也是一門造型藝術,需要運用美學上的感受來完善舞美形象。這就不難理解為什么老一輩藝術家,如梅蘭芳等無不通過書法、繪畫等業余愛好來提高自己的藝術修養。
藍老愛畫如命,但他又把它看成是身外之物。前不久,他已表示要將自己的作品捐贈給社會的慈善事業。這種精神境界正反映了老藝術家的高尚情操。
“奇石石中奇;天野野外天。”這是藍老吟就的一副自撰聯。從中可以窺見他“天人合一”的人生哲理和大化境界。
Prominent Artist in Two Fields
By Sun Guowei
Lan Tianye, an 85-year-old prominent drama actor with a performing career of more than 50 years, is widely known for his unforgettable characterizations of various figures on the stage. He says that he became a dramatist quite by accident.
Born as Wang Runsen in 1927 in Hebei Province, the boy dreamed of becoming a painter in his adulthood years. As a boy, he was fascinated with the handicrafts he saw on the temple affair at the White Pagoda, a Buddhist sanctuary in present-day Beijing. He drew pictures of what he saw at these temple affairs. He also drew faces, costumes and weapons seen at the theater. He copied illustrations and comic books. In 1944, he enrolled to be an oil painting major at Beiping National Art School, the predecessor of the present-day China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Two years after he had studied arts at the school, he decided to start anew. The reason was simple enough: Xu Beihong took over the administration of the school in 1946 and the budding artist wanted to learn more. He became more dedicated. At that time, he lived in the west of the city. He would walk more than five kilometers to get to the school in the west and spent the whole day painting. At that time, he used a charcoal pencil to paint and used the steamed buns of his lunch as the eraser to make corrections in his paintings. More often than not, he found he had almost used up his buns before lunchtime.
However, before he had a chance to be a mature painter, he became a theater actor. His fruitful career resume includes more than 70 plays in which he performed important roles. His best-known character is Qin Zhongyi in “Teahouse” by Lao She. The play was first staged in 1958 and has been in the repertoire of Beijing People’s Art Theater since then.
While pursuing his glory in theater, the thespian found his art dream was somewhat rekindled mysteriously. In the early 1960s, he visited Shanghai frequently and made acquaintances with many masters based in the metropolis. Gradually he found himself obsessed with his dream. Fortunately, he was able to meet Li Kuchan and Xu Linlu, two prominent masters of traditional Chinese painting. The masters were willing to guide him. So for a long while, Lan Tianye took private lessons three mornings per week from the two masters. He made progress fast. In 1986, Lan Tianye held a solo exhibition for his paintings. Lan has had three solo exhibitions at China Art Museum. In August 1996, he and two other artists held an exhibition at Fukuoka, Japan.
Lan Tianye has not established himself as a painter, though his paintings are critically acclaimed and many are in private collections. He is mostly acclaimed as a thespian. Theater critics and historians can easily enumerate the great characters he has interpreted onstage. In his prime years, his performances wowed his young colleagues. Even the government remembers him fondly. Before the Spring Festival 2012, high-ranking government leaders visited him at home, bringing regards to him on behalf of the central committee of the Communist Party of China and secretary-in-chief Hu Jintao.
In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2011, Beijing People’s Art Theater restaged “The Family”, an adaptation from a namesake novel by Ba Jin in 1933. Lan Tianye, then 84, came back to act as a villain in the play, the first in his career. He had never acted as a villain onstage until then.