The Founding Father of the United States sat in the first row,

Also in the column were Eliot, Theodore, Wardhouse, and the Deans.

"Whew~"

Wardhouse let out a sigh,

"Even though I know the plot, I don't feel the same when I watch it on the spot."

The rest nodded.

Elliot muttered, "Professor Lu's creation has a lot of foreshadowing. For example, in the first scene, Jimmy steals the guest's hat, which reminds me of a plot in the middle of the plot where Jimmy steals a stone, and the two actually echo. Can portray characters, implying that Jimmy has the guts and brainpower to make a game. ”

Suddenly,

"I see."

Elliot couldn't help laughing and said: "Actually, a good play is like this, all kinds of foreshadowing are indispensable, but it is not abrupt and moisturizing." For example, "A Doll's House" ......"

What follows is a long list of sharing.

Everyone: "......"

Move your gaze to the stage.

After a while, Theodore was curious: "Professor Lu, why did you let Jimmy's father-in-law discriminate against white people...... Hiss...... Discrimination against white people...... How strange is this to say...... Well, that's weird. ”

It's like 10,000 ants crawling on it,

It's ridiculous.

Lu Shi chuckled: "It's very simple, I write like this to relieve the moral pressure of the protagonist." At the same time, the reason for the conflict between the two sides can be given, that is, the white people have robbed the Chinese of their jobs. ”

Isn't this the trigger for the Chinese Exclusion Act?

In the drama, of course, it's completely reversed.

The plot progresses,

The other protagonist, Sam, a white Anglo-Saxon painter played by theater actor Grie Kevin, officially appeared.

He needed a coachman and bodyguard to tour the United States.

For the sake of money, Jimmy made it clear that he wanted to do a good job and start this tour westward.

This concludes the first act.

The curtain slowly closes.

Lu Shi turned around and saw that the back of the auditorium was still black.

This "Drama" is more popular than expected.

Elliot said: "A couple of people left. However, Professor Lu, don't worry, I wrote down their names in a small notebook. It's just that there are two students whose names I can't remember, so I can't help it. ”

Lu Shi was speechless,

I didn't expect this brother to be really a grudge, very American.

"That's pretty good," he said. ”

Elliot nodded,

"I think so, too. Those who can see the first act will not leave the back. In terms of numbers, "Upside Down" is undoubtedly a success. ”

It's just not clear what the students have to say after watching it.

Lu Shi stretched,

"I'll go backstage."

Elliot took out his pocket watch, looked at it, and said, "It's only fifteen minutes." ”

Lu Shi said: "Don't worry. ”

He got up and walked backstage.

At this time, the backstage is in a hurry, the set, makeup, and costume changes, everyone is busy with their own business.

After a while, someone noticed Lu Shi,

Li Dai walked quickly,

"Mr. Lu! Am I acting well? ”

"Forehead ......"

Lu Shi was a little hesitant, and even forgot what role the other party played for a while.

After a while, he remembered that the girl played a female singer in the nightclub in the first act, singing an excerpt from "The Drunken Concubine", and said, "Very good! You've done a great job! ”

Staring –

Li Dai looked at Lu Shi,

The girl's sixth sense told her that what Lu Shi said was not true.

After a moment, she scoffed,

"Forget it, forget it~"

After speaking, she looked at Lu Shi curiously and asked, "Mr. Lu, how did you come up with the idea of building a world that is completely opposite to reality?" ”

This question has been asked before, but Lu Shi did not answer it positively.

In fact, this method of creation is very common in modern times.

For example, "The Man in the High Castle" tells an alternate reality story, the Axis powers won World War II, the United States was ruled by Germany and Japan, and Germany began to conquer the solar system, while a Man in the High Castle is writing a book to tell the story of the United States winning World War II.

Similar settings are commonly found in science fiction, film and television dramas.

Lu Shi spreads his hands,

"I just think that simple sarcasm is too mild and can't sting people."

Li Dai stared at Lu Shi,

Suddenly, she said, "What Zhou Zhou said is quite right. ”

Lu Shi is puzzled,

"What do you mean?"

Li Dai shook her head with a smile, pushed Lu Lu and walked outside from the backstage, and hurried away: "Mr. Lu, don't worry, everyone was a little nervous at first, but now they have entered the state." There will be no problems with the next performance. ”

Lu Shi looked at the backstage that was busy with a pot of porridge,

"Okay, I'm not going to mess around."

He returned to the stage and sat down.

At this time, Elliot leaned over and said in a low voice: "Professor Lu, the people at Yale said that they also want to perform "Upside Down" in school. ”

Lu Shi was stunned,

"Yale?"

Elliot nodded,

"Didn't I tell you about the Ivy League before? Now there are quite a few school people at Harvard. ”

The old man is a doer and moves quickly.

On the other side, Wardhouse also pricked up his ears and said with a smile: "It turns out that the one just now is the representative of Yale University." Mr. Principal has done a good job of secrecy. ”

Elliot spreads his hands,

"It's hard to make a noise about things that haven't been finalized yet."

Things have developed to this point, and it is inevitable that it will be finalized,

Lu Shi pondered,

I didn't expect that my proposal for the global university ranking would promote the development of capitalization and collectivization of higher education.

I don't know if this leap forward is good or bad.

He pondered for a moment and said, "This drama can't be on the big stage, and I can't get much income from him." Since there is no consideration of interests, I support any university that wants it. ”

The matter was settled.

While chatting, the second act of the play begins,

The theme of this scene is simple -

Conflict.

In other words, "discrimination".

In Upside Down, there is severe racial segregation in the American West,

From meals to lodging, the Ansars have designated places.

In the exhibition hall of the first exhibition, the explanation board provided by the organizer is not the model required by the contract, and it is full of pig's heads, which shows that in the eyes of those people, the Ansar people are not worthy of painting art;

Sam goes to a bar for a drink, only to be besieged by a group of Chinese thugs and ridiculed for his white skin;

During the tour, Sam went to the bathroom, but the owner of the exhibition hall said that there was a toilet in the wild, and whites and Chinese could not share the toilet;

During one fitting session, Sam is asked to go to different fitting rooms;

Sam swims at a swimming pool at night, only to be reported, and the police absurdly arrest him in a cell because white people are guilty of swimming;

……

There's so much content.

At the beginning, there were occasional discussions in the auditorium,

But gradually, silence fell, and only the Chinese actors on stage performed in non-standard English.

Time passed minute by minute,

The scene was silenced and no one spoke,

All the students watched Upside Down with full attention.

I don't know how long it took, but the second act ended.

"Whew~"

Theodore let out a sigh of relief,

He said: "For some reason, I felt like I was being tortured when I watched that scene just now. It was like being crucified, painful, ashamed......"

Lu Shi looked over,

I saw Theodore's sincere expression,

It is indeed relatively rare for politicians to be able to say "ashamed".

Lu Shixiao,

"Mr. Vice President, what do you think?"

Theodore sighed,

"yes, that's what I thought. It's a pity that the current United States is not suitable to deal with these problems. This is not the mission of our generation. ”

Being human has limitations,

Even a far-sighted politician like Theodore could not have imagined what the future of the United States would be.

He can only focus on the giants, the trusts of the moment.

Theodore laughed at himself: "Moreover, I am just an ordinary vice president. ”

The crowd couldn't help laughing,

Theodore's phrase "I'm just an ordinary vice president" is a humor unique to the United States.

Just then, someone came over,

"Professor Lu."

Lu Shi followed the prestige and found that it was Gerry Kevin, a theater actor who played Sam, and couldn't help but be surprised: "Mr. Kevin, what are you...... Isn't the backstage busy? ”

Kevin said: "The third act is not complicated and is mostly acting. ”

He bowed to Lu Shi and said, "Thank you for choosing me as the lead actor of "Upside Down". ”

Lu Shi: "Huh? "With a bang,

"Didn't you thank me many times before?"

Kevin replied, "Yes." Thanks many times. However, Professor Lu, it was only when I actually stood on the stage and played Sam that I could feel the charm of this role. A white man who was discriminated against by Chinese Americans...... The improvement of acting skills is too great. ”

No matter how many times I hear it, this is still absurd.

Lu Shi did not take a tone.

Kevin continued: "Unfortunately, this 'Upside Down' can't be performed in the Colisso Theater. ”

Lu Shi shook his head,

"Nothing to regret. If you perform in the Grand Theater, you will have a hard time in the future. ”

Kevin wondered, "Why?" ”

Lu Shi said: "As you just said, you play 'a white man who is discriminated against by Chinese' in the play, and I think that in the context of the Chinese Exclusion Act, you will be seen as a betrayal in this kind of role." ”

So, it's still a cliché,

Heretics are more hateful than heretics.

Kevin couldn't help but be silent,

Long

"Professor Lu, no wonder you were able to write Upside Down."

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"Mr. Kevin, the third act is about to begin, you go back and prepare."

Kevin went back to the backstage in a good way.

Looking at his back, Elliot couldn't help but sigh and said, "Professor Lu, you have seen the nature of 'discrimination' more thoroughly than we do. Its essence is actually a kind of differentiation between you and me, and it has nothing to do with skin color. ”

Lu Shi shrugged,

"'Distinguish between you and me' is still too mild, maybe we should use 'distinguish between friend and foe.'"

Elliot was amused and said, "Not so much ~ not so much ~ not so "

At this point, the third act begins.

The third act is the last scene of the play, in which Sam no longer resigns to his resignation and begins to fight back against the injustice done to him by the Chinese.

He and Jimmy became close friends,

At the end, Jimmy's family feast invites Sam to sit at their family's table.

This is the end of the play,

The curtain is closed.

Theodore said: "After watching this "Upside Down", it is like hunting, which makes people physically and mentally exhausted. ”

This sounds like a compliment,

Lu Shi said: "It seems that Mr. Vice President likes it very much. ”

Theodore shook his head,

"It's not just me. You listen. ”

The crowd listened attentively.

Almost all Harvard students are discussing the plot,

"Jimmy is portrayed very well, sophisticated, sleek, clever, grumpy, uncultured, and most importantly, he discriminates against white people!"

"Is that really discrimination?"

"Why not!?"

"In order to make money, he can also work for white people; In order to get a salary, he can also make friends with white people; He's, and he can even help white people fight......"

"Ah......h

……

The two sides discussed the plot and it was more intense.

Elliot said: "Professor Lu's handling of Jimmy is really very advanced. ”

Wardhouse wondered, "What do you mean by that?" ”

Eliot explained: "This kind of drama generally has a positive and negative side, or in Professor Lu's words, 'distinguishing between friend and foe'. It's very simple, for example, when you talk about the abused person, you must talk about the abuser; When talking about the infringed party, it is necessary to involve the infringer. ”

Wardhouse nodded,

"Yes, it's the dramatic conflict that is portrayed in this way."

Elliot asked, "Is Jimmy really a racist?" ”

This answer is known on your knees,

No.

Elliot continued, "That's why Professor Lu's handling is advanced. The two protagonists of Upside Down are not opposites. And the real conflict comes from the environment created by "Upside Down", that is, the "Anti-Anglo-Saxon Act". ”

The rest nodded,

Jimmy is indeed not a villain in the traditional sense.

Theodore looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, there is a section in the plot where Jimmy and Sam were arrested by the police, and Sam took a telegram to a certain big man before he got out, could this be from your personal experience?"

Lu Shi laughed,

"Mr. Vice President, I really like to ask knowingly."

They were chatting, and the actors came out of the backstage and took a curtain call in turn.

There was a roar of applause in the auditorium.

I don't know who stood up first, and led the others to stand up and applaud as well.

The atmosphere was warm.

Eliot smiled and said, "Professor Lu is still modest, and it is not an exaggeration to say that you are the creator of 'absurdist drama'. This "Upside Down" toured several colleges and universities in the United States and quickly became popular. In the future, I don't know how many people will be influenced by you, the master of the absurd. ”

Lu Shi was about to say something, but he heard someone in the crowd shouting:

“Lu！”

Then, more people joined in.

“Lu！”

“Lu！”

“Lu！”

……

Eliot said, "As a playwright, Professor Lu, how many words do you say? ”

Lu Shi had no choice but to go on stage,

He raised his voice and said, "Actually, I want you to remember the character more than me, or the actor." ”

So, the students cooperated and shouted:

"Jimmy!"

"Jimmy!"

"Sam!"

……

Lu Shi pressed down with his hands to signal them to be quiet, and then said: "Everyone present is an American elite, and I am very honored that you can like my play." ”

He looked around,

"I firmly believe that what really moves others is not the absurdity of this play, but the spirit of resistance that pervades it. Of course, the form of the absurd is also important, without which it is impossible to compose a unique charm for the play. ”

The students laughed good-naturedly.

Lu Shi nodded,

"Thank you all for your enjoyment. That's all I have to say. ”

(End of chapter)