Su Min made his name through a long and successful career as a dramatist with the Beijing People's Art Theater. The 78-year-old is not only known for his stagecraft, but also for being the father of the renown drama artist Pu Cunxin, who is famous for his portrayal of characters on stage and screen. As a father, Su Min is proud of his son, and has his own unique understanding of genetic inheritance and family tradition. The Confucian theories give Su Min the passion and power to voice his feelings. It is his hope that these ideas will provide new avenues for overseas Chinese to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and the tradition of paternity.
Despite enjoying considerable prestige in drama circles, Su Min seldom appears in public. However, the father and grandfather took some time out to chair a lecture for post graduates at the Academy of Chinese Traditional Opera, with most of the attendees being famous actors and actresses.
Su Min, dramatist, said, "To play well and create impressive characters, you must possess a variety of cultural knowledge. You can't play drama well if you don't understand culture."
The People's Theater is an incubator for Chinese drama artists. Su Min is one of founders of this world-renowned theater. With the passing of Laoshe and Jiao Juyin, Su Min became Grand Old Man of Chinese drama circle. His influence is powerful, and his words are always followed.
Su Min said, "The Family Tree records the significant cultural convention of a family, a man will obtain his ancestors' moral training through reading the Family Tree. That's its value."
Su Min is a man who respects tradition and loyalty. He has passed these beliefs onto his son, the famous actor Pu Cunxin, who is a responsible person and an excellent artist. In the drama Li Bai, this father and son team cooperate as director and leading actor respectively. The mastery of stage drama that runs through this scholarly family is amply displayed in the staging of this work.
In this grand old man's eyes, the Family Tree is important because it records the moral tradition of a family.
The Family Tree must be seriously considered. There is a saying, "The moral integrity of a noble family can cover three generations". That means, a man with moral integrity and self-cultivation can influence three generations of his family. The upstarts do not have a noble tradition. They have to create their own nobility and dignity, create the family tradition.
Tradition and Confucian morals are always the highlight of his lectures. Su Min has kept his moral integrity throughout his long life, and hopes to share it with his followers.
People as old as me, in their 70s and 80s, have lived through several dynasties. In our mind, there are always some things that keep changing, and some things that never change. Idealism is a concept that always remains, despite change and progress.
Born in Jiangsu Province, Su Min's family name is Pu. In 1946, he changed his name to Su Min as a means of protecting himself after becoming a political activist. He has witnessed many ups and downs, and managed to keep his optimistic outlook through tumultuous times.
Why do some overseas Chinese feel even more passionate about their motherland than people who live on the continent? Because they feel they do not have the root. They are in search of the root. What's the root? It's culture, it's emotion.
Though absorbing many foreign elements, Chinese culture is rooted in a national tradition. The root, Taoism and Confucianism,are perfectly combined in the drama Li Bai. The protagonist, Li Bai, is seclusive in thought but ambitious in action, and his optimism drives him to engage in political struggles.
We should focus on Li Bai's positivity and optimism instead of his defeats and pessimism. He wants to serve his nation, both on the political stage and in art circles. He lifts the Chinese poem to an altitude that nobody can better. That's an achievement.
Li Bai's story, thought and attitude are the real models of performance for actors. I followed this principle to direct my son. He is able to make a "corpse-fall-down" , I knew him and used his move in the drama; he can do "drunken-walk", I also used it.
In China, people respect old men for maintaining their optimism and drive. Su Min encourages social change while respecting tradition through his focus on family education. For this balance, as much as for his age, stagecraft and wisdom, the Confucian father and grandfather deserves his followers' respect.
(CCTV.com 3, 2004)
