The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 765 - 764. Is there a big difference?

Chapter 765: 764. Is there a big difference?

Tong Tong’s appearance was so aggressive that her familiar outfit instantly awakened Tang Shu’s memories.

"Is it you?"

It was the actress she had met once, the one she had briefly spoken with, but... Tang Shu remembered that their conversation hadn’t been very pleasant?

Accustomed to scrutiny, Tong Tong smiled in response, the faint crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes curling up, adding a touch of charm.

"Tang the superstar, it’s hard for you to remember me."

"Sister Tong, your face is hard to forget."

"Is that a compliment?" Tong Tong returned the comment from their last conversation.

"I believe it is."

Tang Shu replied.

"Congratulations, now two team leaders have taken a liking to your acting. You won’t have to worry about not getting roles in the drama society from now on."

What does that mean?

Tang Shu paused, "Could Sister Tong enlighten me?"

"As you can see, the dozen or so people on stage are Teacher Yan’s regular actors, with five stories that have already been performed to star recognition, and this Republican-era stage play you acted in today is one of them."

Taking advantage of the moment when two veterans were competing for actors, Tong Tong briefly disclosed the basics of Lotus Drama Society to Tang Shu.

"Teacher Ke has six plays that have attained star recognition, but the actors are set, not having changed in two years. Besides them, our drama society has two other team leaders, Song and Xia, each with three star-recognized plays. And what Master Yan meant was that he wanted you to join his regular team."

"Star recognition... what does that mean?"

"It refers to plays that can be performed at the Imperial Capital Theater. Our drama society has its own association, and only plays that are certified by the association can be staged at the theater."

Tang Shu understood. The income for plays comes from ticket sales at the theater, and the standard for a play to be performed at the Imperial Capital Theater is association certification, achieving star status.

So, the Lotus Drama Society currently has 17 plays that have achieved star recognition.

"Thank you for the information."

"Thank me for what? If you consider performing at Lotus Drama Society long term, you would need to know these things sooner or later."

After this stage performance, Tong Tong’s opinion of Tang Shu had completely changed; regardless of Tang Shu’s real purpose for coming to the drama society, the role of Lian Qingyi alone was enough for her to view Tang Shu in a new light.

Thinking this, Tong Tong looked at the two squabbling teachers with a smile, her gaze carrying deeper implications.

She was now certain that Teacher Ke had anticipated Tang Shu’s performance today; no wonder he had been so composed watching from the audience.

The argument on the other side continued, the two men past their fifties bickering over an actor like two children fighting over a toy.

"Old Ke, Xiao Shu is a promising young talent. There’s no spare role for her in your group. Don’t hold back the young lady’s future!"

"So what if there isn’t? If there isn’t, I’ll have the screenwriter add one for her!"

"Hey! Have you gone mad? If you force in a role, those six stars of yours will need to be reviewed all over again."

The half-grey-haired Master Yan showed a shocked expression, never expecting his good friend to go so far for a new actor.

"You’re getting on in years, and even walking isn’t easy for you. Why strain yourself? You might as well let Xiao Shu join me, and the role of Lian Qingyi will be hers from now on."

The reason Tang Shu managed to land the role of Lian Qingyi was also because one of Master Yan’s actors had recently become pregnant and taken maternity leave. Given that the actor would undoubtedly not return within a year, they had to find a replacement.

And Tang Shu’s arrival was like timely rain for Master Yan.

Teacher Ke was instantly irritated by the words "elderly," rolling his eyes, "Just opening your mouth and you want to take one off my hands? Dream on, that’s not going to happen! We had an agreement, I temporarily lent you Xiao Shu for a few days as relief, and now look, you’re trying to weasel out of it."

Seriously, what a cheek!

The old man turned his head and motioned to Tang Shu, "Come on, let’s go to my resting room and talk. Ignore this old geezer."

Tang Shu: "..."

Tong Tong by his side couldn’t help but snicker, looking on with great interest.

Such a scene of two leaders vying for an actor hadn’t happened in quite some time.

***

By the time Tang Shu left the Lotus Drama Society fully equipped, it was already 6 o’clock in the evening.

Outside the Lotus Drama Society, Yang Tiantian had already parked her Volkswagen by the roadside, "Boss, why are you an hour late today? Does the drama society also have overtime work?"

Tang Shu, thinking back to the recent troubles, felt somewhat helpless, "Something came up, got delayed."

The two leaders negotiated back and forth, neither willing to let go, and finally they settled on her future roles. What Tang Shu hadn’t expected was that, aside from the role of Lian Qingyi, she had also taken on two other supporting roles.

"Tiantian, from now on, besides Wednesdays, take me to the drama society every Thursday, too."

"Eh? Boss, are you going to be a regular at the drama society?"

"Hmm."

"Okay, then I’ll inform Sister Luo."

Yang Tiantian silently estimated in her head and realized her boss had managed to fill up all her time again.

Good heavens, she’d barely enjoyed less than ten days of good times before she had to start striving again. Sure enough, a big shot is a big shot; this salted fish can’t compare at all.

"Boss, is performing in a play really that different from being on a film set?"

That different?

Tang Shu was taken aback by the question and began to ponder.

"It’s not just different, it’s very different. The difficulty of stage plays is far greater than acting in a film crew."

This was her profound realization within two weeks, and even though she had made ample mental preparation, she still felt the intangible pressure when she actually took the stage.

"The rhythm of stage plays is different from film sets, plus the one-shot performance technique demands great skill in lines."

This recent experience on stage had been incredibly beneficial for Tang Shu as she gleaned insights she’d never had before.

In a film crew, mistakes could lead to NGs, but stage plays don’t give you a chance to NG; once you step on the stage, all the actors become one team, and one false move could drag everyone down with you.

With the heightened pressure, there were deeper requirements for the actors’ ability to respond on the spot.

Upon hearing this, Yang Tiantian sighed at the difficulty and immediately decided to add a few more dishes to meals in the future.

The boss is working so hard, and as the support staff, she must ensure three good meals a day, yep, that’s the plan!

The Volkswagen left the Lotus Drama Society and headed to the villa area in the east district, arriving at Palm Pavilion forty minutes later.

On the way back, Tang Shu’s phone reminder buzzed. She opened it for a glance and then logged into the Weibo page of Giving and Taking.

Today was another day for posting herb-collection videos.

Shen Yan and Xiao Li did not disappoint. Within a week, they had edited all the videos she had sent over, completing the massive task, and organized more than forty video clips.