我们话剧演员都有要求在艺术上提高的迫切愿望。和戏曲演员比较起来,我们总感到自己太没有本事了,既不会唱,也不会动,表演艺术进步得不快。目前,我们上海人民艺术剧院正在拟订演员业务学习的计划,以满足演员对提高艺术水平的迫切要求。整风、反右以后,我们的思想更明确了。我们必须政治挂帅,话剧必须很好地为政治为工农兵服务。当然在这个问题上,我们还必须作进一步的努力。近年来的话剧演出,总使人感到有点自然主义,缺乏激情;台上不带劲,台下的观众也不会带劲。记得,抗战时期,我们在上海演出曹禺的《蜕变》,这个戏与当时 All of our drama actors have an urgent desire to ask for artistic advancement. Compared with opera actors, we always feel that we are too skillless, we can not sing or move, and the progress of performing arts is unpleasant. At present, we at the Shanghai People’s Art Theater are preparing a program of business studies for performers to meet the urgent demands of the performers to improve their art level. After we rectify the wind and oppose the right, our thinking is clearer. We must be politically commanded, and drama must serve politics well for workers, peasants and soldiers. Of course, on this issue, we must make further efforts. In recent years, the drama shows always feel a little naturalistic and lack of passion; the stage is not energetic, and audience members will not be energetic. I remember, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, we performed “transformation” of Cao Yu in Shanghai.