I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy-Chapter 29

“I’m putting a lot of effort into this new work, so I want all the help I can get—your skills, of course, but if possible, I’d like to tap into your connections as well.”

With that, I discreetly pulled out the rough draft for my new play, Farewell My Concubine, and handed it to her.

The play was centered on Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, whose raw strength shook China during the Chu-Han Contention. I had sketched out a few key ideas on how to adapt his life story into a play.

“It’s certainly an interesting concept, Phantom.”

Professor Gabi scanned the notes for a while before raising her eyebrow, looking impressed.

“In fact, it’s more than interesting. I must say, I’m genuinely impressed. You have a deep understanding of elven culture—far more than I’ve seen from most humans.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

The truth was, the moment I decided to base the play on elven jingju, I had something specific in mind—classic Taiwanese and Hong Kong martial arts films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Once Upon a Time in China, and A Chinese Ghost Story.

Though the concept originated from traditional Chinese opera, the vivid martial arts and wire-fu action scenes that defined those films became my primary source of inspiration.

‘After all, Xiang Yu’s life was practically a martial arts novel.’

His unmatched martial prowess, the revenge-driven plot, the mentorship of Fan Zeng, and, of course, the tragic romance with his concubine, Yu.

If that isn’t the essence of a wuxia tale, then what is?

‘Like with Admiral Yi, I’m going all in on Orientalism this time.’

I had already decided to bring Hong Kong martial arts cinema to life on the stage. For the residents of this world, accustomed to rigid Western chivalric literature, the wuxia genre would be a refreshing and thrilling change.

“Alright, Phantom, since you seem to have a solid grasp of elven culture, I suppose it would be rude of me to decline.”

She returned the crumpled notes with a smile.

“It looks like you’re putting a lot of emphasis on action in this piece. You’ll need some pretty intense stunts. I can introduce you to an elven acrobat troupe currently stationed in the capital. They specialize in physical tricks and could handle the more demanding parts.”

“That would be incredibly helpful. Thank you.”

“However, replicating the elven style exactly might be difficult. Human actors won’t be able to adjust to it quickly, and human audiences might even reject such unfamiliar techniques.”

“Don’t worry. I’m fully aware of that.”

I had already considered the possibility that elements of elven theater might be too strange or off-putting for human audiences. As such, I intended to work closely with Professor Gabi to adapt or even eliminate those parts.

The high-pitched falsetto singing, the over-the-top makeup, the almost chaotic choreography—all of that needed to be refined so that the play would feel fresh yet familiar to the Imperial audience.

“Also, there’s another issue, Phantom. This play depicts a war, doesn’t it? A fictional one centered around nations built around the World Tree?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Is there a problem with that?”

Given the wuxia theme, I decided to cast all the characters as elves. Xiang Yu, his rival Liu Bang, and all the supporting characters were elves, too. It added to the mystique and also felt more authentic.

“Ah, Professor, if it’s about casting elf actors, you don’t need to worry.”

I had already secured a contract with the Gellorusina Theatre Company, an elite entertainment troupe known for its handsome and talented actors. Their elven makeup and costumes were of such high quality that they would be perfect for this production.

They hadn’t signed on to anything since Chaplin Comedy, but I knew the theater’s owner, Isabella, would love the idea of Farewell My Concubine.

“No, no, casting humans and dressing them up as elves is fine. Some pointy ears and makeup will suffice. But there’s something more important to consider. In a war-focused play like this, what about the main character?”

“The main character?”

“Yes. The protagonist needs to be the focal point of all the battles, right? It won’t be easy to have just any human actor handle that role. If they’re not trained in martial arts, they won’t be able to do justice to the character.”

“Ah, in that case, why don’t we ask one of the elven acrobats to play the lead role? They’re certainly skilled enough to handle the action…”

“That’s not possible. Acrobatics are one thing, but acting is another. They might be able to perform stunts, but they can’t embody a character with the depth and presence needed to lead a production.”

“…I see.”

I had overlooked that. In my previous works, seasoned actors had always been ready to take on the lead roles. But now, with such specific requirements, finding someone suitable for the role of Xiang Yu was becoming an issue.

Without a proper lead actor, the whole play would fall apart. None of the actors at Gellorusina had martial training, after all.

Should I postpone production and give the actors time to train? But that would only drag out the process further…

“You mentioned earlier that you’d like to rely on my connections as well, correct?”

At that moment, Professor Gabi, who had been tapping her fingers on the table, made a suggestion.

“If you don’t mind the idea of using a student instead of a professional actor, I can recommend a candidate from the academy.”

“A student?”

“Yes. According to the draft, this will be a special performance, running for only a short time, mostly in the evenings, correct?”

She glanced at the notes I had given her.

“In that case, one of my students could participate without too much strain. It wouldn’t interfere with their class schedule, and since this won’t be a regular, long-term production like your other works, it could be a great opportunity for them.”

Hmm. That made sense.

The plan for Farewell My Concubine was to be a short, intense production. The massive scale of The Dialogues had caused so much chaos among the academy students that I wanted this play to be a brief spectacle to calm things down.

Besides, with the elven acrobats providing the flash and fanfare, I wouldn’t need the student to carry the entire show on their own.

“In fact, I happen to have a student who would be perfect for the role. They’ve trained in swordsmanship for years, and their acting and singing skills aren’t bad either.”

“Really? That sounds promising. Who is this student?”

I asked, intrigued. Professor Gabi smiled slyly and replied.

“His name is Balthazar Arture. He’s a member of the Arture family, a noble house known for its martial traditions in the southern part of the Empire.”

“Cough! Hack! Cough!”

“Are you alright? Did you choke on a fishbone?”

“N-no, I’m fine. Just a little something caught in my throat, that’s all!”

I wiped my mouth with a floral-patterned napkin, trying to maintain my composure despite my surprise.

Who? Me?

Why me? Since when was I considered a promising candidate in the performing arts?

“Oh, a young nobleman from the Arture family, you say? How interesting. May I ask why you would recommend him?”

“I’ve been teaching him since his first year, and I’ve noticed that he’s quite talented.”

Professor Gabi chuckled as she answered.

“I have a good eye for spotting potential, and I never miss out on talented students. That’s why I’ve been keeping an eye on Balthazar.”

“…He must have made quite an impression.”

“Of course. As part of a cultural studies assignment, I had him read aloud from a script, and I saw some real potential. His acting is still a bit unpolished, but with some guidance, he could really shine.”

Oh. So she remembered that, huh? I had worked pretty hard on that assignment for a good grade, after all. Despite her lighthearted lectures, Professor Gabi had a strict grading policy.

Still, I had always assumed my acting skills were lacking, especially considering how badly I did in that cosplay contest. But apparently, the professor saw more in me than I realized.

Maybe she thought of me as an unpolished gem, waiting to be refined?

“Well, if you’re recommending him, Professor, I trust your judgment. But aren’t academy students usually quite busy? Would he even have time for this?”

That was a lie. Ever since I drank the Philosopher’s Stone, time wasn’t much of an issue for me.

Thanks to my vastly increased writing speed, tasks that normally took others hours to complete only took me a few minutes.

Professor Gabi shrugged, smiling mischievously.

“I’ll just make him the offer and see if he accepts. If he refuses, so be it. But if he agrees, I think the reward will be more than tempting.”

“A reward? You mean a share of the profits from Farewell My Concubine?”

“Oh, no, no. That’s a given, considering he’d be playing the lead. What I’m talking about is something I can offer him as a professor. Let’s see…”

She paused for a moment, then smiled playfully.

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“With midterms coming up soon, how about guaranteeing him an A+? I was planning on assigning an alternative project related to the arts industry anyway.”

“…”

“Phantom? What do you think?”

I’ll do it. I’ll absolutely do it.

Get paid to star in my own play, and get an easy A+ in the process?

There’s literally no reason not to.