In character, out of body
To get into character, Wei would spend rehearsal days constantly imagining herself as Qiqiao. What tone of voice would Qiqiao have adopted just now? What sort of gesture would she have made in this situation? What would be the look in her eyes? Even after going to bed, Wei would continue thinking about the role. In the end, Wei didn't just get into character-she herself became the character.
Wang An-chi, art director of GuoGuang Opera Company, has written about just how wrapped up in her character Wei can get.
"The climax of the first act," writes Wang, "comes as Qiqiao discovers that a man has deceived her and concludes that nothing is real but money. To 'protect' her daughter she decides to bind the latter's feet even though the custom has long since fallen by the wayside. Her idea of protection is to keep her daughter always close by her side."
"Qiqiao spreads her arms wide, like an eagle extending its wings, and with eyes ablaze swings a wooden club down upon the arch of her daughter's foot, breaking the bones. Satisfied at last, she exults: 'That'll keep you hobbled!' Cradling her daughter's foot in her lap, a smile creeps across Qiqiao's face as she begins wrapping the foot in a blood-red footbinding cloth. Through the violence of her mien peeks a hint of tenderness, and the trace of an absent stare. Qiqiao enters, trapped now, into a safe world of her own making...."
"The curtain falls, signaling intermission. The stage crew hurries out to change the scenery, but Wei just keeps on wrapping the foot, which she still holds in her lap. Chen Meilan, playing the role of her daughter, is totally confounded by Wei's behavior, and doesn't know whether to pull free and leave, or call Wei back to reality. Crew members slowly move in, not daring to make too much noise. Quietly, gently, they escort Wei, still wobbly on her feet, to the area backstage."
Art director Wang recalls the phone call she got from Wei the day after the troupe had finished performing The Golden Cangue: "Now that I'm done playing Qiqiao, I don't know what I'm still breathing for. Now that the character I created has left the stage, where do I go from here?" Therein lies the secret of Wei's ability to reach artistic heights barely even imaginable to most others!
The Drunken Beauty contains two scenes that are extremely difficult to perform. Wei Hai-min is acknowledged by all as a courtesan with class.