Visionary theater fuses with traditional drama
Print Edition
SHANGHAI is widely considered to be the birthplace of everything new and modern in China.
About 150 years ago, Chinese modern drama had its roots in the city, and today, the Jing’an District is carrying on the proud tradition.
This year’s Jing’an Modern Drama Valley annual festival is themed “fusion.”
“We are trying to look at our traditional culture with a global eye,” said Sun Mengjin, chief festival producer. “We want to combine different people and different cultures to produce stunning drama experiences.”
Opening this year’s festival is “Kachikachi-yama,” based on a Japanese folk tale and directed by that master of fusion, 77-year-old Tadashi Suzuki.
The play is a splendid example of his experimental aesthetic. He uses comedy to tell the traditional fable, in which a Japanese raccoon dog is the villain. The performers, from China and Japan, speak in their native languages.
According to Suzuki, the theme of human nature is common to everyone, providing an artistic channel that can transcend cultural and linguistic differences.
Another offering on the festival playbill is the Kunqu opera adaption of “The Chairs,” a farce written by French-Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco.
It’s a bold attempt to interpret the renowned play with a traditional Chinese voice.
New soul and bold spirit abound at the festival this year.
In the play “Lu Xun,” the only actor on stage plays the title character, one of China’s greatest modern writers, and the rest of the “cast” are puppets.
“The play does not narrate the life story of the famous writer, who died in 1936,” said director Wang Chong. “Instead, it starts from the assumption that he is observing how China has changed in the last 100 years in the heaven.”
Theater also works as a provocative stimulus to get audiences to ponder issues of contemporary society.
“One good thing about theater is that it allows human beings to think about their relationship and connections with the society,” said Suzuki. “Through theater, we can observe and understand human beings and the world around us.”
Festival chief Sun said it is important to tap the experience of directors and playwrights between the ages of 40 and 60 because they have witnessed modern trends. “They have insight and passion,” he added.
Jing’an, of course, is well-known for its multicultural environment.
“That is embedded in our values,” said Bao Jingying, a deputy district director. “However, theater should help us look at new values and how they may complement contemporary society.”
The 15-minute show “Theatrical Window Display,” performed by four actors moving in and out of a display window at an Isetan department store, reflects the alienation some feel in society. “One of the actors plays time, and other three represent different cultures, who don’t listen to or interact with one another in such a limited space,” said director Zhou Lei. “Passers-by are actually part of our performance. They may feel confused about what they see, but they are driven by curiosity to stand there and watch. But they are afraid to ask us what’s going on.”
He likened the message of the play to two sides of a virtual glass.
“Real communication should work like a mirror,” he said. “And we should walk closer to each other.”
Chen Hong, director of the Jing’an Cultural Bureau, said this year’s festival takes theater beyond the traditional stage.
“Everyone is a performer,” he said. “Here in Jing’an, we are breaking the traditional mold of watching drama only in theaters. We are taking the genre out to the whole district so that theater can be anywhere.”
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