Home » Feature » Events and TV
Story of the man who changed China
Print Edition
THE original Chinese historical drama “Shang Yang” is being performed at Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center through March 5. The two-and-a-half-hour show presents the breath-taking biography of the people who changed Chinese history.
Living during the Warring States period, Shang Yang (395-338 BC) was an important Chinese statesman of the State of Qin.
His policies laid the foundation that enabled the Qin to conquer all of China, uniting the country for the first time and ushering in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
His numerous reforms transformed the peripheral Qin state into a militarily powerful and strongly centralized kingdom.
The show features a strong cast of some 30 actors. Besides the main roles played by Yin Zhusheng, Liu Peng, He Ping, and Zhou Xiaoqian, leading Chinese actors such as Lu Liang, Yang Shaolin and Xu Chengxian also star in the play.
“I focus more on the destiny story of Shang Yang in this production,” says playwright Yao Yuan. “The value of the play is based on the power of destiny and humanity — a slaver wants to change his own destiny, but the empire wants to be the king of the world, so as the history steps forward.”
Debuted in 1996, the award-winning show has been staged in many Chinese cities, as well as overseas. The new production will also be staged this month at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
“I believe that the play will never be out-of-date, as it is about history, about human’s destiny; it is a part of solidified culture in Chinese history,” the playwright notes.
The play took Yao eight years to complete and the show waited another seven years to be staged.
“There is a battle — defending lives by lives, and this is the awareness of human beings. In this battle, the whole life of a person (Shang Yang) is struggling for the revolution of a country,” says Chen Xinyi, the director.
The play is in Chinese, with no English subtitles.
Date: Through March 5, 7:30pm
Tickets: 80-380 yuan
Tel: 6473-0123, 6473-4567
Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
Address 288 Anfu Rd
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
