Stage director still in the vanguard
By Qu Zhi |
May 26, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EXPERIMENTAL theater director Meng Jinghui has made waves for many years as he forged a new kind of edgy theater in China, but today he is packing theaters.
His latest, highly anticipated production, "To Live," debuted at the National Center for the Performing Arts last year and the multimedia performance was highly acclaimed. It will be staged in Shanghai in October. Tickets are already sold out.
Late last month, Beijing-born Meng received the Best Director award from the Modern Drama Valley Awards in Shanghai for "To Live." The drama is based on a famous novel of the same name by Yu Hua, in which an old man in the countryside looks back over his life that reflects the vicissitudes in China over many years. Born the son of a landlord, he ends his life with only his memories and an ox for company.
The play was honored for Best Drama and Huang Bo ("Lost in Thailand," 2012) received the Best Actor award.
Yu praised the performance, which was slightly surrealistic. He said it captured the spirit of the novel and was astonishingly faithful to it.
"This is not merely one drama, but the accumulation of my past experiments. I am still a student. Compared with Picasso, I am still in the blue period," 49-year-old Meng told Shanghai Daily, after the award ceremony.
Meng is arguably the most influential avant-garde director in China. He is a leading director at the National Theater of China and is art director of the Beijing Fringe Festival.
Over the years, original and adapted plays have been moving, shocking, spicy, humorous, dark, absurdist and provocative. He uses unusual stage settings, multimedia, installations, painting, music and other genre. In 1999 "Rhinoceros In Love" made him famous. Titles include "Comrade Ah Q," "Accidental Death of an Anarchist," "I Love XXX," "Bootleg Faust," "Guns," "Lies and Roses," "Two Dogs" and "Romeo and Juliet."
Q: Compared with international theater, does China have a long way to go?
A: Frankly, yes. In China, the heritage of living theater from generation to generation is not deep enough ... As for artists, they are not open enough, whether in creativity, thinking or imagination. As for me, I don't have to worry about eating or supporting myself. Except for the occasional drink, what else do I need? Why do I have to make a fortune? If money isn't the main issue, do I have to prove my talent? Of course not. So why not try something more exciting, something crazy? Not everyone agrees with this ... Musicals or monodrama, I want to try different things. Some people are steady, moving step by step with their life and career. But artists should have imagination and creativity.
Q: Are you encouraged by the stage in China?
A: In China we are facing many opportunities with this booming situation in theater, opportunities that a Russian director or a London director would not have. There is no audience raging like a storm in other countries like we have in China. We have more possibilities and bigger stage here in China. People ask me why I am so charged-up all the time. It's because society is exhilarating and I am part of it.
Q: Do you consider yourself avant-garde or a Dadaist?
A: Of course, I am a Dadaist. It is embodied in my life, my works and way of thinking. But I think Dadaism is more like an assertion, an attitude and it embodies the glory of the past time. It is the explosion constituted by the contraposition of psychology and society.
Q: How do you compare Beijing and Shanghai audiences?
A: ... I find audiences in Shanghai are more tolerant ... calmer and more sensitive. But in Beijing, audiences are more critical. Both have their pros and cons. I think a city has its own special qualities ... I like the audience in Shanghai.
Q: Does censorship hold you back?
A: No, not at all. I think it is just fine if the artist says what he wants.
Q: Music is very important in your works. Why?
A: I love music. When I was young, my mother said I had a hoarse throat and always sang out of tune, but I'm not totally convinced. Anyway, I missed the chance to be part of the music industry. I figure if I had learned music back then, I could have been an excellent conductor or guitarist. Do you see how awesome (Serbian filmmaker and musician Emir) Kusturica is? The director is a great bassist who played with his band on Broadway for a year. I try my best to have as much connection with music as possible.
Q: Apart from the stage, what are your plans?
A: I like painting. If I have time I hope I can do some engravings.
His latest, highly anticipated production, "To Live," debuted at the National Center for the Performing Arts last year and the multimedia performance was highly acclaimed. It will be staged in Shanghai in October. Tickets are already sold out.
Late last month, Beijing-born Meng received the Best Director award from the Modern Drama Valley Awards in Shanghai for "To Live." The drama is based on a famous novel of the same name by Yu Hua, in which an old man in the countryside looks back over his life that reflects the vicissitudes in China over many years. Born the son of a landlord, he ends his life with only his memories and an ox for company.
The play was honored for Best Drama and Huang Bo ("Lost in Thailand," 2012) received the Best Actor award.
Yu praised the performance, which was slightly surrealistic. He said it captured the spirit of the novel and was astonishingly faithful to it.
"This is not merely one drama, but the accumulation of my past experiments. I am still a student. Compared with Picasso, I am still in the blue period," 49-year-old Meng told Shanghai Daily, after the award ceremony.
Meng is arguably the most influential avant-garde director in China. He is a leading director at the National Theater of China and is art director of the Beijing Fringe Festival.
Over the years, original and adapted plays have been moving, shocking, spicy, humorous, dark, absurdist and provocative. He uses unusual stage settings, multimedia, installations, painting, music and other genre. In 1999 "Rhinoceros In Love" made him famous. Titles include "Comrade Ah Q," "Accidental Death of an Anarchist," "I Love XXX," "Bootleg Faust," "Guns," "Lies and Roses," "Two Dogs" and "Romeo and Juliet."
Q: Compared with international theater, does China have a long way to go?
A: Frankly, yes. In China, the heritage of living theater from generation to generation is not deep enough ... As for artists, they are not open enough, whether in creativity, thinking or imagination. As for me, I don't have to worry about eating or supporting myself. Except for the occasional drink, what else do I need? Why do I have to make a fortune? If money isn't the main issue, do I have to prove my talent? Of course not. So why not try something more exciting, something crazy? Not everyone agrees with this ... Musicals or monodrama, I want to try different things. Some people are steady, moving step by step with their life and career. But artists should have imagination and creativity.
Q: Are you encouraged by the stage in China?
A: In China we are facing many opportunities with this booming situation in theater, opportunities that a Russian director or a London director would not have. There is no audience raging like a storm in other countries like we have in China. We have more possibilities and bigger stage here in China. People ask me why I am so charged-up all the time. It's because society is exhilarating and I am part of it.
Q: Do you consider yourself avant-garde or a Dadaist?
A: Of course, I am a Dadaist. It is embodied in my life, my works and way of thinking. But I think Dadaism is more like an assertion, an attitude and it embodies the glory of the past time. It is the explosion constituted by the contraposition of psychology and society.
Q: How do you compare Beijing and Shanghai audiences?
A: ... I find audiences in Shanghai are more tolerant ... calmer and more sensitive. But in Beijing, audiences are more critical. Both have their pros and cons. I think a city has its own special qualities ... I like the audience in Shanghai.
Q: Does censorship hold you back?
A: No, not at all. I think it is just fine if the artist says what he wants.
Q: Music is very important in your works. Why?
A: I love music. When I was young, my mother said I had a hoarse throat and always sang out of tune, but I'm not totally convinced. Anyway, I missed the chance to be part of the music industry. I figure if I had learned music back then, I could have been an excellent conductor or guitarist. Do you see how awesome (Serbian filmmaker and musician Emir) Kusturica is? The director is a great bassist who played with his band on Broadway for a year. I try my best to have as much connection with music as possible.
Q: Apart from the stage, what are your plans?
A: I like painting. If I have time I hope I can do some engravings.
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