Trendy dramas mirror daily life
Print Edition
THE Modern Drama Valley, Shanghai’s annual theatrical extravaganza, returns this year with an exciting playbill.
The 18-day festival, beginning on May 5, will present 18 productions from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Belgium, France, Britain and Chile.
Nearly two-thirds of the performances will be making their debuts in China, offering Shanghai audiences a first glimpse of pieces by renowned theatrical companies. Many cross traditional artistic boundaries in bold new stagecraft.
“The Modern Drama Valley, to some extent, is a reflection of urban development, perhaps unconsciously,” said Huang Changyong, director of the Shanghai Theater Academy.
Here are some of the top-flight performances on tap.
Memory
The opening play, entitled “Furious,” tells the little-known story of Tian Han to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Chinese modern drama.
Tian, most commonly known for the lyrics of China’s national anthem, was also a pioneer of Chinese modern drama, which blossomed in Shanghai in the early 20th century.
“His role in modern drama isn’t well known by the public,” said the play’s director, Tian Qinxin. “He was the first Chinese to translate English plays into Chinese. He founded Nanguo Theater Troupe and promoted the concept of modern drama nationwide.”
“Furious” will feature some of Tian’s works, with some spicy romantic bits involving women who figured in his life.
Crossover
For most people, drama means actors reciting scripts. But Jing’an is also embracing the vanguard trend of crossover theater, which includes dance.
Anne Teresa de Keermaeker, one of the world’s greatest contemporary choreographers and performers, will present “Fase,” which she created in 1982.
The work is set to four pieces of Steve Reich’s early “phase music.” Short sound loops create a complex but ordered dance.
Another dance masterpiece, “Petite Psaume du Matin” (“Little morning psalm”), will be performed by French contemporary choreographer Josef Nadj and Dominique Mercy, once a leading dancer in the troupe of the legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch.
Also, artists from Kunqu and Peking operas will share the stage to sing traditional Chinese arias.
Hong Kong
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong, two plays representing grassroots life in the territory will be staged.
Hong Kong stage queen Perry Chiu will bring to the stage a local adaption of the Pulitzer Prize Award winning piece “Night Mother.”
Another offering, Hong Kong Repertory Theater’s “Last Supper,” is an original play vividly presenting traditional Hong Kong customs.
Masterpiece Adaption
“Red Crag Soul” is inspired by the novel “Red Crag,” which recounts the final 24 hours of Sister Jiang, a heroine killed the night before the end of the liberation revolution.
Also known as Jiang Zhujun or Jiang Xueqin, she was brutally tortured by the Kuomintang regime in Chongqing, but never broke down.
“This story not only recalls history but also carries the message of equality and honesty for today’s society,” said director Jiang Tao. “Such ideals are something out of beautiful poetry.”
Small Theater
Experimental and interactive plays are usually staged in small theaters. This year, David Harrower’s extraordinary masterpiece “Blackbird,” and two children’s shows — “Polar Bear Go Up” from Britain and “One Morning I Left” from Chile, will be staged.
Tip: Tickets for this year’s Modern Drama Valley are now available at www.moderndramavalley.com. The highest price is limited at 380 yuan (US$55).
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