Time
Tickets
Urban Drama Festival| Until June 23
Venue
Metro
Line 1, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
Urban Drama Festival| Until June 23
Writer: Cao Zhen | Editor: Nan Nan | From: Shenzhen Daily
Local performance and ticketing company AC Orange will unveil its fifth Urban Drama Festival in April, with a string of thought-provoking dramas to be staged at Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center. Some of the plays have been shown at the prestigious Wuzhen Theater Festival.
“The Song of Everlasting Sorrow”
Hong Kong stage queen Perry Chiu, who just performed the Cantonese version of the 1983 U.S. play “’night, Mother” last month in Shenzhen, will return to town May 16-17 with her new play “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow.” Adapted from mainland writer Wang Anyi’s novel of the same name, the play follows a Shanghai woman’s several romances from 1945 to 1986.
At a press conference Jan. 5 in Shenzhen, Wang said that when she wrote the novel in 1995, she thought it was about a woman’s turbulent life but now she understands that it was about the relation between women and time. Chiu also said that when she performed her play “The Golden Cangue,” about a poor woman who is forced to marry a crippled rich man, she tried to be aggressive and exaggerated on stage, but when playing “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow,” she focused much on the character’s inner world. Chiu has a large fan base in China since she founded her own drama company Perry Chiu Experimental Theater. She is noted for starring in plays with strong female leads, such as “The Vagina Monologues,” “Butterflies Are Free” and “The Golden Cangue.”
Mask production “Papa” will be staged June 22-23.
Hong Kong drama troupe Theater de la Feuille will present heartfelt nonverbal mask production “Papa” on June 22-23, giving a poignant voice to often-overlooked seniors. Directed by choreographer and physical theater instructor Ata Wong Chun-tat, “Papa” is adapted from Spanish cartoonist Paco Roca’s graphic novel “Arrugas.” In the original novel, Roca provides an in-depth look at assisted living for seniors through the eyes of the protagonist, a prideful banker whom his son reluctantly places in a retirement home, once it becomes clear that the father has Alzheimer’s.
Last year, Wong brought his physical theater drama “L’Orphelin 2.0” to Shenzhen. He said he has studied the making and use of leather masks under Italian mask-making master Stefano Perocco di Meduna at L’academie Albatros and “Papa” also uses the body as a form of narration. “Masked performances, which solely rely on body language, reflect the extremes of performance and the extremes of the human condition,” he said.
“Mu Xin · Human Song” will be staged April 27-28.
Shenzhen director Zou Xiaoyong will pay his tribute to the late Chinese writer, poet and painter in his play “Mu Xin · Human Song” on April 27-28 to depict Mu Xin’s life by combining poetry, dance and opera. Mu Xin (1927-2011) was a master of Chinese and Western literature and art. His paintings have been collected by various international museums.
“Cats”
Musical lovers will enjoy the Chinese version of “Rock of Ages” on June 1-2. Adapted from the Broadway rock/jukebox musical in 2009, the musical is built around classic rock songs from the 1980s. Meanwhile, three major international musicals have also set dates for shows: Broadway’s “The Producers” (Jan. 18-21) and “Rent” (Oct. 3-5), and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” (April 5-18).
“Blood Gets in Your Eyes”
Geki X Cine from Japan will bring Japanese historical dramas “Blood Gets in Your Eyes” and “Seven Souls in the Skull Castle” on June 17. Geki x Cine, meaning “theater” and “cinema” in Japanese, uses a unique approach to theater that is a combination of filming and projection, so audience members can enjoy live theater performance plus striking close-up imagery and montage-edited projection.
Try your luck at grabbing discounted tickets at www.juooo.com.
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center, 2106 Nanshan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区南山大道2106号南山文体中心)
Metro: Line 1, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B