Lao She's The Yellow Storm prepares to take to the stage in Taipei
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The stage play of famous Chinese writer Lao She's The Yellow Storm is preparing to premiere in Taiwan in October and tour the Chinese mainland at the end of the year, the production team announced recently.
Written 60 years ago, The Yellow Storm is considered a very influential novel by Lao and was listed as one of the Top 100 Novels in 20th-century Chinese Literature by news magazine Yazhou Zhoukan. The work consists of three parts and over 800,000 words. It follows Beijingers the Qi family and their neighbors in Yangjuaner Hutong, their lives and struggles during Japanese-occupied Beijing in the 1930s and 40s.
"It's a Beijing story," explained producer Li Dong. "The stage play is a messenger to deliver Beijing culture to Taiwan and even farther. Taiwan shares the same roots with us, that's why we chose to premiere in Taipei, although it is a Beijing story," he said.
"We will set a small Beijing fair and exhibition at the venue, so Taiwan audiences can get a taste of Beijing before they see the play," he added.
"I was born and raised in Beijing, I love Beijing culture, it is in my blood," said director Tian Qinxin. "I feel obliged to challenge myself with this mission and I will show my humble understanding of Beijing culture in this play."
"I feel the pressure and enjoyment at the same time," Tian added. "It is a well-known story, I have to take extra care when adapting it, compressing a story of over 800,000 words into a 20,000- word play, it is very difficult."
"The story is taking place in an open neighborhood, not indoors, for a stage performance, this doubles the difficultly, that's why no one has adapted it before," she said.
"Traditionally, the stage is a close and intimate set, for this open neighborhood, we have been thinking about smart ways for the set, it has to be pure Beijing style in the old times," she explained. "We are thinking about building up Beijing's trademark Zhengyangmen (the south gate in Beijing's old city wall) in front of the venue in Taipei. It is a very bold idea, no one has done it before, we are still experimenting, hopefully it will look fresh and creative when it's being staged."
Co-produced by Xicheng district government, National Theater of China and Beijing Children's Art Theater, The Yellow Storm is currently in rehearsals and is scheduled to open October 27 in Taipei before touring the mainland and perhaps overseas.
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