Comedic Chinese drama first to tread the boards on Broadway
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The Final Struggle, a play shedding light on major problems in Chinese society including corruption and abuse of power, is to be performed on Broadway in November next year, becoming the first Chinese play to hit the US commercial theatrical market.
Directed by Wu Xiaojiang, the work is a joint production of the National Theater of China (NTC) and Town Square Productions (TSP), a New York City-based theatrical management and creative development enterprise with interests in Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions.
On the eve of Spring Festival, a family gathers together to celebrate. While the patriarch He Guangming, a devoted communist, indulges in recalling his past when he witnessed the growth and development of New China, his three sons share their philosophies and means of survival in China's fast-changing society. Youngest son, He Xiaoming, exposes his dilemma of possibly escaping to the US due to illegally raising funds for his company or staying with the family.
The play has won critical acclaim in China for its blunt exposure of social problems, incisive and humorous lines and excellent acting, since its debut in November, 2009.
"It is real, reflecting the diverse values and moral conflicts in Chinese society," producer Liu Tiegang told the Global Times. "At the same time there are similar problems in the US as well. People there are also thinking and reflecting on the same questions."
One of the major elements that still needs to be resolved, is how to transfer the comedy. "The translation of the scripts is not so well done at the moment and some of the humor can only be understood by Chinese people," Liu said.
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