Ambitious modernization of ancient tale
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Hong Kong singer Denise Ho (right) plays the lead role of Jia Baoyu in Awakening. Provided to China Daily |
The play Awakening is a bold re-imagining of the classic Chinese novel, A Dream of Red Mansions.
The ancient red mansion has been replaced with an iron and cement warehouse. The main character, Jia Baoyu, the handsome man with a gold crown and fiery gown in A Dream of Red Mansions, now resembles Peter Pan, with a white cape and leather boots. Jinling's 12 beauties, Jia's female relatives, servants and friends, have replaced their traditional silk and satin with suits and high-heels and speak English and Japanese.
But it would be wrong to say the superficial modernization of the ancient text is the sole reason the production, directed by Edward Lam and starring Hong Kong singer Denise Ho, has been acclaimed as a brilliant contemporary interpretation of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) novel.
As its name implies, Awakening is about awareness - gathering the courage to leave behind the regrets of the past and to face up to present realities with a true heart.
Courage is what is lost when youth fades. And youth, an eternal subject for artists throughout time, has never been more in favor as it is today. People easily fall into nostalgia in a constantly changing world, when it's difficult to grasp the beautiful moments that pass us by.
"While A Dream of Red Mansions has a bigger theme and probes into politics and the sociology of an era, Awakening focuses on one figure, Jia Baoyu, showing his rediscovery of who he is and what he wants," director Lam says.
"What I'm trying to reflect is the novel's influence on modern people."
Awakening's story begins where the novel ends. Jia enters a fairyland after experiencing the decline of his aristocratic family and parting, in life and death, with Jinling's 12 beauties.
However, Jia has no recollection of these partings - not even the death of his true love Lin Daiyu. Snowflakes fall on the stage symbolizing his memories being wiped out, giving the play a visually breathtaking opening.
Regarding it as "heartless" to forget the past, Jia decides to live his life over again. But fairies recall his memories of the tragic fates of the beauties before they send him back to his past.
Knowing the beauties meet an unfortunate end makes each moment bittersweet, as Jia knows fate will sweep these moments away like a ruthless snowstorm.
Snowflakes flutter through the warehouse throughout the four-hour play.
Ho, who plays the role of Jia, sings seven songs that serve as the play's emotional high points. Some critics have grumbled that Ho's songs interrupted the play's flow.
However, in my opinion, it's necessary to allow three to four minutes for the audience to empathize with the characters and Ho's penetrating voice and lyrics to describe the emotions clouding Jia's mind.
The performers' quick speech and lighthearted manner sometimes failed to portray to the audience the solemnity of the narrative.
Awakening's biggest twist comes at Jia's wedding. In the novel, the bride is Xue Baochai, a girl Jia doesn't love, but his family favors. However, in the play it is Lin who appears when Jia takes away the bridal veil.
Jia makes a surprising choice: He gives up the chance to marry his love and instead marries Xue, asking Lin to wait to be reunited with him in the fairyland.
Ho says she can understand and accept Jia's choice.
"There are a lot of crossroads in life where we need to make a choice immediately. We usually regret it later, but I think all these things I regret are the nutrition for my growth," Ho says.
Awakening is the 50th production of Edward Lam Dance Theatre.
Lam says he is passionate about reinterpreting classic literature.
"The classics are the ticket for me to enter a Disneyland where we can explore and decide how we are related to the figures in the ancient world," he explains.
Awakening is on a national tour to 11 cities, including Beijing, until June.
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