A string of classic theatrical shows was performed at the University of the South Pacific (USP) on September 13. It opened the Dialogue across Time and Space, in honor of literary giants Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare.

A stage photo of The Peony Pavilion. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The Peony Pavilion, Mu Guiying Chooses Her Husband and Interrupted Dream in the Garden were brought by the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theater. Nearly 60 distinguished guests watched the show.

The show was interrupted by applause from time to time. Chinese artists' singing voices, dancing moves, touching narration and skilled acrobat fighting were deemed stunning. Local songs later given by young artists from the USP complimented the oriental theater arts perfectly.

"William Shakespeare is a great playwright and an outstanding poet. He is credited as the king of dramas. His brainchildren are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. His legacy is our treasure. Likewise, Chinese playwright, writer and thinker Tang Xianzu has a profound impact on the human history with his great works, such as The Peony Pavilion, The Handan Dream, The Nanke Dream and The Purple Hairpin. Tang is dubbed the Oriental Shakespeare as a result," noted Deng Xianfu, head of the China Cultural Center (CCC) in Fiji.

"The two died in 1616. They lived in the same era and both made a huge difference to theater arts, despite their different nationalities, living conditions and ignorance of each other. This is a coincidence and an amazing miracle. The plays we just watched are a tribute to the two, thus of great significance."

The Vice-President of the USP said: "If Tang and Shakespeare knew they were still remembered 400 years later, they would be very happy. USP looks forward to organizing more cultural activities in cooperation with CCC. We hope our countries' friendship can survive another 400 years".

Dean Sudesh, from the institute of language, art and media, also addressed the show, saying: "Today, we gathered here to commemorate the two. They belong to the world, not any one nation. Their literary heritage knows no boundary".

By comparing Tang's The Peony Pavilion with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, he concluded that: "Love is why dream links to deformation. Like a phantom, dream dissolves all discrepancies and conflicts, including life vs. death and friend vs. foe, whilst love blurs the lines between awake and asleep, between life and death, as well as between friend and foe. Love even transcends time which marks the lines."

Sponsored by China's Ministry of Culture, a big exhibition will soon be held by the CCC in Fiji to showcase Chinese culture.

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