Reviews

《Untitled》

The original prototype of Untitled was just a class assignment. Several students near me were discussing their work. I overheard that the plot was properly organized, even without the help of any visual effects. When I heard their story, I felt both creeped out and compassionate towards what had happened. At the same time, I immediately had the stage performance of the play in my mind: it should be a tight playlet about novelty and freedom. It would be vivid and vigorous. After torments ranging from distress to death, Untitled was born. The pronunciation of the title Untitled is just like the sound “tick-tock”. It’s the sound of time passing, the sound of water droplets falling and, at the same time, the sound of tears flowing down. Life might be made up of millions of ticking moments. It brings us laughter and, perhaps more, tears.

— Li Bo, director

《If Leave》

If Leave may seem like a story far from our present life, but it’s about asking about life’s choices. It doesn’t tell stories, it doesn’t make sense. It just tells the audience their thinking about life in a simple but powerful way.

— [Unknown]

If you like poetry, then it is a poem, not the usual amatory poems. It is simple and clean, as the theme song says: “The heart is born with the mind, the mind is sticky; but the mountains are so high, the moon is at the mountain top.” If you like painting, then If Leave is like a piece of paper, plain clean rice paper, looking weak and slight. But the paper contains hills, rivers and all kinds of things. A piece of paper is a life, but also a circle. If you like dancing, If Leave is a floating dance. If you like music, If Leave is an eloquent melody. It tries to solve many narrative problems with music and bodies.

— Opera Guide

We always believe that there will be a soft and peaceful land in the cockles of the heart. If Leave is such a place. It is trying its best to present you with a chance to understand yourself far from worldly life, neither crying nor laughing. Standing quietly in front of you, the play is just like having uneventful company after a long separation. Not just the separation between you and the theatre, also your reunion with yourself, your entire present and the original heart you once cherished.

— Opera Guide

《Static》

This is about a sperm named Jing Zhi going down the mountain to find his partner, dirty but pure, with lingering sadness.

— Shi Hang, playwright

《Untitled》

About Untitled  

Everything that has happened has a reason for it. Why it is that way? Because there must be a cause. If not for that, it would not be what it is now. And the cause itself is a result, too, and is affected by the “cause of the cause” (that is, the occurrence of one event causes the next event, and the event itself is caused by another event). All upcoming events are decided at the very beginning of the universe.

So it seems as if everything is doomed. The cause of the past determines the outcome of the present. Then can the man who considered himself superior be free from bondage and regain freedom? To the determinist, all results were predestined. But at least you don’t know them here and now…

About Li Bo

Li Bo is a theatre director and the founder of the Dancing Elephant Theatre Company. He graduated from the Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy and is currently working as an acting instructor. As a theatre artist and educator, Li Bo strives to combine free imagination with a unique sense of humor in his works. He has also led various academic research programs funded by national grants. As an actor, Li Bo has appeared in multiple award-winning films and TV series. As a director and playwright, he has written and directed Untitled, Grandpa’s Adventures, and Tracing the Line, all of which entered the final rounds of the Young Theatre Artists Competition of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. In 2015, Li Bo won the Most Outstanding Artist for his acting in Tracing the Line. Li Bo has been serving on the Competition Jury at the Festival since 2016.

Credits

Playwright: Li Bo

Director: Li Bo

Executive Director: Zhang Xiaoqing

Cast: Li Xu, Wang Yiting, Tang Jiayin, Zhou Weiwei

About Dancing Elephant Theatre

Founded by Li Bo in February 2008, The Dancing Elephant Theatre Company is based in Dalian and features acting students from prestigious art schools as its creative team members. Since its establishment, the company has strived to use free imagination and its unique sense of humor to observe and comment on life. In its first decade, the company has left its mark on the Chinese theatre landscape with productions including Hope, Reunion, The String of Heart, Untitled, Grandpa’s Adventures, Tracing the Line, While We Are Young, and others.

《If Leave》

About If Leave

Sick since childhood; parents were alarmed.

Entering the empty gate, ask Buddha to lead you.

Rarely sweep the front hallway; lazily chant prayers.

Take off your cassock, driven out.

A young monk is about to "jump the wall," going back to the red dust. Before leaving, what he is thinking about? Facing the Qingbai courtyard wall, he faces his own shadow. Does he have anything to say?

Stay in the mountains without love, or go out into the storm that is the world? For ten years, I have never stepped out of the mountain gate. What is it about the red dust that stops the heart?

One “myself”; one shadow; one ancient song; this means “bringing shadow, making three”.

Take this step; suddenly enter secular life, once, just on a whim.

About Mao Ernan

Mao Ernan, M.A., vice-director of the Creative Department in Chinese Children’s Art Theatre, State Second-Class Director, member of the Youth Federation of the Ministry of Culture, member of the Chinese Children’s Drama Research Association and member of the Chinese Young Volunteers Association.

His work has been selected for many international theatre festivals, and widely praised. Mao Ernan has achieved several magnum opuses as a director. The expansive epic drama called Malus is still performed in the Treasure House of the Imperial Palace. The monodrama Wood was selected for the Fifth China Children's Drama Festival, the only children's drama selected among the People's Daily 2015 annual recommended plays. The experimental drama, If Leave, entered the Young Theatre Artists Competition in Wuzhen Theatre Festival and won the highest award, The Best Play. The next year, If Leave was invited to Festival d'Avignon. The physical drama, Three Monks, entered the 4th China Children’s Theatre Festival, and has participated in many international theatre festivals in Germany, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Japan, France, Pakistan, Romania, Iceland, Malta, South Africa, Australia, and more. Mao Ernan's music drama called Blooming won the Best Play for the 4th Campus Theatre Festival and the First Prize for the 4th Beijing University Student Art Exhibition. The multimedia children’s play, Adventures of Little Bootou, was selected for the third China Children’s Theatre Festival. The literary play, Burning, was selected for the 2012 National Campus Theatre Festival, and won Best Play. His musical comedy, Elephant in the House, was selected for the Beijing Fringe Festival in 2011. The monologue Slow Art was part of the Beijing Fringe Festival in 2010, and the Beijing International Singles Theatre Festival in Dongcheng in 2010.

In recent years, Mao Ernan has explored the diversity and richness of stage forms. His works are in line with contemporary stage arts in the world. He has been dedicated to the practice and theoretical research of the stage arts, especially multimedia theatre, modern puppet drama, children’s plays and other unique kinds of theatre.

Credits

Producer: Li Shujun

Playwright: Yang Yikun

Director: Mao Ernan

Cast: Peng Luqi,Liu Meichi

Stage Designer: Yang Juntao

Light Designer: Wang Runjie

Costume Designer: Song Qiao

Original lyrics: Yang yikun

Stage Manager: Li Guorui

About 10 Theatre

Members of 10 Theatre met when they were graduate students at the Central Drama Academy. Their first dramatic work was called The Darkroom Printer, which was selected for the Beijing Fringe Festival in 2010. This one-character play discussed fast and slow time, as well as the “slow” pace of life abandoned by fast social development. Since its debut, this drama has been widely acclaimed and selected for many festivals. At the same time, all the members have gained long-lasting friendships.

Over a period of five years, 10 Theatre has created nearly ten plays on various subjects, and has included festival works and commercial works. The theatre’s developments have also lead to the individual’s progress of each member.

As a flexible, cooperative theatre, each member of 10 Theatre has their individual dramatic plays. Nonetheless, they have still insisted on creating one or two plays every year all together. The 10 Theatre is not only focused on creative vitality, but also values the drama’s technical aspects. For example, The Darkroom Printer tried to explore the rules for the creation of One-Character Drama; The Elephant in The Room started to experiment with Documentary Drama.

《Static》

About Static

One day, a sperm named Jing Zhi was told by his master that he should go out to find a little ovum. But Jing Zhi had a fear of the outside world because of all those stories he’d heard. He was afraid of that forever-dark vagina. His master patiently wised him up, and finally Jing Zhi set out on his way to find a little ovum, looking for the meaning of his life.

Credits

Playwright: Wu Bi

Directed by: Wu Bi

Performer: Wu Bi, Gao Ying

Producer: Zhao Junyan

About Wu Bi

Wu Bi, actor of the National Theatre of China.He won Most Outstanding Performance in the National Art Troupe’s Outstanding Repertoire (2012). Static won Best Play in the 3rd Wuzhen theatre Festival. Wu Bi played roles as writer, director, and stars in Static.

Drama Works:

Ming, The Yellow Storm, Green Snake, Romeo&Juliet, Hero 24 hours, Big Yard, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, Long Night, Beijing Fayuansi, and more.

Musical:

Why I Love You, Song of Light & Shadow, Wanderings of Sanmao, and more.

Variety Show:

Stage director and actor for Golden Night in Shanghai-based Dragon TV.

Stage director and writer for The Schoolfellow Friendship.