Edgy history
During the press conference in Beijing, industry insiders spoke of the importance of the Edinburgh Fringe Showcase in shaping the future of China's experimental theater. In a year that many consider to mark three decades of experimental theater in China, the arrival of the shows, activities and ideas associated with the showcase couldn't be better timed. In this landmark year, the Chinese theater world is examining what the festival can bring to the art in China and finding inspiration to push boundaries even further.
Song Baozhen, deputy director of the Drama Studies Department at Chinese National Academy of Arts, said that "fringe" or "vanguard" is a comparative concept.
The 1980s is thought to be the inaugural decade of experimental theater in China, following director Lin Zhaohua's Warning Signal (1982). But according to Song, back in 1919, Professor Song Chunfang of Peking University published an article discussing the role of small theaters, sparking their growth throughout China. The birth of experimental theater in the 1980s came at a time when mainstream theater was falling out of public favor. As time went on, experimental theater blended into the mainstream, losing its edge, and many vanguard shows of that time are now considered classics.
Song emphasized that creativity is always in demand.
"Audiences go to the theater because they expect to see something new and authentic, even if it has a traditional framework," said Song.
Yuan Hong, a drama critic and producer, said that experimental theater in the Chinese mainland today has reduced its function to exploring new possibilities for drama under box office pressures, calling for a push to develop creatively. Yuan referenced Detention as an example of how actors can use physical movements to break out of the traditional use of the stage.
Benefits for domestic arts
Yu Shaowen, a theater critic, said that modern drama and modern dance are art forms that originated in Western countries. The Chinese theater world has been making a study and developing its own interpretations of these art forms.
"By openly and faithfully learning about these art forms, we are able to produce a high number of quality works ourselves. Warning Signal was created during such a period," said Yu.
For Yu, being on the fringe means being open-minded. Yu and experimental theater director Meng Jinghui, famous for Rhinoceros in Love and The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, were in college together. After seeing his schoolmate progress from being a drama fan who loved the theater into a top-rate director in China, Yu feels that it is essential for young talent to experience and learn from different types of stage productions.
Workshops led by actors from André and Dorine will teach methods on acting without facial expressions or dialogue, while directing workshops given by Tang Shu-wing may focus on how Chinese plays can find success abroad and how to make people laugh with wisdom instead of vulgar jokes.
Yu said young theater lovers today might become masters tomorrow. For this reason, he says, it is essential to invite cutting-edge and high-quality dramas to China to provide inspiration to domestic talent.
Source: Gloabl Times
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