Presenter: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
Lead Cast: Xu Chengxian, Zhou Yemang, Zhu Jie, Zhang Xianheng, Song Yining, Zhao Haitao, He Yi, Zhang Wen, etc.
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Theatre
Dates: August 27-30, 2009 19:30
Price: VIP 380 280 180 120 80 RMB
Programme Introduction
Adapted from Faust, a masterpiece of Goethe, the famous German poet, the large-scale drama Faust in Chinese version, brewed by the drama master Mr. Xu Xiaozhong for 23 years will be performed in August at the NCPA. The drama is a tragedy, with the thinking change of Faust facing the demon’s temptation as the clew, unfolding a magic tour to search oneself. The constant pursuit of Faust reflects author’s cognition and thinking of the human beings.
The original work of Faust is one verse drama with 12,111 lines, without coherent plots; therefore, it is really a tough job to perform it as a drama by the drama staff.
Early in 1985, the former founder of Shanghai People’s Art Theater, drama master Huang Zuolin invited Xu Xiaozhong who assumed the post of President of The Central Academy of Drama at that time to go to Shanghai to rehearse Faust. Mentioning about the engagement in that year, Director Xu appeared to be calm with sentiment, “at that time, Teacher Huang Zuolin told me about his wish, and I said worriedly to him to request him to be the art director. And he said smilingly that he would.” However, 20 years passed by, various conditions were not mature, so the drama had not been shot before.
Xu said with smile, “I began to be infatuated with Faust when I started to learn the Western drama history. One who is engaged in drama will always feel it is a great regret if he does not contribute to the drama which is teemed with struggling and enterprising spirit of human beings. Faust is like a mirror for us to understand life and the world.”
Through many years of gestation, Xu Xiaozhong, who was over eighty years old, recognized to be another drama master following Jiao Juyin and Huang Zuolin, had the chance to perform the “Century Engagement” made between him and Huang Zuolin until 2008.
Synopsis
Demon Mephistopheles betted with the God and thought that the pursuit of human beings that could not be met will finally cause their corruption; but the God considered it was inevitable that human beings may make mistakes in their pursuit, but they could finally realize the truth. Then the Demon went to the world to tempt Faust. Then Faust was one more than fifty years-old scholar, in his old times, he suddenly realized that the study room where he stayed was actually a jail and separated him from the nature. He was so painful to want to kill himself, and went to another world to seek for a way. The Demon promised to behave as servant of Faust and take him to start a new life, under the premise that the demon would possess his soul once he felt satisfied. Faust made a contract with the Demon, then the Demon attempted various ways to lure Faust and impede his desires, and they jointly experienced the stages of love life, political life, pursuit for the classical beauty, and performing good deeds. Finally, Faust fell on to the ground dying with his words, “you’re so beautiful, please wait for a moment!”. When the Demon tried to seize his soul, the Heaven fell with rose rain which turned into flame and driven the Demon, and the angles took Faust to the Heaven…
Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
Founded on January 23, 1995, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center was established by the former Shanghai People’s Art Theater (initially founded in 1950) and Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe (founded in 1957), two famous drama performance groups, being the only national professional drama group in Shanghai, and also one of the best drama groups in China. Shanghai People’s Art Theater and Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe were respectively established by famous drama masters Mr. Xia Yan, Mr. Huang Zuolin and Mr. Xiong Foxi, and had performed more than 500 Western and Chinese classical masterpieces and modern works successively during scores of years.
Since the establishment of the Center in 1995, it has continuously conducted the creation and rehearsal for new drama and carried out many tour performance activities around China, and it has obtained the national awards Plum Blossom Award, Gold Lion Award, Magnolia Award for many times with regards to play, playwright, director, player, dance and art. Besides, the Center pays more attention to enhance the cultural exchange with the countries around the world, to learn about their experience in creating the excellent drama.
During more than ten years, the Center has successively performed more than 100 foreign and Chinese works, and carried out cooperation and visiting performances of various types with artists from the UK, the USA, France, Australia, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Island, Egypt, Germany, Turkey, and other countries as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan regions, attended the performance at many international art festivals such as Chekhov International Theater Festival, Singapore International Drama Festival, Egyptian Cairo International Experimental Drama Festival, Japanese Toga Art Festival, and has been highly praised by the domestic and foreign art circles, drawn strong response from audiences of different countries and regions.
(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)
