Presenter: National Theatre Company of China
Director: Wang Xiaoying
Playwright: Li Longyun
Lead Cast: Fang Zibin, Xu Yun, Hou Yansong, Hu Bin, Wang Xin and Chen Xiguang, etc.
Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts – Theatre
Dates: April 16 – 18, 2009 19:30
Price: VIP 380 280 180 120 80 RMB
Programme Introduction
The Wilderness and People, written in 1985, tells about of a group of educated youth’s cruel life in the black soil in northeast China. This play evoked enormous repercussions since the day when it came out. In 1988, it won Cao Yu Drama Literature Prize, and in 1989 the Honor Award of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of PRC. The playscript attracted many directors’ attention: in 1987 Mr. Wang Gui took the lead in organizing Liaoning People’s Art Theatre to perform The Wilderness and People in Shenyang, while Mr. Xu Xiaozhong had organized the performance of this play for three times successively before its final success in 1993. In addition, Director Lin Zhaohua had been to Beidahuang (the Great Northern Wilderness in northeast China) to experience life there personally for the performance of The Wilderness and People in 1987.
The Wilderness and People performed by National Theatre Company of China was premiered in 2006. Director Wang Xiaoying said that this play, though written more than 20 years ago, keeps luster till today. The suffering of its characters remains a torture to people nowadays, suggesting that the spirit of the “wilderness” has not disappeared and the vacuum of belief still exists.
Synopsis
In the vast black soil of northeast China, near the border line between countries, is the endless Luomahu Wilderness. The love of reclamation team members, composed of a group of educated youth, is the most beautiful flower in this lonely wilderness.
Ma Zhaoxin and Xicao had been two reclamation team members who fell in love with each other deeply. However, after Xicao was raped by Big Guy Yu, Ma Zhaoxin, the rash young man, was unwilling to accept the poor girl any longer. And the proud girl, Xicao, has been determined not to yield to her fate no matter what happens, so she calmly chose to marry a coachman…
At the same time, Su Jiaqi, a timid guy, was in love with a delicate girl, Ning Shanshan. In a small border conflict, Su Jiaqi became a deserter, while his girlfriend Ning Shanshan took his place to go to the battlefield for him, regardless of the risk of life. Finally, Ning’s death made their love a wound cannot be healed in Su’s heart …
However, Li Tiantian, a girl who always has the poetic feeling in spite of the bitter days, is coming to love Su Jiaqi. She had ever been brave enough to choose to end her own life, but when she decided to continue her life, the crazy swamp devoured her …
The blizzard is blowing hard. Overwhelming and indiscriminate, it sweeps away life, sweeps away good and evil, and even sweeps away the Luomahu Wilderness. At last everything between heaven and earth has disappeared. Ma Zhaoxin is the only one left, who still wanders between the two-dimensioned space of belief and cannot find a place of conversion. In a moment, he feels he is still in Luomahu, being with his young partners.
(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)
