Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Theatre
Dates: August 31-September 03, 2017
About
This is not a stage play in the traditional sense. Multiple facets of Chinese Buddhist monk Hongyi will appear on the same stage. Instead of the linear time pattern, three-dimensional perception of monk Hongyi will be presented in an unusual way. This work is “master class” rather than a merely stage play, integrating a variety of unique stage means and enlightens the audiences with life instructions.
Different performers, different moods, different space-time and different realms are brought into full play so that multi-faceted demonstration is carried out for the same character.
Artistically inspired by Director TIAN Qinxin, a large number of artists, scholars and Buddhist monks join in Listening to Monk Hongyi and make concerted efforts to create a play with important cultural impact.
By breaking through common expression techniques in traditional drama, abandoning theatre watching stereotype and following the theme of “Listening”, this work really embeds wisdom into all audiences’ innermost world in the form of “master class”.
Credits
General Planner: Monk Juexing, TIAN Qinxin
Executive Presenters: FENG Shunda, Monk Juexing, GU Wei
Executive Producers: WANG Hanyi, ZHANG Yuan, Monk Huijue
Playwright/Director: TIAN Qinxin
Co-playwright: Monk Keyi
Literature Consultant: YANG Kui
Producer: Laoxiang
Co-producers: JIANG Han, Monk Shengjing, SU Zihang
Invited co-producer: XING Min
Visual Director/ Set Designer/Lighting Designer: XIAO Lihe
Costume and Style Designer & Supervisor: CHEN Gufang
Sound Designer & Supervisor: WANG Danrong
Music Director: JIANG Jinghong
Video Projector: HU Tianji
Prop Designer: JIN Jifeng
Style Designer: LIU Hongman
Executive Director: SUN Xiaoming
Executive Producers: HAN Yuzheng, ZHOU Jiecui
Cast
Host 1355: CHU Zhiyong
Uncle LUO: LUO Bing
KUANG Ming: LI Yazhou
LIU Xiyong: CAI Peng
GUAN Putang/Host/Assistant MAO/Spy: ZHU Hongbo
YANG Delin: PENG Wenxin
JIN Dan: ZHOU Chuanjie
MAO Shifen: SUN Xiaopeng
Singer/Host/Assistant MAO: TANG Lüjing
YUAN Xiaomei/Hostess/Guitarist: PAN Cheng
SHEN Cuidie/Hostess/Erhu Player: WU Yun’er
Hostess/Guzheng Player: ZHU Siyi
Hostess/flute Player: SHI Jiani
Host/Assistant JIN/Spy: LIANG Ce
GUANG Jiongzhi: LI Zhida
Special Guest
Monk Miaolian: Monk Miaoci
Monks: Monk Shengjing, Monk Shubing, Monk Mingfei
Co-presenters
Hangzhou Dramatic Arts Centre affiliated to Hangzhou Culture & Broadcasting Company
Shanghai Jue Qun Cultural & Educational Fund
Beijing Qingxin Culture Co. Ltd
Synopsis
When Counter-Japanese breaks out on August 13th, 1937, “Chinese territory” in Shanghai is bombarded by the Japanese army and severely destroyed. In Shanghai, concession enjoys a terrible boom. Entities engaged in film, publishing, entertainment and other industries swarm to hide in the concessions and rampantly develop. The wealthy second generation of department stores originates and promotes the rise of China's broadcasting industry.
Online Podcast “BadFM” produces an audible and visual special programme for this history. Within the stage space structure of “TIAN’s Drama”, the present and the Republic of China (1912-1949), intersected time and space, loftiness and degeneration supplement each other. When “bad guy” shuttles back and forth, he “sees” the monk Hongyi. Drama Listening to Monk Hongyi features combination between speculation and historical fact. After verbal steamrollering by others, Monk Hongyi gradually comes out to be a substantial legend.
Favoured by netizens, “1355” (one of founders and hosts of “BadFM”) and LUO Bing (executive of “Radish Radio Station” are especially invited to perform in Listening to Monk Hongyi. Special guests play the roles of some people who are vividly fashioned, mortally afraid of death, emotional and bold during the Republic of China (1912-1949). A visible live broadcast is under way in an impressive manner.
Creative
TIAN Qinxin Director
As Director of National Theater of China, deputy director of Institute of Film, TV and Theatre in Peking University, art director of Hangzhou Culture Radio and TV Group and China's first-level director, TIAN Qinxin enjoys the special allowances of the State Council.
In China’s stage play, she has always insisted on the cultural quality and humanistic feelings and has been a banner not falling. The new explorations of Chinese traditional themes and the world’s masterworks and the captures of the sensitive topics in the modern and contemporary age are contained in her works. She combines the contemporary artistic concepts with the oriental aesthetics when presenting the stage and she emphasizes the performances integrated with physical expressions and poetic language, complex space-time structure and strong visual impact. Her works have established her own school and they also have aprofound influence on the international theater field.
Before and after World Theater Day on March 27th, 2014, the dramas of Green Snake and Unique Beauty directed and written by her were performed in the U.S. at the same time. Green Snake, jointly commissioned by the 41st Hong Kong Arts Festival and the 15th Shanghai International Arts Festival and jointly produced by National Theater of China and National Theatre of Scotland, attended World Stage: 2014 International Theatre Festival as the only representative repertoire of China at the invitation of John F. Kennedy Arts Center. Green Snake was one of the most sensational works in the performing market of Greater China Region in 2013, and it was also invited to appear in 2014 Edinburgh Arts Festival and was rated as the first of “mystery plays”. The drama Unique Beauty directed by TIAN Qinxin was on tour in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston. She was also invited to rehearse three dramas in South Korea.
Her representative works include drama, such as The Field of Life and Death, Wild Whirlwind, Chinese Orphan, Red Rose and White Rose, Matters in Ming Dynasty, The Yellow Storm, Green Snake, Beijing Fayuan Temple, Kunqu opera including 1699 · The Peach Blossom Fan, and musical The Song of the Film (2010).
She has won plenty of honours and awards. She has won gold award of performance in China Arts Festival, National Stage Art Excellent Project Award, Annual Drama and Annual Best Director Awards of Yi Theatre Awards, Wenhua Award of Ministry of Culture, Director Award, Screenwriting Award, Golden Lion Director Award, Screenwriting Award of CAO Yu Literary Award, Excellent Drama Art Worker of Ministry of Culture at 100 Anniversary of Chinese Drama, Hall of Fame Figure of One-hundred Chinese Drama and so on. The works published include theatre collection The Collected Plays of TIAN Qinxin (Drama) (DVD),as well as books including I Act in Play Because I’m Sad, TIAN Qinxin’s Drama Field, TIAN Qinxin’s Play Scripts and TianQinxin’s Rehearsals – The Yellow Storm.
