1862 unveils a season of shows open for all
The shipyard-turned performance venue 1862 Theater has unveiled its 2021-2022 season playbill with the theme of "Open for All."
Unlike the industrial earth tones of the first two years of the private theater, this year's program is bright yellow, symbolizing a fresh start after a hard year for the theater industry.
Two series "Who! When! Where!" and "Who? When? Where?" headline the season.
As the question marks imply, the actor, the time and the venue of the performances of the latter series are yet to be decided.
The "Who! When! Where!" series includes eight plays directed by middle-aged and young Chinese artists.
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Original drama "Hudec" combines music and film.
The physical theater "Aquatic," which received a 4-star recommendation at the 2012 Avignon Theater Festival-Off in France and wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013, already played at 1862 Theater in spring, along with the comedy "The Four" about an intellectual in the Republic of China (1912-49) and an update on the ancient Chinese love story – "The New Romance of the West Chamber."
Next spring, audiences will enjoy a new version of the tale of Dou E. Originally written by Guan Hanqing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the play tells the story of a woman who is wrongly convicted of murder by a corrupt court official.
The experimental drama is directed by the shining artist Ding Yiteng who also plays the lead role.
Tickets sold out within eight minutes during the Wuzhen Theater Festival in 2017.
Featuring more than 30 traditional operas and popular songs, the play "Samadhi" will also be staged at the 1862 Theater next spring.
It revolves around the story of two men and a woman spanning 80 years and happening in an old Beijing opera theater.
In the coming autumn, He Nian's latest work "Shen Yuan," or abyss, will run for one month.
The mystery play tells the story of a mother who does everything she can to protect her daughter but the gap between them is deeper and deeper.
In November, "When We Two Parted" will be presented by director Zhu Hongxuan.
Based on a true story, the play features two female Chinese physicists Wu Jianxiong (1912-97) and Gu Jinghui (1900-83).
Wu was a particle and experimental physicist who made significant contributions in the fields of nuclear and particle physics. Gu was the first doctor of physics in the modern history of China.
The play depicts their experience of working at an underground laboratory from 1935 to 1936 and their fight for gender stereotypes and prejudice in their careers.
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"When We Two Parted" features two female Chinese physicists.
The Shanghai Theater Academy will present the original drama "Hudec," which combines music and film.
The Beijing Film Academy will present a hilarious absurdist comedy show titled "Kill the Judge."
The "Who! When! Where!" series also incorporates the section of "Intimate Growth Theater," which aims to introduce early art and theater education to children.
The section features five children's programs. The myth-drama "Flood Fighting" jointly produced by the artists from China, Britain and Holland has already been staged at 1862 Theater.
The interactive dance theater "The Jury" will be run by children for children.
In the performance, the kids decide that since they are children and this is a performance for children their voices should be heard so they stop the show and make a performance by themselves.
The theater takes the notion of dance for kids to an entirely new level.
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"The Jury" is run by children and for children.
Jointly produced by Chinese and French artists, the puppet show "Les Fleurs Dans Le Miroir" will be performed by children as well.
It is based on the fantasy novel "Flowers in the Mirror" written by Li Ruzhen of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The novel depicts the journey of Tang Ao to the Country of Gentlemen, the Country of Women, the Country of Intestineless People, the Country of Two-faced People and other countries along with other people.
In September, Chinese and British artists will express their interpretation of a Kunqu opera classic "Single Sword Meeting" through the form of modern dance.
A series of original animated films from France, Danmark, Spain, Canada and other countries will be screened at the theater in May next year.
Full of possibilities, the "Who? When? Where?" series offers five acclaimed performances.
One of the highlights of the series is the interactive theater "£¥€$ (Lies)," of which its Chinese name is called money world.
Produced by the Belgium company Ontroerend Goed, the play allows audience to be sucked into a world of global markets.
The play, which is more like a game, is set up like a casino. The audience will become bankers in the show. The venue of both the play and another immersive theater named "Swan Lake: The Game" has not been decided.
Produced by Guy & Roni Club, "Swan Lake: The Game" is a remix of the Russian ballet in the form of an online and offline theater event. Divided into nine groups with 30 people each, audiences will become co-creators of the storytelling process. The setting will be customized for the 1862 Theater.
Widely unpredictable, the play "White Rabbit, Red Rabbit" is with no rehearsal, no director, a different actor each night and a script waiting in a sealed envelope on stage.
The theatrical experiment is written by Iranian writer Nassim Soleimanpour. It is still a mystery that who will perform the show.
Mixing dance and comedy, the performance "Legend of Haohao" will be staged later in the year. And the time is yet to be announced.
Apart from performances, 1862 Theater will organize an array of public art activities, including talks and lectures by actress Tao Hong, dancer Yang Yang and composer Tian Yimiao.
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