Stage drama, especially small-scale theater, seems for many to be an esoteric art not everyone can immediately appreciate. However, Hong Kong stage director Edward Lam says learning to love the art form isn’t as hard as it seems.
“Good drama doesn’t directly tell you what it is and offer answers. Instead, it leads you to find out your own answers,” he said.
他說:“一部好劇不會直接告訴你它講了什么,然后給出答案。相反,它會引導你自己去尋找答案。”
The 2015 Cross-Straits Little Theater Festival, running from April 25 to May 17 in Beijing, brings together 10 stage dramas from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, including Lam’s “Two Men”. It introduces audiences to the charm of small theater, and offers space for lectures from mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwanese theater directors.
Originating in Europe in the 19th century, small theater (called Fringe theater or Off-Off Broadway theater in the West) is performed in a tiny space, like an underground garage. The movement came to China in the 1980s, and it’s since become synonymous with experimental theater.
Ren Ming, head of Beijing People’s Art Theatre describes small-scale theater as a “dream studio”. “It offers a platform to showcase directors’ spirit of innovation and exploration. Many experimental dramas occur in these venues. To really know Chinese stage drama, you have to also appreciate small-scale theater,” he told Chinaculture.org.
Small theater is gaining popularity among college students as well.
小劇場也正越來越受大學生的歡迎。
For example, this year’s Beijing college student small theater festival, held in January, received more than 100 entries produced entirely by students, China News Service reported. Ten of the entries won awards and toured universities in Beijing, attracting more than 10,000 viewers. Similar theater festivals have also been held in other cities including Jinan and Guangzhou in recent years.
What prerequisites must be met in order to appreciate this form of art? Lam says not to worry.
要欣賞這種形式的藝術需要滿足什么前提條件么?林奕華告訴我們不用擔心這個問題。
“The only question is whether you are willing to admit the issue that the drama addresses is relevant to you,” he said.
他說:“唯一的問題就是你是否愿意承認,舞臺劇中講述的問題是與你息息相關的。”
He compares watching a stage drama to appreciating an abstract painting. At first glance, you may feel confused about the image and the meaning. But after you do enough research about the painter’s life experiences and cultural background, you will get some understanding.
“Art, no matter what form it takes, always reflects humanity,” he said. “It reflects humans’ desires, hopes and other internal needs.” And that’s something it doesn’t take much effort to grasp at all.