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Shakespeare of the East Charms Kiwi Audience

Shakespeare of the East Charms Kiwi Audience

Well-known Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu may not sound as familiar as Shakespeare to many Kiwis, but the common ground between these two masters is surprisingly obvious and interesting. A renowned performing arts troupe from Fuzhou City Cultural and Art Development Center (Tang’s hometown) brought to stage the classic Chinese play performed as an opera. More than 400 locals were invited as guests of Jiangxi Association of New Zealand to Mercury Theatre in Auckland on 1 November for a rare opportunity to experience the beauty of Chinese traditional art.

Tang Xianzu (1550 – 1616) was a famous Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was a native from Linchuan, Jiangxi province. After retired as an official at the age of 48, Tang returned to his hometown to focus on writing. Tang wrote four major plays which are collectively called the Four Dreams of Lin Chuan: The Purple Hairpin, The Peony Pavilion, A Dream under a Southern Bough, and Dream of Handan. The four plays are constructed around a dream narrative, a device through which Tang unlocks the emotional dimension of human desires and ambitions, and explores human nature beyond the social and political constraints of the feudal social system of the time. Many audiences have found a similar thematic link between Tang’s Four Dreams of Lin Chuan and in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Because of this similarity between Tang and Shakespeare, and the fact that Tang also died in 1616, the same year as Shakespeare, Tang is often referred as the “Shakespeare of the East”. Echoing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with its theme of forbidden and endangered love, Tang’s Four Dreams of Lin Chuan celebrates true love over death and the constraints imposed by society.

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While Tang and Shakespeare lived a world away from each other, they share some common elements – the humanity in their drama, their iconic heroic figures, their love for language and poetic lyricism, a lasting popularity.

This performance marked the first time that Tang Xianzu’s play has been staged in Auckland. This award-winning, widely-acclaimed classic play was performed in the local dialect from Tang’s hometown Linchuan (now known as Fuzhou). The show featured AV screens flanking the stage to display subtitles in both English and Chinese for the audience to better understand the story. The performance was a great success and was well received by New Zealand audience.

“This is my first experience of Chinese opera, it was absolutely stunning. It is a great privilege for me to see it since it is the first time this show staged in New Zealand. The costume is absolutely wonderful, and the love story is very fascinating. I think the artists have done a fantastic job. We look forward to seeing more shows from China. New Zealand needs to have more Chinese cultural performances like this,” said Els de Jong, an Auckland local.

“As a Chinese resident in New Zealand, I am very happy to have my kid to learn about Chinese culture. We wish there will be more and more Chinese performance available in New Zealand. This is not only good for the New Zealand Chinese community to re-connect with their own culture, but also for more New Zealanders to get a chance to understand Chinese culture,” said Eric Yu.

The visiting artist group from Jiangxi was hosted by Jiangxi Association of New Zealand and its Chairman Mr. Ming Li.

“Performing art is one of the strongest way for people from different cultures to engage and understand each other. From the audience’s response to our ‘Shakespeare of the East’, we feel it is clear evidence that art can bridge cultural gaps. For New Zealand Chinese to re-connect with their home culture and for Kiwis to experience Chinese culture is something we should promote and do more in the future,” said Mr. Li.

Jiangxi Association of New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation established by local Chinese residents from China’s Jiangxi Province aiming to contribute to the friendship between New Zealand and Jiangxi. In leveraging its members’ influence and networks, Jiangxi Association of New Zealand supports deeper, stronger and more close links between New Zealand and Jiangxi.


ENDS


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