'Blue Horse' a special gift for Children's Day

China celebrates Children’s Day on June 1 and playwright and director Stan Lai has a special gift for young people — a play called “Blue Horse” to be staged at the Theater Above on June 5-6.

The story features a girl named Vivi who shows a special talent for the piano. Her mother wants her to be a pianist and asks her to take part in countless competitions. However, Vivi wants to write songs for the guitar. 

Vivi’s grandfather sent Vivi a guitar originally belonging to her grandmother. Whenever Vivi feels down, she would play the guitar and sing songs her grandfather once sung to her grandmother.

One day, a wounded winged horse appears outside her window. Vivi secretly takes care of it and sings songs to it every day. The horse takes Vivi back to its homeland where the world is gray. People there have no clue what they truly want. Vivi decides to save the homeland of the horse and starts singing out loud.

Ti Gong

The tale was a bedtime story told by Lai to his two daughters and later his granddaughter. The prototype of the blue horse of the title was Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky’s “The Blue Rider,” which features a small cloaked figure on a speeding horse rushing through a rocky meadow. There was a copy of the painting in Lai’s living room.

“It is more important to teach children how to think independently and respect the world than arranging everything for them,” says Lai.

He hopes the play will encourage children to hear the voice within and pursue their dreams.

“My father was good at telling bedtime stories,” Celeste Lai said. “The story 'Blue Horse' was improvised by my father. He told me the story every day and always had something new.”

The play was written by Stan Lai, Celeste Lai and Skyler Harrison, with scenes and costumes designed by Sandra Woodall.

Performance info

Date: June 5-6; 10:30am, 2:30pm, 7pm
Tickets: 180-480 yuan
Tel: 6050-7009
Venue: Theater Above
Address: 5/F, 1111 Zhaojiabang Rd