Lai probes love and freedom through his comedy "Ménage à 13"
The comedy "Ménage à 13" stars Chinese host and actress Xie Na and actor Wen Zhang.
The Theater Above is returning to the stage with a brand-new production of "Ménage à 13."
Written and directed by Stan Lai, who also founded the group, the play, to be staged from September 16 to 25, is inspired by Woody Allen's 1985 film "The Purple Rose of Cairo."
"When I saw the film, I was stunned that the hero walks off the screen and into the real world to meet the heroine," Lai said. "It goes beyond the rules and frameworks of cinema and hits the mark."
Marriage, intimacy, power, family, the ability to love, and the true nature of life are addressed in this hilarious, witty, and absurd play.
The play is about a radio show host who discovers her husband is having an affair with a powerful woman in the stock market. Instead of confronting her adversary, she learns how to reclaim her husband's heart from "the other woman."
"It is not difficult to make audiences laugh," Lai said. "However, it is difficult to make the laughter meaningful. We hope the play provokes thought in our audience."
Xie played the role of Chunhua in Lai's play "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" in 2006.
The play stars the "radio host" Xie Na and Wen Zhang.
Xie played the role of Chunhua in Lai's play "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land" in 2006, and appeared in the previous version of "Ménage à 13," which was staged in 2012.
"I'm really excited and happy to be back on stage after a decade," said Xie. "We rehearsed and polished every word, movement, and emotion."
In the second edition of the play, Lai is also the stage designer, and Huang Wei handled the costume and styling design.
Huang said the actors have to change their outfits very quickly, almost in seconds.
"After reading the script, I laughed wildly while feeling sad in my heart," Huang said. "The quickest way to let actors get into the characters is by changing their appearance. I push these psychological tensions to the extreme through costume."
Information info
Dates: September 16-25, 7:30pm (Fridays and Saturdays), 2:30pm (Sundays)
Tickets: 380-1,300 yuan
Venue: Theater Above
Address: 5/F, 1111, Zhaojiabang Rd
