Shaanxi theater to stage "White Deer Plain" in Shanghai
The Shaanxi People's Art Theater will stage its signature production "White Deer Plain" in Shanghai later this month.
The play is based on Chen Zhongshi's 1993 novel of the same name, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize. It tells the stories of two landowning families, Bai and Lu.
Characters from three generations are witnesses to key events that occurred between 1900 and 1950. Morality, and not class or economic standing, distinguishes people in the play.
The group will stage three performances at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.
The Shaanxi People's Art Theater's signature production, "White Deer Plain," will be staged in Shanghai this month.
According to playwright Meng Bing, the structure of the play is faithful to the original novel, yet the conflicts appear to be more dramatic.
The original is heavy and deep, Meng said, and the difficulty in condensing a masterpiece of more than 500,000 words into a 2.5-hour play was enormous.
Shannxi Province's folk culture has been interwoven into the stage design and customs with strong regional characteristics.
Instead of using story-telling narration, village characters reveal some plot developments and historical background in folk songs, giving the play a rhythmic dimension.
The Shaanxi People's Art Theater aspires to demonstrate its concern for ordinary people's lives and spiritual status amid constantly changing social circumstances through its humanity-oriented work.
In the previous six years, the play has been performed nearly 500 times in 75 cities.
Chen Zhongshi's 500,000-word novel inspired the 2.5-hour drama.
Performance info
Date: September 23, 2pm/7:15pm; September 24, 2pm
Tickets: 280-880 yuan
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center 上海东方艺术中心
Address: 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong New Area 浦东丁香路425号
