Shanghai-dialect play tells of city's complex past through one girl's story
The Shanghai-dialect play "Everlasting Regret," adapted from Shanghai writer Wang Anyi's novel "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow," will again raise its curtain to audiences at the Shanghai Grand Theater next month.
Produced by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, the play debuted at the end of last year, and traces the life story and romance of Shanghai girl Wang Qiyao from the 1940s to the 1980s.
The Mao Dun Literary Prize-winning 1996 novel "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" is considered one of the best portraits of a changing Shanghai and the complicated contemporary history of that period.
The play, directed by Zhou Xiaoqian, turned the 270,000-word novel into a 3.5-hour performance in the Shanghai dialect, winning recognition from author Wang.
The stage design of the play features a strong Shanghai flavor. Stage designer Xu Xiaohuan grew up in the city's shikumen (stone-gated) houses, and has a strong affection for the old Shanghai alleys.
The stage design features a strong Shanghai flavor.
A wavy roof was designed above the stage with dormer windows projected onto it to recreate the signature characteristics of shikumen houses.
The three turntables on the stage are like the gears of a clock, symbolizing the passage of time. Wooden European furniture, coal briquette stoves, sewing machines, and thermoses remind audiences of the old Shanghai.
"The original novel was well written with so much detail," director Zhou said in an earlier interview. "The characters' emotions and thoughts are all showcased in their movements, and the actors just have to present them on the stage."
The performance is presented with subtitles for audience members who do not understand the Shanghai dialect.
The Shanghai-dialect play debuts last year.
Performance info
Dates: July 5 - 6, 7:30pm; July 7, 2:30pm
Tickets: 180-680 yuan
Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater 上海大剧院
Address: 300 People's Ave 人民大道300号
