Drama spurs history reflection -- china.org.cn

"The Qing Dynasty in 1900" premiered at the National Centre of Performing Arts, Tuesday night.(Photo: CCTV.com)

Film director Yin Li is trying out his directorial skills on the stage. The man behind big screen hits such as "The Knot" and "Zhang Side" , has won almost every major film award in China. He's set out to compound his success with an ambitious stage play called "The Qing Dynasty in 1900" . The play premiered at the National Centre of Performing Arts, Tuesday night.

At the drama stage of the National Center of Performing Arts, the clock wound back to a century ago. The story began in 1900 - the dawn of a new age. People didn't even notice the coming change until it caught up with them.

During the late Qing Dynasty, most people in China cared little about the outside world, mocking the Westerners and Western ideas pouring into the country. Then came war and civil unrest, tossing them into the torrent of change.

It's director Yin Li's first attempt at stage drama. He set out to make it a splashy one. The production assembled over 100 actors including heavyweights such as Chen Jianbin, Han Tongsheng and Lei Kesheng. The performance features more than 200 sets of costumes and over 400 props. Critics say Yin Li is taking a screen approach to stage production.

The stage was transformed into a three-story labyrinth. A mix of characters take turns passing through. There are opera performers, ballet dancers, western missionaries and even figures of the Boxer Rebellion. These figures represent the forces of the cultural conflict between East and West during that era of chaos.

But still some audiences felt puzzled by the staging.

Yin Li says whether the play is commercially successful or not, audiences will surely be brought to reflect on how the nation's tragedy evolved - over a century ago.

The play, which is the largest production ever by National Drama Troupe, runs till May 4th.

(CCTV April 17,2008)