Portrait of a philosopher

Chinese director Huang Ying first embarked on his creative journey to envision a play about classical philosopher, Confucius (551-479 BC), who has had a lasting impact on Chinese culture and is a symbol of traditional culture, in 2008. Fourteen years later, he finally completed the initial draft of the play that he titled What Are We Talking About When We Talk About Confucius?

Since its premiere in July 2023, the theatrical marathon, which is about seven hours in length, has taken audiences on an adventure. Huang is both director and co-scriptwriter and his play delves deep into historical fact and research, blending it with his own reflections on the philosopher and some tweaks to his story.

Between July 5 and 7, and again between July 12 and 14, this play is being staged in Beijing at the Pioneer Theatre, one of the theaters under the National Theatre of China.

With two intermissions, it covers only a portion of Confucius' life — from birth to his departure from the state of Lu, in modern-day Shandong province, at the age of 55.

"Chinese people grew up reading classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems of Confucianism, even as small children. Confucius' sayings and ideas are everywhere in our daily lives, in textbooks, TV shows and movies. He seems to be someone we are familiar with," says Huang. "But as the title of the play suggests, I wanted to ask the question of what we are talking about when we talk about Confucius. It's also a question that I pose to the audience, who may have their own answers after watching the play."