Stan Lai's secret recipe
By Raymond Zhou | China Daily | Updated: 2015-05-04 09:30
One of China's most popular contemporary plays is made over in a US production, receiving the treatment of a staple rather than culture show, writes Raymond Zhou.
Do US audiences get Chinese jokes? Do they have to read a 1,600-year-old Chinese classic novel and learn about the Chinese Civil War (1945-49) to fully grasp the nuances of a Chinese play?
It turns out that in the right hands, a story of love, loss and longing can transcend layers of historical and cultural complexities. Stan Lai's Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, the most performed and arguably best-loved contemporary Chinese play, recently opened in a regional theater in the United States, wowing audiences with its magical blend of tragedy and farce.
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