Avant-garde drama presents one night stand
(CRI)
Updated: 2004-12-28 14:44

Behind the Door, a drama adapted from beat-age writers Shi Kang and Mian Mian is now being staged at the Experimental Theatre of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Unlike traditional Chinese dramas mainly performed in large theatre houses, this avant-garde piece has broken new ground, challenging the traditional definition of drama. Our reporter Shen Ting takes a closer look.

A scene from the avant-garde experimental play "Behind the Door" [baidu]

The drama begins with a video interview on a white screen. Young girls of different ages talk about their love experiences and expectations of marriage. Then one of the actresses, Wengweng appears on the screen, riding a bike, obviously a happy college girl.

The scene shifts to the stage which is set as a normal house, with a double bed, red sofa, table and even a mini-kitchen. This is the home of Zhou Wen, the main character.

Behind the Door actually tells three stories, showing Zhou Wen's attitudes toward love during different phases of life.

In the first story a pessimistic Zhou finally parts with the peevish Weng Weng after endless quarrels, even though Weng Weng is a devoted unsophisticated girl. In the second story, Zhou brings home a drunken girl he meets in the bar and sleeps with her.

The girl leaves the next day and thereafter finds herself involved in a series of odd encounters. She is later persuaded by a Feng Shui fortuneteller to marry Zhou, who somewhat convinced by the girl, accepts the ridiculous marriage.

A scene from the play [baidu]

In the last story, Zhou happens to come across Tao Lan, a sentimental painter. Tao Lan talks about her first sexual experience in front of Zhou's digital video camera, and tries to paint the confused colours of Zhou's love. While her work of art is in progress, Zhou begins a long, melancholy and philosophical monolog on his belief in love.

In the last story the director's intention for the drama is finally explained through the mouth of Zhou Wen:

"My love will never be defiant. Instead it will be silent until one day it is destroyed by humiliation. I will use my body, my unyieldingness and my whole life to protect my love. If one day my life is ruined, I hope my love would still be there."

Different from traditional drama, Behind the Door boldly adapts stories from two controversial modern writers and touches on such sensitive topics like one-night stands and perverted young minds. The language of the drama is also anti-traditional and the actor never shies away from dirty words. And the drama is staged in a VERY small theatre. Audiences are so close to the stage that they can even hear the gasping of the players. Talking about the theme of the drama, director Guo Ran says it shows the possibilities in life.

"To me, what's behind the door is an unknown state of life. It's like what's happening behind the door of my neighbors. The door inspired my imagination and behind the door there seems to be infinite possibilities."

The director hopes his ideas can be precisely conveyed in the drama, but he also admits that his ideas have been weakened due to compromises made to stage the drama smoothly. Despite dissatisfaction with the drama, he is optimistic in trying out more ‘avant-garde' forms.

"The so-called avant-garde is more like a revolutionary attitude toward the theme of the drama instead of the form of it. Without a cutting-edge attitude and understanding, a drama can never be called avant-garde."

So far Behind the Door has been popular among theatre goers and another 20 performances have been demanded apart from the schedule. On next year's Valentine's Day, the drama will be staged in Tianqiao Theatre, one of Beijing's largest theatres.

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