CRI 悲剧 2017.04.29

A tragedy is a type of drama where the charactersgo through some form of suffering.

Most of the time, such a play would be kept awayfrom children in China.

But the China National Theatre for Children wants toreverse the trend.

Yin Xiaodong is head of the theatre.

"We want to give child audiences, who differ in a wide age span, more options when they go tothe theatre. The trendy hot children's dramas in China are usually fairy tales and mythology.We expect the drama King Lear would enable children at or more than six years old tounderstand William Shakespeare, his era and literature as well as his attitude towards life."

Zhang Yan is the director of the upcoming play.

She admits there were challenges when she decided to adapt this classic tragedy for children.

But as the mother of a young girl, she also thinks her daughter needs to understand that lifeis not always easy.

"We need to let children understand the ugly and cruel levels of life. Sometimes, people mayhave miserable encounters and do not need to hide it all in front of children. On the otherhand, this play is expected to help nurture a sense of filial piety among children, which I thinkholds great importance. Also, children need to learn to love those who love them."

King Lear tells a story about an old father who would rather believe in the sweet andflattering words of his two older daughters than the words of his youngest daughter, whoinsists that words and language are insufficient to express the love she feels for her father.

Lear decides to divvy the kingdom in two between the wicked Goneril and the mean and nastyRegan, and suffers a tragic end for this mistake.

The story took place in ancient, pre-Christian Britain, and music producer Cheng Jin has takenthis into consideration.

"We've selected some traditional folk songs from England to represent the era thatShakespeare was alive. Meanwhile classical music was chosen but has been modified withelements of neoclassicism in the expectation that this will convey philosophical pessimismand conflicts between characters."

The actors in the play are also involved in the music.

"Unprecedented efforts are being made in exploring new avenues in our music. Our actors areall young talents who have to song, act while also playing various musical instruments. Theseinteresting scenes constitute a highlight of the drama."

Another highlight of the upcoming play is the employment of an all-male cast to interpret thestory of the relationship between a father and his three daughters.

Director Zhang Yan thinks hiring young boys for the roles of the three daughters of King Lear isnothing unusual.

She also made a comparison.

"Like an actor who is able to play a female role in Chinese operas, this is nothing strange. I amquite strict with them, demanding they step into their roles and avoid making themselves lookfunny due to the cross-gender performance."

The first of nine performances of King Lear will start in the Beijing-based theatre on April 29th.

For CRI, I'm Shen Ting.