The libretto of this work has been adapted from The Painted Skin, a short story by the Qing Dynasty writer Pu Songling. Its strange plot and strong moral message have made it a classic. Our version seeks to interpret Pus story from a modern perspective, adding new layers by fleshing out the characters inner worlds and exploring the moral message of the story, which raises eternal themes of desire, temptation, sacrifice, and free choice.Both the music and libretto embody Chinese elements, and the stage action integrates physical movement with singing in a profound way. On these two foundations we hope to bring about an innovation in the form of classical Western opera and give this classic tale a new life on stage.
The work is based on The Old Man and the Sea, one of the most famous novel of E. M. Hemingway. The suppositive way and the realistic style used by it shapes the collision and fusion between Chinese culture and the Western. Its stylization, virtuality, minimalism and form sense are the basic principles that have formed the work. What performs in the stage is a recreation of the work with the elements of traditional Chinese theatrical art. The combination of traditional impressionism and modern realism in the field of drama shortens the mental distance between stage and audience and also creates a special experience in both real life and art performance for the audience.
Great Volume Songs of the Bai People is a form of storytelling and is the intangible cultural heritage of Dali Prefecture, Yunnan province. This art form matured in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and gradually declined afterwards. This work combines Great Volume Songs of the Bai People with drama, physical theatre, and modern puppet show. The plot is based on the story of two village gods Baijie and Lord of East Mountain who are a loving couple in Benzhuism (the worship of local gods) which is the indigenous religion typical of the Bai People. The focus of the story is on the couple wearing the wrong shoes, while the play uses the ancient anecdote about the two gods to explore the philosophical issue of freedom and bondage in marriage from a contemporary perspective.