Change the Script & Location

Yes! I'm going to change the script and location I wanted use before. I went back to Taiwan last month for researching. I expected that I could find information and video about Injustice to Dou E the story I wanted to use before. But I only found some books and some clips; I couldn't find complete Chinese opera of Injustice to Dou E. (I only found a movie on the Internet.) How can I design without the music. In the meanwhile, I noticed that there are lots DVDs and books about The Peony Pavilion which is a famous Chinese opera. Actually, when I decided to design a stage for Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion was in my list. I didn't choose it because I didn't fancy the story at that time. However, without much choices, I read the story again and I also investigated the information behind the story. To my surprise, It's interesting. I didn't like it before because I thought the main character was wired. She dreamed a boy and then she fell in love with him. It was so ridiculous for me, but when I realized that the story was witten 400 years ago. Chinese girls didn't allow to find their truth love at that time. The main character was a pioneer! I like the story now! Most important of all, I can find numerous information about The Peony Pavilion.

Lack of information is the first reason why I'm going to change the story, the second reason is the location. When I went to Huashan (the factory), I could not go into the buildings. Because it became a creative park, many events are hosted there. If I wanted to go into the buildings, I have to buy a ticket. It's hard to design if I can't investigate the place very clearly. So I decided to give up Injustice to Dou E & a factory.

Then, the following question is location. After I read The Peony Pavilion, a Chinese garden came to my mind. The story happened in a garden. I want to let audiences to see the garden. On the other hand, Chinese garden is a classic representative of Chinese architecture. It's good to show Chinese beauty. So what I need is a place which is green and with ponds. parks are my perfect choice.

Now, my new project is The Pony Pavilion & a Park.

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Plot of The Peony Pavilion

The performance tradition has focused on the love story between Du Liniang (杜麗娘) and Liu Mengmei (柳夢梅), but its original text (standard translation: Cyril Birch) also contains subplots pertaining to the falling Song Dynasty's defense against the aggression of the Jin Dynasty.

It is the last days of the Southern Song Dynasty. On a fine Spring day, a maid persuades Du Liniang, the sixteen year old daughter of an important official, Du Bao, to take a walk in the garden, where she falls asleep. In Du Liniang's dream she encounters a young scholar, identified later in the play as Liu Mengmei, whom in real life she has never met. Liu's bold advances starts off a flaming romance between the two and it flourishes rapidly. Du Liniang's dream is interrupted by a flower petal falling on her, according to her soliloquy recounting the incident in a later act: (Reflection on the lost dream). Du Liniang, however, becomes preoccupied with her dream affair and her lovesickness quickly consumes her. Unable to recover from her fixation, Du Liniang wastes away and dies.

The president of the underworld adjudicates that a marriage between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei is predestined and Du Liniang ought to return to the earthly world. Du Liniang appears to Liu Mengmei in his dreams. He now inhabits the same garden where Du Liniang had her fatal dream. Once recognising that Du Bao's deceased daughter is the lady who appears in his dreams, Liu agrees to exhume her upon her request and Du Liniang is brought back to life. Liu visits Du Bao and informs him of his daughter's resurrection. However, Liu is imprisoned for being a grave robber and an impostor. The ending of the play follows the formula of many Chinese comedies. Liu Mengmei narrowly escapes death by torture thanks to the arrival of the results of the imperial examination in which Liu has topped the list. The emperor pardons all.

This is only a broad outline of the plot of an opera which typically runs for 20 hours.


information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peony_Pavilion

When Du Liniang goes to the garden.