Deconstructing Lao She's Novel, Three Layer Iron Cage, and Mechanical Dog on Stage... The New Classic of Camel Xiangzi premiere | Camel Xiangzi | Iron Cage
From July 8th to July 23rd, the stage play "Camel Xiangzi" produced by Shanghai Theatre Art Center welcomed its first round of performances at the Shanghai Theatre Art Center Art Theater. The script is adapted from Lao She's novel "Camel Xiangzi" and tells the life experience of the rickshaw driver Xiangzi, who rises and falls three times.
The stage play "Camel Xiangzi" continues director He Nian's creative philosophy of "interpreting classics in a way that young people love" when directing "Wilderness", placing classic stories in a new background and retelling masterpieces in a way that contemporary young people love. After the premiere of "Camel Boy", there was thunderous applause in the audience. The audience said, "I didn't expect 'Camel Xiangzi' to be presented on stage in such a modern way of expression, fresh and shocking." "More in-depth thinking about the fate of Xiangzi and other characters in the courtyard." "Deconstructing Mr. Lao She's text without losing the depth and charm of the original work." The theater art center hall also decorated Xiangzi's props with yellow carts for the audience to take photos and check in.
The stage play "Camel Xiangzi" breaks the narrative structure of the novel, starting with reverse narration and using the concept of body drama to present the surrounding environment and character psychology, expressing the powerlessness and sorrow of the fate of the characters in the courtyard. An 11.5-meter-high turntable with a three-layer iron cage structure, the characters slowly swim back and forth on an 8-degree slope. The modern stage design, music composition, and costumes allow the audience to contemplate Xiangzi's fate from the present moment.
"We really want to discuss whether Xiangzi will repeat his own destiny if given another chance to start over." He Nian said, "After 'The Wild', I want to create classics that conform to the spirit of the times, and I also want young people to be willing to go into theaters to see classic texts, sparking their interest in them. Our country has many good stories, and I hope more young audiences can see and love these stories."
The novel "Camel Xiangzi" extensively portrays delicate inner thoughts, leading readers to see Xiangzi's psychological changes from a first person perspective. How to unlock the audience's imagination and sensitivity when it comes to stage plays? In addition to the design of spatial actions, the stage play "Camel Xiangzi" uses wind, rain, scorching sun, and snow to symbolize and summarize Xiangzi's fate. The elevator and cage style space emphasize his fate of ups and downs. What exactly caused Xiangzi's tragedy? The stage play "Camel Xiangzi" aims to leave the interpretation power to the audience.
The stage play "Camel Boy" also features a stylized prop - a mechanical camel, played by an industrial grade robotic dog B1. The clumsiness and dullness of the camel were also symbols of Xiangzi's tragic life. He Nian said, "What we want to embody is the mechanical 'dehumanization'. At the beginning of the novel, Xiangzi was full of desire and rich emotions towards Beiping. During the ups and downs, he constantly abandoned his human side and became a cold machine."
