This actress has chosen 6 out of 12 scenes in her life, starting at the age of 25. Age is a feeling
The sound of ticking and counting down in seconds accompanied the stage lights gradually dimmed, and time returned to the scene of the protagonist's 25th birthday. Bright 25-year-old balloons were pasted on the mottled wall... From August 18th to 27th, the solo stage play "Age is a Feeling" premiered at the Drama Salon of Shanghai Theatre Art Center. The drama tells the 12 segments of a woman's life, starting from the age of 25 and unfolding through the storyline of youth, middle age, and later years. Each performance is determined by the live audience which 6 stories will be presented on stage during the day's performance, and the performance format of "never repeating a second time" is full of unknown surprises.
"Age is a Feeling" was created by Canadian screenwriter Haley McLean. The original version premiered in 2022 and was nominated for first prize at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the London Oliver Award. It continues to be performed at the Scottish Theatre in London. Director Luisa read the script for "Age is a Feeling" and watched the performance in London, captivated by the gentle and powerful stories and characters in the script. She is also one of the translators of the drama, "Every performance is a difficult process, telling the story of completing a character's life in a short time and space. How to express a sense of age in the passage of time, and how to reach the audience's heart with the feeling of age, allowing the audience to constantly experience and think during the process of experiencing this event."
The lead actress Sun Shuyue became well-known to the public in 2022 for her performance in the annual comedy competition. Before that, as a doctor in the Department of Director of the Central Academy of Drama, she worked as a director and actress on the stage. Her representative plays include Antigone, Almond curd Heart, I am the Moon, Madame at Sea, Metamorphosis, etc. Her representative musicals include Steel Qin, Sanmao Wanders, etc.
For the first time in a solo drama, Sun Shuyue said that "Age is a Feeling" requires audience participation to be complete, and daily performances are unique and full of uncertainty. This uniqueness requires each performance to be adjusted according to the audience's reaction, which is very exciting. "I hope the audience can see themselves in the characters and love them more - whether it's themselves or others. If it can bring some strength and comfort to the audience, even if it's only a second, it's my greatest wish."
Each performance is full of randomness, bringing considerable difficulty to stage design. The stage presents a desolate and dilapidated ruin, some resembling a construction site under construction, exposing the steel and cement inside the walls, while others resemble the doors and windows left over from an ancient villa, symbolizing the imperfect life experience of the female protagonist and some fragments of her memories. There are fresh green plants growing in this ruins, symbolizing the birth of new life. Dance design designer Wang Fang also placed daily household items in the ruins scene to showcase the protagonist's real-life appearance.
