Tony Award nominated work for Best Drama, "Orphan," long-term residency, Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street opens up a new space for performing arts in Philadelphia | Orphan | Tony Award
In Shanghai, new entertainment spaces such as office buildings, shopping malls, and public spaces are growing one after another, bringing diverse works to the audience. On the 7th floor of Building C of the 100th Shopping Mall on Nanjing East Road, the Tony Award nominated play "Orphan" will begin its long-term residency this month. The Chinese version of "Orphan" was produced by "A Good Play", and the stage of the framed theater was transformed into a dilapidated row house in Philadelphia in the 1970s.
In the story of Orphans, two orphans rely on each other to make a living by petty thieves. One day, their twisted lives welcomed a mysterious intruder. From then on, the lives of strangers began to intersect, experiencing conflicts, silence, laughter, and separation... The play "Orphan" had a tragic background, but also had comedic elements and high-intensity physical performances, bringing a high concentration of emotional impact.
The play "Orphan" has been performing for 40 years and has won numerous awards. It has been nominated for Best Actor at the World Drama Awards, Lawrence Oliver Awards, SACA Award for Best Drama at the Korean Drama Awards, and Tony Award for Best Drama. Multiple versions of Orphan have traveled to theaters in the West End of London, Broadway in the United States, South America, Japan, and South Korea.
Orphans focuses on deficiencies and compensations. The story starts from the pain of family or childhood and extends to a missing state of life - lacking shelter, education, and love. Even so, the orphans in the play are still waiting for kindness. "In reality, they will appear around us in various forms, sometimes just the person who reminds you on the way that the shoelaces are loose," said Chen Zhi, a Chinese director and script translator. The creators hope that this work can grow comfort and hope from the desolate tragic background.
All three characters in the original work of Orphan are male. Among the two orphans, one is the older brother who follows the survival instinct to steal without hesitation, and the other is the younger brother who unconditionally depends on the strong. Before the Chinese version was created, the creators envisioned a completely new possibility - parallel roles for men and women. So, the audience can see that some sessions are performed by the all male class, while others are performed by the all female class.
Following the logic of the original work, the Chinese version has adjusted the female version's character names and necessary language details. Since its inception, the actresses have brought different colors to this play. "The setting of sisters makes me feel more complicated and delicate. In addition, I also want to see more excellent actresses standing on the stage," said Chen Zhi.
The role of a stranger leaves actors with ample creative space. "Everyone's Harold Renee is very different, and the traits of each actor are too different. It's difficult for us to learn from each other," said Kang Jingjing, who played the female version of the stranger, during a conversation after the premiere.
The stage setting of the play "Orphan" draws inspiration from Philadelphia's townhouse design from the 1970s, aiming to recreate the overall living scenes of two orphans. Dance designer Liu Qiwei said, "Although the outside world exists, this house is like an island." The mottled windows, tangled vines, and aging interior decoration present the suffocating and interdependent relationship between these orphans for many years. The story comes to an end, and the stage presentation of the old house remains the same as before. "My design aims to preserve this imaginative space with diverse endings," said Liu Qiwei.
