Wang Weizhong: Watching "Baodao Village" with a 90 year old mother

"There are three factors that influence a person's creativity throughout their lifetime: the environment in which they grew up, what they learned, and their talent. Your creativity is related to the environment in which they grew up, and that is your emotions. The family village is my feelings, and I can't finish talking about it." The 15th anniversary commemoration event of "Treasure Island Village" was recently held at the Shanghai Theater. 67 year old Wang Weizhong, as one of the screenwriters and directors, is also an authentic child of the family village, and once again talked about the place where he grew up.

Wang Weizhong shares memories of his family's village with Wang Kaishu

Audiences in the theater have a strong interest in the creation of "Treasure Island Village", shot by Wang Kai

Since its premiere in 2008, "Treasure Island Village" has performed over 300 times and has garnered nearly 500000 viewers. Screenwriter and director Lai Shengchuan said, "Baodao Village has a very unique vitality. This play has now departed from its original context, and the family village has disappeared. However, the significance of Baodao Village has increased."

Wang Weizhong explained the original intention of the creation of "A Village on Baodao" in this way: "These stories are not false, they are all true. These are stories built up with blood and tears. I am the second generation of the family village, and I feel it is my responsibility to tell the story of the family village. Many emotions are not written clearly, and only by expressing them in a dance drama can they reach people's hearts directly."

On July 21, 2023, the 15th anniversary of the birth of "Baodao Village" began its tour in Shanghai. The classic version visited Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Xi'an over the past month and returned to Shanghai from August 25th to 27th, marking the successful end of the tour at the theater. From September 1st to 10th, the exclusive version of the relay will be held.

"At a certain age, people tend to reminisce about the past. The story of the family dependents' village is an important part of the era." Wang Weizhong recalled, "My mother came to Taiwan from Hutong in Beiping at the age of less than 16, and by the time she was 25, she had already given birth to four children. The family dependents' village was a slum and refugee camp, but it was a paradise for children. When we grew up eating milk from a hundred families, we listened to all the fathers tell wars and stories. Director Lai Shengchuan was very talented, and I told him about a hundred family dependents' village stories. He spent two or three years experiencing and researching, and on stage, he used three families to string all the stories together."

This year, "Treasure Island Village" was performed in Taipei, and Wang Weizhong strongly invited his 90 year old mother to watch the play. "During the premiere of 'Baodao Village' 15 years ago, my mother watched it. During these 15 years, I often told her that if you come to Taipei, you can watch 'Baodao Village' again. She always said she is old and can't move, and doesn't want to go. My mother has a strong personality, and she doesn't want to sit in a wheelchair in the theater, which is difficult to watch. I said, 'No, old lady, if you have nothing to do, you can go and watch' Baodao Village '. It's like the people around you are living again.' This time, my mother finally came, and my sister even filmed a video of her watching 'Baodao Village'. A neighboring audience was curious about her age, and my mother replied to herself, 'Ninety.' Too much, I used to live in the dependents' village. They talked very enthusiastically, and she didn't say she was Wang Weizhong's mother

Wang Weizhong is going to the theater

From over 2000 households to over 60 households, there are only four households left in the dependents' village. Wang Weizhong returns to his dependents' village once a month or two. "The old man slowly walks away, swaying like a tree and falling a lot of leaves." In "A Village on Baodao," Baozi connects three generations of money grandmother, Zhu sister-in-law, and children. In reality, the woman selling steamed buns in the dependents village has a pair of small eyes. Wang Weizhong recalled, "My mother gave her the nickname 'Xiaoyan'er'. She had been making steamed buns all her life and couldn't straighten her back. In 2020, when the Spring Festival was approaching, my mother was in Taipei and 'Xiaoyan'er' was in Chiayi. She called my mother and said, 'I can't breathe anymore. After the New Year, I'm leaving. How are you doing?' This is the family village. In simple words and strong emotions, she explained everything in a few words, and even predicted her future. After the Spring Festival in 2020, 'Xiaoyan'er' really left."

The classic version of "Treasure Island Village" has a lineup of "children from the dependents' village". Qu Zhongheng, played by Lao Zhao, accompanied "Baodao Village" for 15 years, from the age of 41 to 56. "The dependents' village is the first half of my life and the second half of my father's life. We are interpreting our own stories, and I am willing to continue playing it." Feng Yigang, played by Xiao Zhu, sighed, "'Baodao Village' is the last dependents' village that is still illuminated. As long as" Baodao Village "is performed once, the dependents' village will live once. We carry the meaning of passing down the torch, and I am particularly excited to see young actors from the theater troupe playing with us."

Classic version of "Treasure Island Village" by Wang Kai

Classic version of "Treasure Island Village" by Wang Kai

Classic version of "Treasure Island Village" by Wang Kai

Wang Weizhong wrote a line for Lao Zhao in the play, which was his imagination of his father speaking. "My dad has liver cancer and left in half a year. He has been busy with his family's affairs. When he left, I was working in Taipei and received a phone call at night saying, 'Weizhong, your dad is at the Taiwan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Hurry up and come over, he's not good.' When I arrived, my dad was already unconscious and didn't speak to me in the end. I guessed what he wanted to say, so I wrote some words while doing 'Baodao Village' and used Lao Zhao to say them. 'As' Baodao Village' was playing, Wang Weizhong watched from the side screen. 'After Lao Zhao finished his speech, I handed him a napkin and wiped his tears. I had mixed feelings."

The theater released an exclusive version of "Treasure Island Village", and young actors often gathered around Wang Weizhong to ask, "What do we need to strengthen?" Wang Weizhong bluntly said, "They are still too young to understand the culture of hutongs and alleys. For example, after a fight, a few people sat down with a bottle of beer to drink together, and the grudges passed. I was admitted to college and left the village, but my mother ignored me and kept cooking. I walked from the alley to the bus station, and the brothers who fought with me made gestures when they saw me, not to drive me away, but to ask me to explore the world and show them. This is the emotion of us Chinese people, which looks funny, but also has sadness in it. Emotion." A Village on the Treasure Island "tells the story of war and homesickness, but later on, they were all indifferent. There were huge emotions involved, and when it was spoken slowly and leisurely, it was very powerful. I say this, young actors can understand."

Exclusive version of "Treasure Island Village" by Lin Jingwen

Exclusive version of "Treasure Island Village" by Lin Jingwen