Macao's theater talent shines

Beyond attracting audiences, the season also serves a more ambitious goal: helping Macao's theater talent reach a wider audience by creating more opportunities to perform in cities like Beijing and Shanghai on the Chinese mainland, Cheng adds.

The season is not only providing Macao troupes with a larger stage, but also encouraging them to reinterpret Chinese cultural classics in ways that speak to modern audiences.

One example is Starvation, a 70-minute stage production adapted from Cai Wei (Gathering Wild Peas), one of the eight short stories in the collection Gushi Xinbian (Old Tales Retold) by Lu Xun (1881-1936).

Following its selection for the youth section at the 2024 Wuzhen Theatre Festival, the production, now presented in a Cantonese version for the first time, blends an ancient legend with modern perspectives.

The story traces its origins to Boyi and Shuqi, two princes who, according to legend, refused to serve the newly established Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC) after the fall of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC). Choosing to live on wild peas rather than accept Zhou grain, they eventually starved to death on Mount Shouyang, becoming enduring symbols of integrity and moral conviction in Chinese culture.

For co-directors Chen Yujun, who grew up in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Sam Leong, who was born in Macao, the production is less about re-creating history than asking why the story still resonates today.

"Lu Xun reinterpreted this ancient legend through the concerns of his own time. More than 90 years later, our generation is asking a similar question: What does it really mean to hold on to one's principles? Every era has its own answer," Chen explains.

To bridge the distance between the ancient tale and contemporary audiences, the production introduces two modern young women who become stranded on the same mountain after encountering their own troubles. Their struggle for survival echoes that of Boyi and Shuqi, suggesting that while history changes, many human dilemmas remain remarkably similar.

"Whether it's pursuing ideals, taking responsibility or simply trying to become a better person, these questions transcend time. Society keeps moving forward, yet many of the challenges people face today are surprisingly similar to those confronted centuries ago," Leong says.

The Cantonese adaptation also gives the classic story new artistic vitality, Chen adds. "We hope it will encourage more young people to reconnect with Cantonese, which has a distinctive charm thanks to its rhythm and tones."

The same spirit of respecting local cultures can be found in another original production scheduled for this season, The New Peach Blossom Spring, which reimagines the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) poet Tao Yuanming's timeless vision of an ideal world through a contemporary lens.

For Cheng of Mahua FunAge, these productions reflect the broader ambition behind Macau Live International. She hopes the season will create more opportunities for cultural exchange between Macao and the Chinese mainland and help build Macao into a city known not only for tourism but also for performing arts.

"I bought two academic books to trace the origins of Macao's theater, back to the days when performers staged plays on the steps of the Ruins of St. Paul's," Cheng says, her voice thick with emotion, adding that she hopes to bring that rich theatrical legacy back into the spotlight and to audiences far beyond Macao.