Shows

Different Media Drama Blithe Spirit

Date: April 14-15－7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Comedy Theater

Blithe Spirit is Adapted from the classical fashion comedy Blithe Spirit originated by British playwright Noel Coward. The socialite and novelist Charles Condomine and his wife Ruth hold a small-scale family feast at home to gather material for his next book and amuse all guests. He arranges for an eccentric medium Madame Arcati to hold a seance. Madame Arcati inadvertently summons Charles Condomine's first wife, Elvira, who has been dead. Elvira still obsesses over Charles. Consequently, the current wife and ex-wife fight for his favor in a storm of jealousy, followed by the subsequent heavyweight plot. The ridiculous farce makes the audiences laugh in tears, with a hint of disappointment.

NCPA Opera Commission The Dawns Here Are Quiet

Date: April 14-16－7:30 pm

Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts

During World War II, a group of female soldiers in the Soviet Union guard the important railway facilities under the command of Warrant Officer Vaskov. Among them are simple and kind Lisa, brilliant Sonia, visionary Galya, smart and pretty Zhenya, and sophisticated and, capable Rita whose young hearts yearn for the future and happiness. One day, Rita, on her way back to the garrison from where her son lives, spots two German soldiers in the woods. Having been informed in advance, Vaskov judges that the German soldiers must be attempting to destroy the railway facilities, thus he hastens to intercept the enemy with five female soldiers.

TAO Dance Theater: 6 & 9

Date: April 14－7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai International Dance Center Grand Theater

A rising star of contemporary dance in China, choreographer Tao Ye with his TAO Dance Theater has successfully drawn the attention of the globe. He is well known for seeking possibilities of the body to its limits as well as developing a dance style of formally rigorous, reduced abstractions that are nonetheless open to free association by the audience. In 6, the cast is lined up near the back, their arms held taut, hands gathering up folds of their long, black skirts. Most of the choreographic action is concentrated on the tilting, circling, rippling action of their upper bodies.

Nine will present a scene that summarizes, but is nonetheless richer than the enclosed and completed "Circular Movement System". The connection between moving bodies will be extracted from this system, then reconfigured to form the self-identifiable choreographic vocabularies that constitute the movements of the nine dancers in nine.