There are no rules about how many lines to read in one section or what to do and where to be on the minimalist set for certain lines. "No rules at all," says the director. "That's the most difficult thing for the actresses, especially for the Chinese - they always tried to make rules for themselves at the beginning."

During two months of rehearsal, Bolusset-Li, himself also a stage actor, trained the actresses mostly in how to respond to the lighting, the positioning, each other and most important, the audience.

Now he is not worried about the communication between the French and Chinese actresses. Because it's a spontaneous performance, he considers it only natural that one actress would finish her lines much earlier than her partner.

"Their communication goes beyond language or culture barriers, something rooted in the strong voice of Duras," Bolusset-Li says.

"Although my Chinese is not that great, I was stunned because I heard the power of Duras' message in Chinese."

That's exactly why Bolusset-Li wants to share "his personal vision of Duras" - "a woman with enormous force and influence" - with audiences in China. He is obsessed with his vision, as he often reminds the actresses to deliver the lines in "a more Duras style" - which means with more force.

Trusting in the ability to crossing language borders in Duras' voice, Bolusset-Li decided to present the drama in French and Chinese, with no subtitles. He is curious to see the reactions of the audiences, Chinese to the French lines, vice versa, and, most interesting, "those who understand neither."

Moreover, this is also the first attempt to put "Writing" onto the stage, since Bolusset-Li's production with the same French actresses in Paris last year featured "The Atlantic Man" and "The Man Sitting in the Corridor." He says the 20 performances in Paris were amazing because the stage was even smaller with only 38 seats.

"French readers or audiences who know Duras often have very strong views, either they love her or completely disagree with her. And it was interesting to see both reactions."

He said they also encountered people who worked with Duras in films. Compared with her novels, Duras' films don't attract many people and most people know of her as a great writer. She was also a gifted scriptwriter, known for "Hiroshima mon Amour."


The filmography of Duras, including "Les Enfants," is often experimental with strong visuals, weird acting style, and no definite storylines, which draw her further away from the romantic and exotic style of "L'Amant."

Bolusset-Li also points out that Duras was invited to write the script for the film. But she presented a text completely different from her novel because she didn't think that novels could just be transferred to the screen. Finally, director Jean-Jacques Annaud managed to shoot the film with a script from Gerard Brach.

"So 'L'Amant' is just a popular film that shares the plot and location of Duras's novel. Otherwise, it has nothing to do with her," states Bolusset-Li.

Duras in China-"Writing" and "The Atlantic Man"
Date: May 10-20, 7:15pm
Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Theater, 288 Anfu Rd
Tickets: 150 yuan
Tel: 962-288

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