Trapped in a complex web
Veteran female artists adapt American play for the Chinese stage, exploring family dynamics and the various struggles women face, Chen Nan reports.
Now, with Letts' play, they continue to explore relationships within the context of marriage, family and personal identity.
"With August: Osage County, we are given the opportunity to look at a woman's world from multiple angles. The characters are all burdened by societal expectations and family history. We understand these pressures in a way that allows us to depict them with nuance and honesty," says Tang. "This is a play about survival, emotionally, psychologically, and physically. For women like Violet and Barbara (the eldest daughter), the family isn't just a place of love, but also a battlefield."
The role of Barbara, played by Chen Xiaoyi, is central to this emotional landscape. Despite her sharp, independent demeanor often clashing with her mother, Barbara is not immune to personal struggles.
"The roller-coaster of emotions in Barbara's life during this short period is one of the things that drew me to this script," says Chen. "As women, we're often expected to balance many roles, including daughter, wife and mother. Barbara is no different. She must confront not just her family's secrets but her own self-worth. It's a powerful role to portray, especially as a woman. We carry so much, and sometimes, it's too much to bear."
