Banned Chinese drama by Nobel-winning author remounted on University of Calgary stage
A play by a Nobel Prize winning author that was banned in China in the 1980s after only 13 performances is back onstage, only in Calgary.
The Canadian premiere of The Bus Stop, by Gao Xingjian, is being presented at the University of Calgary. It's a student initiated project, being directed by MFA Directing candidate Fangzheng (Nick) Wang.
The play tells the story of a group of citizens waiting for the 'bus to the city' to arrive, with all the promise that entails of better lives.
Written in the 1980s, the play premiered at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, where it was said to be a hit with patrons, until it was shut down by the Communist Party after 13 performances for being 'spiritual pollution'.
Now, more than 30 years later, The Bus Stop resonates as a cry for a return to normalcy after the stresses of the pandemic said Christine Brubaker, U of C's Drama Division lead.
“The Bus Stop becomes a metaphor for our collective longing of the last 21 months,” said Brubaker in a release. “And with crossing languages, histories, geography and cultures, this play celebrates the shared vulnerability and aspirations in a post-pandemic era.”
The play remains an influential text in Chinese absurdist drama. During the 1980s, Xingjian published a number of novels, plays and other writing considered critical of the Chinese government. He ultimately left the Communist Party after the Tiananmen Square massacre, and relocated to France, and has since become a French citizen. He won the 2000 Nobel Prize for literature.
It runs through Dec. 4 at the University Theatre at the U of C and features Mandarin subtitles.
Tickets are $22 (adults) / $17 (students/seniors) and are available online through scpa.ucalgary.ca/events or at the door.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.