Art In Exchange, Friendship in Visit
——on MYADA Delegation’s Visit to Beijing
Stage Photo of the Drama Chuang Tze's Butterfly Dream Photo by Yang Jin
Stage Photo of the Drama Chuang Tze's Butterfly Dream Photo by Duan Jingkun
From April 12 till 17, a 14-member delegation of Macao Youth Art Development Association (MYADA), headed by Zheng Jisheng, member of China Theatre Association and president of MYADA, conducted exchange and performance a ctirities in Beijing. On the evenings of April 14 and 16, MYADA delegation performed an experimental drama Chuang Tze's Butterfly Dream respectively at Beijing Qinglan Theatre and Students' Event Center of Renmin University of China (RUC). Besides, the delegation visited CFLAC, RUC, National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts (NACTA), National Museum of China, Starlight Film and TV Studio at Daxing District of Beijing, all of which turned out to be a great success. This event was financed by China Literature and Arts Foundation, and Macao Foundation and jointly sponsored by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of CFLAC, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of RUC and MYADA.
The experimental drama Chuang Tze's Butterfly Dream , adapted and directed by Zheng Jisheng, is a representative works of local Chinese drama in Macao. On the eve of Macao's returning to China in 1999, the famous Hiu Kok Drama Associaiton (HKDA) presented its premiere at the theatre of Macao Cultural Center. In the same year, it participated in the Estarreja Theatre Festival in Portugal, representing Macao, and was extensively well-received. This drama is derived from a popular novel Chuang Tze Tests His Wife by Feng Menglong in Ming Dynasty. The adapter provides a novel interpretation and discussion of women’s role and status in society from the contemporary perspective and temperament. In a non-realistic artistic approach, by utilization of lighting and sound, dazzling installation and stage arts, this drama presents a time-honored Chinese story to reflect the weakness and dark side of human nature and indace self-examination among audiences.
At the beginning of 2017, MYADA decided to rehearse this drama in a new way, The new creation team gathered excellent young artists and art amateurs in theatre, stage arts, music and performing arts in Macao uhose average age was 30. In February, this drama was presented consecutively at Blackbox Theatre of Macao Theatre Farmers. on Beijing stage, MYADA tried to perform this drama in Mandarin, which was a challenge and a test for young artists from Macao, but atthe same tiweo an opportunity to showcase their local artistic creation power to Beijing audiences.
In the seminar after the performance, distinguished guests and audience repvesentatives fully acknowledged the Chinese cultural complex as well as exploratory practice in stage art, music and acting embodied in this drama. Common consensus was that with distinct artistic tension, this drama provided new interpretation of an old Chinese legend aswellsa discussion of an individual's multiple roles and confusions in the society from multiple perspectives. The simple yet brilliant setting and installation, exquisite music and stage art and emotional acting had sufficiently highlighted Macao's such urban cultural feature as integration of Chinese culture and Western cultures. This performance in Beijing helped young artists in Beijing to know more about their counterpart in Macao and to enhance their art exchange and cooperation.
Founded in 2012, MYADA is an organization for the friendship between young art workers and art amateurs in Macao. Its members consist of young backbone art workers in theatre, dance, music, fine arts, film, photography, comics and designs. This was the first exchange and performance tour of MYADA in Beijing.
After viewing the CFLAC's history exhibition, visit to RUC and observing the rehearsal of the students from Peking Opera Department of NACTA, the delegation had enriched their first-hand knowledge and profound feeling about Chinese history and culture, Chinese theatre, film and TV arts Beijing. Their sense of responsibility and motivation to promote Chinese art and cultural development in Macao, and art exchange between young people of the mainland and Macao. As Dong Zhanshun, Director General of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of CFLAC, held, more young artists and art amateurs in Macao are welcome to visit the mainland. with He expressed willingness to provide support for training young talents in Macao and helping Macao youngsters to learn Chinese theatre arts.
As Zheng Jisheng, head of MYADA and director of the drama Chuang Tze's Butterfly Dream , said, the exchange and performance in Beijing have benefited them a lot as the delegation exchanged art experiencs, made friends and identified areas to learn from the counterpart in the mainland, and strengthened their motivation for future endeavor. They are determined to continue the friendship and consolidation of young artists and art amateurs in Macao, and with support from CFLAC, further promote the cultural and art exchanges between youth of Macao and the mainland, so that Chinese culture may give off more brilliance in such a region of“One Country, Two System”as Macao.
