China and the West

Aufführung von Yu tian = "Cry to heaven" von Nick Rongjun Yu zum 100. Geburtstag des chinesischen Sprechtheaters 'hua ju'. Adaptation von Uncle Tom's cabin von Harriet Beecher Stowe, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, finale of the Fifth Beijing International Theater Festival, May 3 (2007). Unter der Regie von Chen Xinyi, mit den Schauspielern Pu Cunxin, Lei Kesheng, Xi Maijuan und Qin Yi.
The drama juxtaposes one hundred years of dramatic history, making the American slaves' struggle to gain freedom a metaphor for Chinese dramatists' efforts to achieve their own.
The play is divided into six acts, each covering a period of the history of 'hua ju' from 1907 to 2007. Parallel to the 'hua ju' development are the scenes of the black struggle for freedom.
In Act 1 Li Shutong tells the narrator that he and his fellow students staged the play Hei nu yu tian lu 1907 in order to awaken the Chinese people.
Act 2 represents the early period of the development of 'hua ju' in China from 1907 to 1918.
Act 3 represents the period 1919-1936 and it witnesses considerable achievement in 'hua ju' against the background of a looming national crisis, which resulted in the Japanese invasion of Northeastern China.
Act 4 deals with the years 1937-1948 and Act 5 with the Maoist years 1949-1976. During the war, theatrical performances became a powerful medium in rallying the Chinese people to fight against the Japanese invaders. While the Cultural Revolution ravages the Chinese dramatists of the scene, the fortunes of the American slaves also reach a nadir. Tom is burned at the stake, and the woman slave Lucy commits suicide by drowning.
Act 6 covers the period 1977-2007. The entire act is devoted to describing Eliza and other slaves crossing the icy river to reach the land of freedom. This ending reminds the audience of how difficult the journey to freedom has been for the American slaves and of the ongoing struggle of Chinese dramatists.