The Ministry of Culture has already sent out invitations to
domestic and foreign art troupes to perform at the National Grand
Theater, expected to open to the public in September 2005. But with
two-thirds of the main construction complete, the theater is
looking ahead to some serious operational problems.
A few weeks ago, the news broke that no operations entity or
system has yet been set up for the National Grand Theater. In an
interview on February 20, 2004, Zhou Zhiqiang, head of the
Administrative Office and the Performance Management Department of
the Grand Theater, told reporters that he was quite worried about
the situation. He is not the only one who is concerned.
Three obsessions
The largest cultural project during China’s Tenth Five-Year Plan
(2001-05) period, the National Grand Theater is finally taking
shape after nearly half a century of deliberations. Some 2.7
billion yuan (US$324 million) was allocated for construction of the
massive 200,000-square-meter egg-shaped structure.
Many theater professionals believe the project marks a milestone
in China’s cultural history. Yet they are concerned about the
apparent lack of operational preparedness.
“In my opinion, the construction of the software and hardware of
the theater should have been started simultaneously in order to
function on an international level. In some ways, the importance
and difficulty the Grand Theater’s operations present may be
greater than its construction,” says Wu Zuqiang, member of the
Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) and director of the Art Committee of the Grand
Theater. “We are very worried. Once the theater is put into
operation, somebody needs to manage such a large and professional
venue, but it seems there is not enough time now.”
Zhou Zhiqiang spoke frankly about what he calls the Three
Obsessions:
First, it is still not clear which organization will be
responsible for the Grand Theater. “Who will be in charge of the
theater? The Ministry of Culture or the Beijing municipal
government or who? That is still unknown,” says Zhou. Normal
operations cannot begin until this is decided.
Second, the nature of the Grand Theater entity has not yet been
determined. No one knows whether it is to be run as an enterprise
or government institution, or whether performances there will be
staged commercially or as a public service. No preparations can be
made, since operations for the two types of performances differ
substantially. If the theater is operated as an enterprise,
expenses such as advertising and all potential sources of income
must be calculated and weighed. If performances are given as a
public service, government support will be required and must be
considered in the budget.
Moreover, national theaters in other countries generally fall
into one of two categories. One is a theater that belongs to a
designated troupe or performance organization, such as those in
Moscow or Britain’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. These
theaters support their affiliated troupes. The other type is a
general performance venue, such as Australia’s Sydney Opera
House.
Wu Zuqiang is of the opinion that China’s Grand Theater should
be a cultural public service facility, “Grand theaters in most
countries get 70 percent, or at least 40 to 50 percent, funding
from the government. No national theater anywhere operates
independently, since it represents the cultural image of the
nation.”
Once the nature of the Grand Theater is defined, the third
obsession comes into play. As the most prestigious performance
venue of the country, and one that is built and run according to
the highest international standards, the operating costs of the
Grand Theater will be considerable. But if the threshold is set too
high, ticket costs will make it inaccessible to the general
public.
“Looking at the situations in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou,
the threshold for ordinary viewers to enjoy various artistic
performances is already high enough. Frankly, I myself couldn’t
afford it if I had to pay for all the concerts I have attended,”
says Wu Zuqiang.
What is “first class”?
The main issue creating the third obsession comes from obscurely
defined quality standards for Grand Theater performances.
Zhou Zhiqiang has proposed two “first class” principles: Only
first-class international troupes and only first-class domestic
troupes may perform in the Grand Theater. “However,” he asks, “who
will appraise and define ‘first class’?”
Wu Zuqiang believes that because the theater was built by
combining strengths throughout the nation after more than 40 years
of deliberation, it should serve as a window of exchange and a
platform for both domestic and foreign cultures and arts.
Peking Opera, as China’s representative performing art, is
naturally closely associated with the Grand Theater. Wu Jiang, head
of the China Peking Opera Theater, believes that the Grand Theater
should first be a place that appeals to the Chinese people,
reflecting their tastes and current trends. At the same time, it
should enable and encourage foreigners to fall in love with Chinese
culture.
Says Wu Jiang, “Since the preparations for the Grand Theater
started, related departments have required us to plan new operas.
We have been thinking all the time about what plays will be suited
to the stage of the Grand Theater.”
Currently, the Central Opera Theater is prepared to begin
rehearsals of an original opera adapted from Du Shiniang by Fen
Menglong (a famous compiler of anthologies of popular literature in
the Ming Dynasty). It presents Chinese style and content within the
medium of Western opera.
Art Committee embarrassment
According to Wu Zuqiang, when construction of the Grand Theater
began an Art Committee was set up under the authority of the State
Council. Wu himself was named as director of the committee.
However, in practical operation of the project, the committee is
not really in charge of many practical things.
In fact, he says, although Art Committee comprises heads of
various major theaters and troupes, together with art and culture
celebrities, it is only a body of consultants concerning
decorations, acoustics and stage equipment during the construction
period. Once construction is complete, the Art Committee has no say
over the theater’s status, performances, or general operations.
Internationally, most comparable theaters have an art committee
directly involved in operations. Wu says that the future of China’s
National Theater Art Committee has not yet been clearly stated.
Heads of troupes offer suggestions
Chen Weiya, deputy chief of the China National Song and Dance
Ensemble and a well-known musical director, thinks that no matter
how the Grand Theater is operated, its artistic standards cannot be
lowered. The Shanghai Grand Theater provides some examples, such as
offering no gift tickets, which closes some financial loopholes.
Employees of the theater are all dedicated to their work.
Zhao Ruheng, head of the Central Ballet Troupe, hopes the Grand
Theater will play a role in encouraging audiences to attend
performances. “We are very concerned about whether the audiences
really enjoy our performance and whether they are actually willing
to buy the tickets. We hope the government can implement some
measures to allow more people to appreciate ballet. For example,
the theater in France often provides low-cost and discounted
tickets thanks to government support.”
Wu Jiang has already started to plan a performance for next
year’s Double Seventh Festival. Falling on the seventh day of the
seventh lunar month, the holiday is a traditional Chinese version
of Valentine’s Day. Said Wu, “We can produce a performance
describing the great love of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, a
beautiful Chinese love story passed down from generation to
generation. It could attract lovers from all over the world to
spend the day at the Grand Theater. People book tickets a long time
in advance to see a Broadway play. With successful operations, some
day people may also need to book tickets far in advance if they
want to watch performances in the Grand Theater!”
(China Youth Daily, translated by Wang Qian for china.org.cn,
March 15, 2004)
