"The Tyrannical Earl" 暴虐伯爵 -- Sept. 15 at Oriental Pioneer Theater (國話先鋒劇場)

In this Chinese-language adaptation of the classic French tale of mental illness and isolation directed by Pei Kuishan, an insecure, paranoid, self-obsessed lord (Dong Tianyi) is forlorn about having murdered his two eldest sons out of fear they would overthrow him. Depressed and delusional, the Earl rejects his daughter's (Hao Rui) intended marriage to an outsider (Ao Xinuo), resulting in the young woman's subsequent breakdown and psychosis. Vivid scenes with angels of death, dressed in long black robes, represent the Earl's inability to separate himself and his family from death's calling. After the Earl murders his third and youngest son (Yang Shitao) after the boy attempts to kill him in revenge for slaying his elder brothers, the daughter fiendishly seduces the Earl and then revenges her brothers by sticking a sword through her post-coital father's throat.

No doubt a challenging adaptation for the all-Chinese cast, the play is a Chinese take on a European royal tragedy which tests the audience's will with copious amounts of violence and incest. Despite a confusing miscast of the king's wife, played by Li Xu (she appeared younger than her daughter on stage), the production featured lightning-filed performances by Dong Tianyi and Hao Rui.

"The Diary of A Madman" 狂人日記 – Sept. 16 at the Honeycomb Theater (蜂巢劇場)

Based on the 1918 epic short story written by Lu Xun, commonly considered one of China's greatest writers, director Li Jianjun presents a wildly futuristic adaptation on a set entirely composed of cement bricks. A madman (Zhang Jiahuai) is convinced that everyone around him is a cannibal and lusts to dine on him. He is further driven to insanity by the premonition that as a boy, he himself might have been raised eating human flesh. In an apocalyptic world where humans appear to eat nothing but each other, the madman confronts a dog (Liang Shuang) and is ultimately forced to accept his fate and assimilate with the other people in his community, who, unlike the lead character, have never once questioned the morality of their own actions.

Apparently drawn in by this well-known storyline, the mostly Chinese audience remained engaged throughout the show, and was struck by the absurd haplessness of Zhang's character. Liang's perky portrayal of the wise, canine sage reminded me a bit of Liu Xiao Ling Tong's interpretation of the Monkey King in the classic "Journey to the West" TV series. The production benefits from a remarkably cutting edge set design, stellar performances by the two lead actors and a script holding true to its roots. The play's enthusiastic reception demonstrated that Lu Xun's work still relates well to today's audiences.