Focusing on urban emotional topics and reflecting one’s own life from the perspective of a bystander. The drama ‘Seeking Her Trace – Eileen Chang’, written by Lin Weiran and Wang Renfan and directed by Li Bonan and Liu Hao, produced by Zhejiang Drama Troupe, is brought to the stage, reproducing the eventful and unruly life of the talented woman Eileen Chang. The writer Eileen Chang on the stage is played by Liu Miao, a young actor of Zhejiang Drama Troupe. In the play, she is wearing a cheongsam, elegant and charming. The charm of her past years is presented in front of the audience along with Eileen Chang’s classic masterpieces and famous quotes, which is very touching.
Looking at the whole play, ‘Seeking Her Trace – Eileen Chang’ cleverly brings Eileen Chang and the female characters in her classic novels ‘Half a Lifelong Romance’, ‘Red Rose and White Rose’, and ‘Little Reunion’ to appear on the same stage. Through the stories of Gu Manzhen, Wang Jiaorui, and Jiu Li, it tells the legendary life of Eileen Chang full of love and hate entanglements. The turmoil of Chinese history, the conflicts of old-fashioned family life, and the changes in one’s own inner emotions. These three lines interweave a very complex Eileen Chang. This complexity is projected in her works, producing a light that transcends the times and a mysterious power that directly reaches the depths of human nature. Examining the works from the writer’s experience and looking back at the writer from the presentation of the works, we try to find the intersection point and invite readers and audiences to restore a relatively complete and clear Eileen Chang in their hearts from different angles. Simultaneous placement of time and space: Relive the eventful life. When the curtain of ‘Seeking Her Trace – Eileen Chang’ is opened, the stage is divided into three time and space dimensions: In 1943 in Shanghai, Eileen Chang’s best friend Yan Ying chats with Eileen Chang’s younger brother Zhang Zijing about the formation of Eileen Chang’s character, and the closeness is evident. On one side is an apartment in the United States in 1994. In the year before Eileen Chang’s death, Eileen Chang’s fans secretly visit the apartment to look for traces of her and try to find the traces of Eileen Chang who has closed her door to visitors. At the center of the stage is a live broadcast room in 2020. A birthday celebration ceremony for the 100th anniversary of Eileen Chang’s birth. Eileen Chang’s fans sometimes laugh and sometimes cry. While searching for Eileen Chang, they pour out their own joys and sorrows of life. The successive performances of the three time and space dimensions interweave into three context lines for seeking the beauty. While reproducing Eileen Chang’s bumpy life, ‘Half a Lifelong Romance’, ‘Red Rose and White Rose’, and ‘Little Reunion’ are staged. Thus, the hidden traces of Eileen Chang lurking between the lines are also presented one by one. This drama is set against a time span of nearly eighty years. Through the alternate use of three time and space dimensions, it deeply pursues and explores Eileen Chang’s life and literary achievements from multiple dimensions of three-dimensional perspective. The play freely switches between different time and space dimensions, presenting an artistic effect of combining points and lines, combining simplicity and complexity, and being suitable for both light and heavy. This makes the structure of biographical drama present a unique appearance.The drama ‘Searching for Her Trace – Eileen Chang’ allows the audience to feel the rich connotations contained in Eileen Chang and her works in a brand new way. In ‘Searching for Her Trace – Eileen Chang’, Eileen Chang is no longer simply the writer Eileen Chang. She incarnates as the heroines in her novels, namely Gu Manzhen (from ‘Eighteen Springs’), a tragic intellectual woman; Sheng Jiuli (from ‘Little Reunion’), a new-style intellectual woman; Meng Yanli, a gentle and virtuous woman with a Shanghai accent; and Wang Jiaorui, an enthusiastic and hot-tempered woman with a northern accent (from ‘Red Rose and White Rose’). These characters are all created by Eileen Chang, but they are also closely connected with her and presented as an inseparable community. She writes, directs and acts by herself. In addition to bringing aesthetic thinking to the audience, it also adds a desolate taste of the times and life. When the elevated iron platform on another layer on the stage rotates, Gu Manzhen and Shen Shijun in ‘Eighteen Springs’ lose contact in the heavy snow. The letters sent out one by one turn into snowflakes scattered all over the stage, full of desolation. Tong Zhenbao in ‘Red Rose and White Rose’ holds an apple and exchanges glances with Wang Jiaorui. Sheng Jiuli and Shao Zhiyong in ‘Little Reunion’ sign a marriage contract in front of a glazed lamp, ‘May the years be quiet and the present world be stable’… The symphony of multiple time and space, the brewing of multiple emotions, and the interpretation of multiple lives. The key figure connecting the stage is the legendary woman, Eileen Chang. Decades of vicissitudes are condensed into two concise hours. Eileen Chang paces quietly on the stage across the scale of time and space. This is a trace of beauty left by a beautiful woman in the light and shadow. The drama focuses on shaping Eileen Chang and the female images in her novels. Characters such as Gu Manzhen, Wang Jiaorui, and Sheng Jiuli in ‘Eighteen Springs’, ‘Red Rose and White Rose’, and ‘Little Reunion’. Through the vivid interpretation of these characters and the complex emotional entanglements and inner struggles between the characters, the audience can feel the power and wisdom of moving from old-fashioned women to human awakening, as well as the importance of inner strength for a person’s life. In addition, the play also shows the influence and transformation of Eileen Chang’s novels on the lives of three male characters through their narrations, presenting rich life experiences and ideological inspirations. The play does not directly tell Eileen Chang’s real experiences and stories. Instead, it selects three representative novels and integrates the characters and plots into the drama. Through the extraction and interpretation of the novel’s themes and story fragments, a remarkable narrative subject is presented. Through the complex emotional entanglements and inner struggles between the characters, it shows the difficulties and challenges faced by the protagonist under specific social and historical backgrounds, a female life full of love, hate, and affection.
This play-within-a-play technique not only recreates the tragic and joyful history of the protagonists in Eileen Chang’s novels but also reflects the real life of Eileen Chang herself. Audiences are easily led to perceive everything depicted and presented in the novels or plays as Eileen Chang’s own experiences and stories. The title ‘Traces of her Fragrance’ is not just about finding her whereabouts but also about tracing the path within her heart. Through different perspectives and aspects, it successfully restores the image of Eileen Chang, a legendary talent, allowing her charm and value to be more profoundly displayed. This play not only showcases Eileen Chang’s life and works but also prompts modern audiences to deeply contemplate issues of life and human nature. By borrowing the stories of classic characters from Eileen Chang’s pen, such as Gu Manzhen, Wang Jiaorui, and Sheng Jiulv, and their emotional entanglements with male characters like Tong Zhenbao, Shen Shijun, and Shao Zhiyong, the actress Liu Miao brilliantly portrays Eileen Chang as well as the three female protagonists within the play, complementing the elegant feminine temperament and charm with the male actors’ performances, perfectly capturing the term and image of ‘Fragrance’, which specifically refers to the silhouette and traces of women, leaving people with endless reverie. The performance of ‘Traces of her Fragrance·Eileen Chang’ is not only a tribute to Eileen Chang’s literary works but also an in-depth analysis of urban emotional life. Through the narrative of the growth and pursuit of female characters, it reveals the urban desire for love and ideals, prompting the audience to reflect on their own emotional lives and resonate. On the evening of November 16th at 19:30, at Suzhou Poly Grand Theater, let us embark on an emotional journey about love and pursuit with ‘Traces of her Fragrance·Eileen Chang’. Performance Team: Lin Weiran – Screenwriter, Director of the Chinese Branch of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC), Executive Editor of ‘New Script’ magazine. Graduated from the Department of Dramatic Literature at the Central Academy of Drama, engaged in the creation of stage plays, film and television dramas, and art reviews. Main works include: plays ‘Please Tell Me a Lie’, ‘Incapable of Love’, ‘Angels on the Road’, ‘Secrets’, ‘Unspoken Daily Life’, ‘Northern Beam Family’; Peking Opera ‘Young Ma Lianliang’; Qu Opera ‘Singing’; TV series ‘The Era We Live In’, ‘Under the Shadowless Lamp’; film ‘Shut Up! Love’, etc. Works have won awards nationally and internationally. Wang Renfan – Screenwriter, independent film critic, drama critic, screenwriter, with plays such as ‘Parents’ Meeting’, ‘Thawing’, etc. Li Bonan – Director, Vice Chairman of Beijing Drama Association, member of the 10th National Committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, outstanding expert of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, a cultural celebrity of China and a talent of the ‘Four Batches’ by the Central Propaganda Department, director of the China Drama Association, director of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, member of the Art Committee of Beijing Performing Arts Group, specially appointed expert of the Art Committee of Shanghai Wen Guang Performing Arts Group, national expert of the Art Committee of Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, member of the Zhejiang Province Art Guidance Committee, specially appointed expert of the Zhejiang Province Literature and Art Research Center, permanent artistic director of Zhejiang Province Drama Troupe, artistic director of Ningbo Drama Troupe, member of the first expert committee of the Zhejiang Province Culture and Tourism Think Tank.
Main representative works: ‘How Much Love Can Be Reckless’, ‘Hidden Marriage Men and Women’, ‘Wild Talk and Crazy Words’, ‘Philosophy of Lao Zhang’, ‘Farewell to Huiyin’, ‘Legend of [Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains]’, ‘The Great River Flows East’, ‘Qiushui Mountain Villa’, ‘Every Wonderful Little Thing’, ‘New New Hotel’, ‘Amnesty’. Director Liu Hao graduated from Tianjin University and works at Guangzhou Dramatic Art Center. His main works as a playwright include: ‘Lightly Deeply in Love’, ‘The Initial Aging of Women’, ‘Every Wonderful Little Thing’, ‘Extremely Apologetic’, ‘Companion in Admiration’, ‘What’s the Panic’, ‘Happy New Year’, etc. His main works as a director include: ‘Love’, ‘Field Picnic’, ‘To Our Love That Will Eventually Pass Away’, ‘Qiushui Mountain Villa’, ‘New New Hotel’, ‘Yu Dafu’, ‘Li Shutong – The Last Love Letter’, etc. He has won the ‘Outstanding Director Award of Asian Young Directors Drama Festival’, ‘Best Director Award of Ibsen International Drama Festival’, ‘Outstanding Repertoire Award of Excellent Repertoire Tour of the Ministry of Culture’, etc.
Liu Miao plays Eileen Chang. An outstanding young actor of Zhejiang Drama Troupe. Main stage plays: ‘Lust for Life – Lu Xiaoman’, ‘Searching for Her Trace: Eileen Chang’, ‘Farewell to Huiyin’. Participated works: ‘An Appointment with Xu Zhimo’, ‘Who Will Decide the Ups and Downs’, ‘Qiushui Mountain Villa’, ‘Yu Dafu – The Innocent Pen’, ‘The Steep and Long Road’, ‘Beautiful Days in Spring’, etc. Won the bronze award in Group A of the 2022 Zhejiang Province ‘Xinsong Plan’ Young Stage Actor Competition. Participated in the original sketch ‘Be with You’ and won the 2019 national art fund annual funding project. Li Yue plays Shen Shijun. A national first-class actor. Main stage plays: ‘Who Will Decide the Ups and Downs’, ‘Red Center’, ‘Mind Game’, ‘Just Met You’, ‘Burning Van Gogh’, ‘This Heart Is Bright’, ‘Searching for Her Trace: Eileen Chang’, ‘The Steep and Long Road’, ‘Ma Xulun’. Musicals: ‘Little Green Troupe’, ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘Hua Mulan’, ‘Guoguo’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, etc. Won the excellent performance award in the youth stage actor competition of the Tenth Zhejiang Drama Festival and the Xinsong Plan Zhejiang Province Youth Stage Actor Competition. Liu Jianfu plays Shi Weijian. A national first-class actor. Main stage plays: ‘Legend of Huizhou Merchants’, ‘Bride of Huaihe River’, ‘Orphan of Zhao Family’, ‘Yu Dafu – The Innocent Pen’, ‘The Steep and Long Road’, ‘Who Will Decide the Ups and Downs’, ‘Lust for Life – Lu Xiaoman’, etc. Won the Golden Lion Performance Award of the Ninth China Golden Lion Drama Festival in 2014; the Newcomer Leading Role Award of the 25th Shanghai Magnolia Drama Performing Arts Award in 2015; the Best Leading Role Award of the 6th International Theatre ‘Academy Award’ (performance award) in 2016; the silver award in Group A of the second ‘Xinsong Plan’ Zhejiang Province Stage Actor Competition in 2019; the gold award in Group A of the third ‘Xinsong Plan’ Zhejiang Province Stage Actor Competition in 2022. Wei Peng plays Tong Zhenbao. A national first-class actor.Recognized as a member of the ‘Five Batches’ talent in Zhejiang Province’s cultural propaganda system, the lead actor has starred in numerous plays including ‘This Heart is Bright’, ‘The Long Path of Heroes’, ‘The Innocent’, ‘New New Hotel’, ‘Li Shutong: The Last Love Letter’, ‘Bright Spring Days’, ‘Marrying an Economically Suitable Man’, ‘Happiness.com’, ‘Goodbye Huiyin’, ‘Confucius’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Lei Feng’, ‘Slight Deep Love’, and ‘Very Apology’. The actor has received the Zhejiang Province 11th Drama Festival’s Outstanding Performance Award; the Best Leading Role Award at the German Döntzdorf International Theatre Festival; the National Drama Culture Award for Best Performance in a Play Golden Lion Award (2012); the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 4th Academy Award of the Central Academy of Drama (Drama Performance); the 5th Zhejiang Drama Award · Golden Osmanthus Performance Award; the 2019 ‘New Pine Plan’ Zhejiang Province Youth Drama Actor Competition Group A Gold Award; the 10th Zhejiang Province Drama Festival Youth Drama Actor Competition Performance First Prize; and the 2014 ‘New Pine Plan’ Zhejiang Province Youth Drama Actor Competition First Prize. Zhao Kuo, an outstanding young actor from Zhejiang Drama Troupe, plays Shao Zhiyong. He has starred in plays such as ‘Autumn Water Manor’ and played leading roles in ‘The Long Path of Heroes’, ‘Who is the Master’, ‘In Search of Her Traces: Eileen Chang’, ‘Sifan: Lu Xiaoman’, ‘Mulan’, ‘New New Hotel’, ‘Zhi Mo’s Appointment’, ‘Green Yu Village’, and ‘The Moon of the Deserted City’. He has won the 2019 ‘New Pine Plan’ Zhejiang Province Youth Drama Actor Competition Group A Bronze Award and the 2022 ‘New Pine Plan’ Zhejiang Province Youth Drama Actor Competition Group A Gold Award. The full text is open on 11/16 Saturday, with the performance starting at 19:30. The specific duration of the performance is subject to the live event.
