Taiwan plays highlight biennial China Theater Festival

XIAMEN, Nov. 28 - The staging of "The Golden Cangue," a Taiwan Peking Opera adapted from Eileen Chang's novel, has complemented the 11th China Theater Festival which opened in the costal city of Xiamen Saturday.

The opera performed by the island's Guoguang Opera Company was the first Taiwan drama staged at the festival.

It features a psychological tale of a woman tormented by desire and greed. It employs stage partition to create changes of space and time and makes full use of film montage to present Chang's visual imagination and compact plot.

"I am surprised the Peking opera could be made this," a local spectator told Xinhua after the three-hour performance. "It was fantastic."

"It turned a new page in the theater exchange history across the Taiwan Strait, "said Li Mu, vice president of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, at the opening ceremony.

Ji Guoping, secretary-general of the China Dramatists Association, said more Taiwan works were expected to come to the mainland theaters after the event.

"Na Han Dou E," inspired by the ancient tragedy "The Injustice to Dou E", and "Lee Heung-Kwan", a Kunqu opera about a legendary courtesan, by National Taiwan College of Performing Arts and the Taipei University of the Arts production, will also be showcased at the biennial event on Dec. 1 and Dec. 6 respectively.

In addition, the Xiamen Gezi Opera Troupe and Taiwan's Tang Meiyun Gezi Opera Troupe will together stage "The Love Affair of the Butterfly" on Dec.11.

The four works will compete with 24 plays by mainland theater groups including "Mei Lanfang," a biographical play of the Beijing Opera master, for awards, including best director and best performance.

The event will last until Dec. 13.