Two Bells in Love
By admin on 2015-01-08

Breaking the stereotypes of antiquated opera performances, Two Belles in Love (Lian Xiang Ban), a Kunqu Opera production broaching the topic of same-sex romance, will take to the stage Tuesday at Poly Theater to mark the 400th birthday of its playwright and Qing Dynasty literati Li Yu (1610-1680).

The ancient love story tells the plight of two women, Cui Jianyun and Cao Yuhua, who fall in love due to the admiration for each other's stunning beauty and literary craft. The work explores their quest to marry the same man in an attempt to stay together.

"Two Belles in Love created by Li Yu 350 years ago is the first opera work that is dedicated to the topic of female homosexuality known to us today. By exploring such a unique subject, we want to elevate people's knowledge of Kunqu Opera," producer Wang Xiang told the Global Times.

Wang said that with Wang Shiyu as artistic director, renowned Hong Kong art house film director Stanley Kwan at the helm and acclaimed fashion designer Guo Pei behind the production, Two Belles in Love is a fitting celebration of Li Yu.

According to historical records, Li Yu took a concubine, Cao, when he was in his 30s, only to find that his first wife was more in love with Cao than with him. "The polygamy of Chinese feudal society offered a secret garden for female homosexuality," Taiwan scholar Xu Jianqiao explained.

Considered as a brilliant and inventive comedy writer, playwright and director, Li Yu traveled extensively with his Kunqu Opera troupe during his lifetime.

Known as an epicure and designer of houses and gardens, Li's works take the audience into 17th-century China by offering jokes, fantasies, yearnings and thoughts of the period.

"For a long time, the idea of homosexuality in Chinese society was ambiguous: Chinese culture, including Confucians, didn't consider same-sex love a sin as many Christian churches do," explained Gao Yanning, a professor with the School of Public Health at Fudan University.

"As long as a man or woman performs their duty and sires children, then their private affairs are just that, private. This is why some sexologists, like Li Yinhe, call China 'a half paradise for homosexuality'," he added.

As one of the few openly gay directors in Asia who has worked extensively on these themes, Kwan said he is hoping to bring a new dimension to the old opera.

"Some people say the love between gay men is more physical, while between women it is more spiritual. I have never denied my sexual orientation and I hope I can infuse my understanding of this theme into the acting of the young performers," Kwan told the Global Times.

Known for his elegant cinematic language and subtle portrayal of female emotions, in the past Kwan has won the hearts of his audience with the beautiful and affectionate female characters in his works, including Red Rose, White Rose and Center Stage, which took the Best Actress Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1992.

According to Kwan, Two Belles in Love preserves the original musicality of Kunqu Opera, combined with modern presentation. A white stage is elaborately decorated with multi-media backdrops and silk curtains, he said.

A major feature of the work is the collaboration with renowned couturier Guo Pei, who designed over 100 costumes for the production. Working with beautiful Japanese fabrics and stunning Italian silk, the costume design gives the classic piece a luxury touch of breath-taking haute couture.

Two Belles in Love will also be presented in two different versions, using a female and male cast alternately. "The interpretation of gender roles between a lesbian couple will be a challenge for both the male and female actors," Wang Xiao commented.

With 600 years of history, Kunqu Opera tops UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in China and in the past, all parts were performed by male actors (nan dan), including the female characters.

"The art of nan dan which culminated 100 years ago around Mei Lanfang's age suffered a decline due to the lack of training and scripts. By presenting an all-male version of Two Belles in Love, we aim to revive the Kunqu Opera at its prime time," Wang Xiang said.

He added that similar to his production of Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion that is a residential repertoire at the Imperial Granary in Beijing, Two Belles in Love will also be featured in the same way after its China tour.

The work will run from May 11-14 in Beijing before heading to Shanghai.