"Treasure Island Village" landed at Harbin Grand Theater

China News Service, Harbin, November 7 (Reporter Liu Xiju) On the evening of the 6th, Lai Shengchuan, the "leading Asian theater director", launched his prestigious stage work "Treasure Island Village" at the Harbin Grand Theater. Under the dim lights, the story of three generations in the military community slowly unfolds, leading the audience to a journey through a turbulent past, and telling what nostalgia is.

"Treasure Island Village" landed at the Harbin Grand Theater. Photo by Tian Deyu

"Treasure Island Village" is the spark of the intersection of ideas between Chinese dramatist Lai Shengchuan and film and television producer Wang Weizhong. It uses three families as the main line and tells a story about a military dependents' village: In 1949, a group of people had no time to say goodbye to their relatives and accidentally crossed the sea to Taiwan. The day they could return home was far away. With longing deeply buried in their hearts, they took root in the village where they temporarily settled. As a result, different cultures merged and became a "Treasure Island Village". 18 years after its premiere, this play continues to bring laughter and emotion to countless audiences. It has been called "the pinnacle of the drama stage of our time."

Performance scene. Photo by Tian Deyu

This work adopts Lai Shengchuan's signature collective improvisation method. There is no complete script written in advance. Many lines and details come from personal hearings and family memories of actors from military villages.

"In my opinion, "Treasure Island Village" has returned home." Zhu Degang, one of the leading actors, told reporters that the lyrics at the beginning of the play are "My home is on the Songhua River in Northeast China..."

"Treasure Island Village" is the spark of the intersection of ideas between Chinese dramatist Lai Shengchuan and film and television producer Wang Weizhong. Photo by Tian Deyu

At the performance, the actors' wonderful performances aroused bursts of applause from the audience. Sitting under the stage was Xu Shao, a tourist who came from Mudanjiang. During the approximately 210-minute performance, he watched the characters on the stage go from leaving home, wanting to go home, to finally accepting that "the military community is home." After the performance, he said a very simple sentence: "I really felt 'nostalgia.'"

"I cherish my fate with this drama very much, and I also cherish this opportunity." Fan Ruijun, one of the leading actors, said that he hopes to tell this story to everyone through his performance. (over)