"As I'm in the literary circle, I don't know about others. There is a 'Jing Ke' living deep in my soul. I have also experienced the self-recognition process that Jing Ke on stage has experienced."
"Everyone has a Jing Ke in his heart," said Ren, "That's why (the play) is called Our Jing Ke," he explained. "The hesitation, anxiety and even insomnia of modern people brought on by advanced civilization are very similar to the predicament Jing Ke on stage encounters."
Modernized classic
To relate to modern people, not only are the lines in the script mostly contemporary words, the stage setting also looks like present-day.
The backdrop features a hollowed-out letterpress plate with characters in Li calligraphy to overlay a historic grandeur.
The lighting theme, which changes with each of the five acts in the play, reflects the character's various moods at different times and in different spaces. For example, the initial light grey that implies the character's failing logic moves into colors of gold and silver to represent luxury as he accepts the mission.
Additionally, a rotating floor delivers the concept of choice, implying the difficult choices made by the characters in the play.
Some lines in the play have become known for their catchy and modern wording, like when the swordsmen and knights-errant warmly discuss, "Who doesn't want to stand out when the chaotic world offers a big stage?"
Also well-known among audiences is Jing Ke's line, "If I kill the king of Qin, he will be the hero and I will only be a costar, but if I can kill him, yet choose not to, I will be the hero and he will be a minor player."
Our Jing Ke plays at the NCPA from February 19 to 24, 2013.
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