Li Liuyi

Li Liuyi (Chinese: 李六乙) is a Chinese director and playwright of Beijing People's Art Theatre. His theory “Pure Drama” and his related exploration in the field are known as “Li Liuyi Methodology”, which is widely acclaimed and researched.[1] Japanese modern theater master Tadashi Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木忠志) calls him “The most influential stage artist of Asia in the new century”.[2]

Early life

Li Liuyi was born into an opera family in 1961. He did research in the Chinese National Academy of Arts for eight years. He has directed numerous genres of drama with distinguished regional characteristics, including Kunqu Opera, Peking Opera, Sichuan opera, Henan Opera, Pingju Opera, Liu Opera, Liuqin tune and Meihu Opera.[3]

Participation in International Artistic Events

Li Liuyi has been invited to different international art festivals and commissioned to create new productions. He was once invited by the City of Linz—the European Capital of Culture in 2009 to direct the opera The Land of Smiles in Linz State Theatre. He became the first Chinese director to set foot in the world of mainstream European opera.[4] Li directed and put the “Heroine” trilogy on stage for the opening ceremony of Holland Festival and was received by the Queen of the Netherlands.[5][6]

He cooperated with the National Ballet of China, adapted and directed the ballet The Peony Pavilion.[7] The ballet was one of the opening performances in the Edinburgh International Festival, which marked an important breakthrough for China's performing arts scene, as it meant Chinese performances were now being staged in major European art festivals.[8]

Representative Works of Drama as a Director

Representative Works of Drama as a Playwright

Critics consider Li Liuyi a playwright with lasting literary creativity. His works of drama include:[21] three small theatre works -- Blue Sky After Rain, Mahjong,[22] and Songat Midnight; the “Heroine” Trilogy Mu Guiying,[23][24] Hua Mulan, Liang Hongyu;[25] See Lu Xun Again, 2003, Time Passed by; The Life of a Peking Policeman (adapted from Lao She’s novel); Fortress Besieged (adapted from Qian Zhongshu’s novel); Spring in a Small Town (adapted from Fei Mu’s film); Ballet The Peony Pavilion (adapted from Tang Xianzu’s Kunqun Opera). His book Li Liuyi’s Pure Drama· Collection of Dramas has been published by the People 's Literature Publishing House in China,[26] translated into many languages and published worldwide.

Drama project "Li Liuyi • China Made" (2012-2015)

In 2012, Li Liuyi launched the drama project “Li Liuyi • China Made”. The project includes three works of ancient Greek tragedy, Antigone, Oedipus Rex, and Prometheus Bound, and the Chinese epic King Gesar (Ⅰ,Ⅱ andⅢ).[27][28] Antigone and Oedipus Rex have been performed in public. Prometheus Bound will be launched early next year in 2015.[29]

As stated in its programme note, “Re-assuming the responsibility of being a practitioner of drama”, Li Liuyi's Antigone has realized a kind of “self-awareness”—it stands at the crossroad of Chinese experience and Western classics and has completed a conversation with the times and the world.[30]

As a contemporary Chinese director, Li Liuyi has successfully caught the soul of the Ancient Greek classic drama through his “translated” work of drama -- Oedipus Rex. He broke through the high wall between the Oriental and Occidental cultures and civilizations, and seamlessly joined the thoughts and emotions of the people from the ancient and distant foreign land, and of the local people in the contemporary times.[31]

References
  1. “The Drama Project of Li Liuyi” (In Simplified Chinese), Bai Ying, Outlook Weekly, 2012, 50, pp.46-48
  2. “The Art of Li Liuyi’s Pure Drama Archived 2013-01-21 at the Wayback Machine” (In Simplified Chinese), Li Yuewu, 21ccom.net Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, on October 29, 2012, 10:46. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  3. “The Drama Project of Li Liuyi” (In Simplified Chinese), Bai Ying, Outlook Weekly, 2012, 50, pp.46-48
  4. “Hard-sell of 'Soft Power'", Mu Qian, China Daily (Chinese: 《中国日报》), on May 11, 2010, 09:16. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  5. “Dramatic Consequences When Women Go to War”, Chen Jie, China Daily (Chinese: 《中国日报》), on October 17, 2008, 09:43. Retrieved 8 August 2014
  6. “Li Liuyi Invited to the Opening Ceremony of Holland Festival with 'Heroine' Trilogy (Pics)” (In Simplified Chinese), Sina.com, on May 27 12:23. Retrieved on 7 August 2014
  7. “The Stage is Set”, Chen Jie, China Daily (Chinese: 《中国日报》), on April 19, 2011, 08:47. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  8. “Ballet 'Peony Pavilion' highlights Edinburgh Festival Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine”, CCTV.com, on August 16, 2001, 09:43 BJ. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  9. “The National Grand Theater ‘Outstanding Director’s Drama Series: Li Liuyi’” (In Simplified Chinese), ifeng.com (Chinese: 凤凰网), April 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  10. “’The Savage Land’ was Brought onto Stage during the Beijing International Musical Festival” (In Simplified Chinese), ifeng.com (Chinese: 凤凰网), September 03 2013, 10:00. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  11. “Death of a Salesman”, China Daily, Updated: March 23, 2012 14:27. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  12. “People’s Art Theatre Brought ‘Death of a Salesman’ to Rehearsal” Archived 2019-02-12 at the Wayback Machine(In Simplified Chinese), 163.com (Chinese: 网易新闻), February 10, 2012, 08:16:26. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  13. “’The Song of the Land’, -- A Conversation Spanning the Age of a Century” (In Simplified Chinese), China Daily, December 17, 2012, 02:51:00. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  14. “The Curtain Fell for ‘The Family’ in People’s Art Theatre Beijing. Director Touched by Young Actors and Actresses” (In Simplified Chinese), Xu Tianqiu, CRI Online, cri.cn, July 11, 2011, 13:45:40. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. “’The Golden Cangue’ – The Impeccable Artistic Integrity” (In Simplified Chinese), Tong Daoming (researcher of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Chinese Theatre, March 2012
  16. “Peking Opera ‘Mei Lanfang Classics’” (in Simplified Chinese), sina.com (Chinese: 新浪网), October 12, 2010
  17. “’The Peony Pavilion’ Adapted into a Ballet – Director Li Liuyi Complains” (In Simplified Chinese), sohu.com (Chinese: 搜狐网), March 05 2008, 11:32. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  18. “’The Story of Puppets’ Has Space to Be Improved -- Director Li Liuyi Could Have Made More Efforts”(In Simplified Chinese), sina.com (Chinese: 新浪网), March 04 2002, 03:59. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  19. “Li Liuyi’s Heroin Trilogy Met with Cold Shoulder in China but Highly Welcomed in Europe” (In Simplified Chinese), Cao Jingyun, November 24, 2009, 09:49:56. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  20. “An Expert in One Thing and Good at Many -- Director Li Liuyi”, China.com.cn, March 20, 2001. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  21. Li Liuyi, Introduction to Directors on the official website of Beijing People's Art Theatre Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (In Simplified Chinese), bjry.com Archived 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 7 August 2014
  22. “Chinese Small Theatre Works in the Eyes of Japanese Audience”, Iizuka Rong (Japanese: 飯塚容), Chinese Theatre, 2012, 012, pp. 48-50
  23. “The Revolutionary Small Theatre Peking Opera -- ‘Mu Guiying’” (In Simplified Chinese), Guo Jia, Sichuan Theatre, 2004.04, pp. 20-21
  24. “‘Mu Guiying’ Calls For the Inherent Qualities of a Female”, Jia Wei, Beijing Daily (Chinese: 《北京日报》), on August 20, 2003
  25. “The Legend of Liang Hongyu Given New Ending”, Press Releases, info.gov.hk, on October 17, 2008, Issued at HKT 11:55. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  26. Li Liuyi’s Pure Drama· Collection of Dramas, the People 's Literature Publishing House (Chinese: 人民文学出版社), Beijing, China, 2001 (ISBN 9787020035373)
  27. “Li Liuyi: His Real Intention Does not Lie in ‘Antigone’ ” (In Simplified Chinese), Shi Ming, Sanlian Life Weekly (Chinese: 三联生活周刊), 2012, 48, pp.146-150
  28. "Plowing in the Land of Poem - On Viewing 'Oedipus' Directed by Li Liuyi" (In Simplified Chinese), Lin Yinyu, Chinese Theatre, 2013, 05, pp. 58-60
  29. Antigone by Li Liuyi Theatre Studio (China) Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine, News from The Straits Times, posted on 7 February 2014, 8:08. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  30. The Audience Must be Offended, Li Jing, New Star Press, May 1, 2014, ISBN：9787513314428
  31. “Black Spell -- On Viewing ‘Oedipus the King’ Directed by Li Liuyi”, Peng Li, Qun Yan (magazine; Chinese: 《群言》), July 7, 2013, pp.40-42.
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