Theatre a la Sauvage
Old is New Again
Journeying to China in 2008 to train in the ancient tradition of Chinese Opera, a group of Concordia theatre students have returned to share the artform with Canadian audiences.
Jingju Canada is the first Canadian company dedicated to the art of Peking Opera (Chinese Opera). Since its inception in 2009, the company has performed individual sequences and given workshops and lectures in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, Canada.
Montreal’s annual Fringe Festival will feature the comedy Crossroads, Jingju Canada’s debut feature-length production.
Never heard of Peking Opera? It’s a relatively new form of Chinese Opera – only about 200 years old. Similar to ancient forms of training like yoga and Kung Fu, Beijing Opera has been handed down through generations of teachers in China.
The influence of Chinese Opera in the West has been credited to one particularly prolific teacher, Mei Lan Fang. Fang lived into the late 1900’s and his touring performances impressed Western sensations Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford.
Famous German playwright Bertold Brecht credits Mei Lan Fang’s performance as the catalyst for his defining stylistic concept, the “alienation effect”. In 2006, Meryl Streep explored this concept when she took on Brecht’s most famous role for the stage as Mother Courage.
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Crossroads features a young, multi-talented cast of six actors using music, vocal performance, mime, dance, clowning and acrobatics to tell this ancient story. Think Cirque du Soleil meets Saturday morning cartoons.
Adapted and translated by Jingju Canada, the opera is a story of political intrigue and misunderstandings, featuring an amazing fight as iconic in Chinese popular culture as the balcony scene featuring our favourite star-crossed lovers is here in the West. Expect beautiful traditional costumes and extravagant mask-like makeup!
Crossroads will be presented at the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) located in Montreal’s Plateau, featuring Shijia (Michelle) Jiang and Nicholas (Koy) Santillo, artistic directors and co-founders of Jingju Canada, Robert Montcalm, Chris Hicks, Avi Bendahan, and Mireck Mitelski – all involved with Concordia’s Theatre Department.
Crossroads opens the Montreal Fringe Festival: June 10 @ 8pm. Tickets $10 for adults & $7 for children/students. Crossroads is perfect family entertainment. See montrealfringe.ca for complete show listings.
