International Experimental Theatre Seminar is an important part of the Seventh Shanghai International Experimental Theatre festival, consists of two sessions. The two sessions were held in the conference room on the second floor of STA Theatre on Oct. 14th and Oct. 18th separately. Gong Baorong, Vice President of STA, attended full sessions of the discussion.
The first session was divided into three phases. The first phase was host by Professor Wu Baohe. Teachers who gave academic speeches are: Qiu Jialing from the Foreign Languages College in Tianjin Normal University, Ding Liu from Xiaozhuang College in Nanjing, Wang Mingduan from Zhongbei University, Lu Xiaohe from Communication University of China, etc. Qiu introduced the theatre ideas from Ludwig, the female play writer from Norway. Ding Liu talked about the research on de-test trends and similar issues about modern China Experimental Theatre plays. Wang Mingduan talked about the close-space in the Experimental Theatre. Lu Xiaohe talked about the observation on the experimental theatre influenced by cultural industry with the examples of the changing of Penghao Theatre and Bei Theatre, etc.
After a short tea break, the discussion moved to the second phase, which is hosted by Qiu Jialing. Firstly, after the discussion in the first phase, scholars and students expressed their own opinions about the literature features, business features and art features of the experimental theatre plays, and extended discussion on the issue of "theatre industrialization" and told the difference between "commercial theatre" and "the business features of the theatre". Later, Ms Wang Xueqin from Xiaozhuang College in Nanjing took the example of Nanguo Theatre Group, Left Wing Theatre, Farmer's Play from County Ding, and talked about the change of the script creation in the experiment of the modern Pioneer Plays. The last speaker is Wang Xiaoxin from the Puppet Major of STA. She took the experiment play Romulus the Great directed by Director Lin Zhaohua as the example, talked about the phenomenon that the performers at the turning of the century were manipulated. "Puppet player" is not only an active phenomenon in Chinese experimental plays at the turn of the century, but also the prelude of the change for future performers.
The third phrase is about the feedback of the plays performed in this Experimental Theatre festival. Besides of the scholars from first two phrases, more persons are invited: the director, editor, actors, etc from the present three plays: 72 Mgrantes, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Caucasian Chalk Circle. The discussion was host by Professor Hu Kaiqi, and he talked about his own feelings about the plays. Professor Hu believes the performance are all significant, from the adaption of the classical story to the interpretation of the current issues. All these plays focus on the thinking about the topic of "human", and what was emphasized was "human, human and human". Then the crew from three plays communicated with audience. Zynaia Theatre, National School of Theatre Arts explained the topic of 72 Mgrantes, and talked about the meaning of this performance to the actor and creator of the group. They expressed the writing attitude of “All the time is the first time ” passionately. Teatro Potlach from Italy showed great humor when they talked about how to create the dreamy world under the sea in 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, which expressed the efforts they made to learn more about the new artistic language. Wandering Fools from Columbia University, USA introduced carefully about the adaption and rehearsal of Caucasian Chalk Circle. What's more, the scholars from the meeting communicated with the group well. For example, Professor Wu Baohe had brilliant conversation with the group about the adaptation of the figure in original work 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the meaning of the comedy ending in the production.
The second session on Oct. 18 was divided into 2 phrases. The first phrase is about the academic speech on the experimental theatre productions and hosted by Professor Tang Yipei from STA. This phrase was then divided into special sessions for scholars and post graduates.
Scholars came to the Special Session were Ms Gu Haihui from the Literature Department of PLA Art College, Cao Nanshan, assistant researcher from Zhejiang Media College, and Ms Sun Xuefang from Japan. Ms Gu Haihui illustrated the modern features of the experimental theatre in China from three perspectives, and believed that the government should increase the investment to Experimental Theatre. Cao Nanshan talked about the experience in the learning of Strindberg theory from the influence to the symbolism plays from the Strindberg's plays in his late years and his ideas about the play-writing. From the perspective of the mutual influence of Chinese and Japanese culture and the relation between theatres in China and Japan, Ms Sun Xuefang introduced the origin of the Japanese theatre and the change of the Experimental Theatre in Japan. Professor Tang Yipei then re-assured the identifying of the Experimental Theatre, and emphasized the important meaning of the experimental theatre in the development of modern theatre. He pointed out that the Experimental Theatre is not a script concept but a stage concept, and the complete realization of a theatre concept should be conducted in a theatre.
Many post graduates gave speeches in the post graduate session, including both doctoral candidates Shen Guoming from the Theatre and Opera Department in Nanjing University, Chen Liru from the Cross-culture Institute in Furen Univeristy, Taiwan, and master candidates Yang Ge from Beijing Languages University, Yang Guang from Shanghai Theatre Academy, Yan Xiaodan from China Opera College, and Majid Sarnayzadeh from University of Hormozgan in Bandar Abbas, Iran. They contributed brilliant and insightful ideas to the thoughts of the present development of Experimental Theatre from various perspectives.
The second discussion mainly targeted on the plays performed in this Experimental Theatre exhibition performance. With Professor Hu Kaiqi's host, scholars and crew from the theatre extended heated communications. Professor Wu's comment to the performance of The Grey Automobile by Teatro De Ciertos Habitantes, Mexico caused a fierce discussion about what is theatre performance. Then scholars also communicated well with the theatre groups about The Good Person of Setzuan by Folkwang University of the Arts Essen from Germany, and Camille Claudel by Footprint Project from UK, etc.
At last, Vice President Gong Baorong expressed gratitude to the scholars, students and theatre groups attending this Experimental Theatre academic seminar. He concluded that compared to the previous seminars, it was a major creation to discuss related academic issues in the process of the exhibition performance.
Along with the development of the experimental theatre, the recognition about it is also developing. The academic atmosphere was intense in this seminar: scholars from different universities discussed about the Experimental Theatre related issues thoroughly. More than that, they communicated with the crew from the theatre groups, which was the close connection between theories and practices. There are reasons to believe that this seminar will add more glory to the international Experimental Theatre exhibition performance, enrich the theoretical research about the experimental theatre, blossom the stage practice, and improve the communication and cooperation in performing arts between China and the rest of the world.
