Invited by the Nico Pepe International Civic Academy of Dramatic Art (CIVICA ACCADEMIA D’ARTE DRAMMATICA NICO PEPE) in Udine, Italy, teachers and students from the Shanghai Theatre Academy recently brought their newly staged play "The Red Herring" to the Udine Summer Theatre Festival, engaging in a series of cultural exchange activities. Participants in this festival included teachers and students from various institutions in China, the United Kingdom, Spain, Burkina Faso, and other countries.
The delegation from the Shanghai Theatre Academy was composed of two teachers, Zhang Xiaoou from the Directing Department and Gao Ge from the Acting Department, along with a group of graduate students from various majors. During the brief five-day schedule, the teachers and students attended nine master workshops, completed a theatrical performance, and conducted a special report performance.
The play "The Red Herring" performed by the Shanghai Theatre Academy was written by French playwright Jean-Jacques Varoujean, directed by Zhang Xiaoou, and collaboratively created by Gao Ge and the graduate students from various majors. The script was specially translated into Chinese by Ning Chunyan and received performance authorization from the French Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD). In December 2023, as a teaching achievement of the graduate elective course "Directing Conception and Creative Practice," "The Red Herring" was performed at the Black Box Theatre of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, receiving enthusiastic acclaim.
The version of "The Red Herring" performed in Italy was a completely new one. Due to time and venue constraints, significant adjustments were made from the script to the stage presentation, including a new visual design. A simpler white backdrop was used, with white rice paper of varying lengths as the main scenic element, extending from the top of the stage to the proscenium. All props were wrapped in rice paper, creating a simple yet Zen-like aesthetics. Additionally, the performance incorporated Guzheng music to enhance the narrative function of the music, giving it a more oriental flavor. The costumes and character designs were also redesigned for the festival performance.
On the evening of July 19, local time, "The Red Herring" was performed at the theatre located on the original site of a 16th-century church at the Nico Pepe Academy. The crew had only six hours from setup and on-site synthesis to the performance. The teachers and students worked together efficiently, dividing the complex tasks scientifically and effectively, and made everything ready for the performance at 8 PM, which went smoothly. After the performance, the audience gave a standing ovation, and the applause lasted for a long time.
European audiences showed great interest in the aesthetics from the East. The painting of the red herring skeleton on stage, signed by many, was collected and kept by the Nico Pepe Academy. Many teachers and students also collected the rice paper backdrops left by the impromptu ink splashes during the performance. The principal of the Nico Pepe Academy expressed his excitement, saying, "I am deeply moved. Our guests from Shanghai have prepared so seriously and professionally. These Chinese friends' passion for drama surpasses everything. This marks the beginning of the theatrical connection between the Nico Pepe Academy and the Shanghai Theatre Academy."
According to the arrangement by the theatre festival committee, each participating team had to conduct a public workshop at the academy. Professor Zhang Xiaou’s workshop rehearsed scenes from Shakespeare’s "The Tempest," and the live presentation was both amazing and moving, eliciting thunderous applause from the teachers and students present.
Before the workshop began, Professor Zhang Xiaou introduced the history and current status of the Shanghai Theatre Academy to the teachers and students from different countries, as well as the situation regarding international exchanges and studying abroad, welcoming them to come to the Shanghai Theatre Academy for exchange and study. On behalf of the team, Teacher Gao Ge thanked everyone for their attention and encouragement towards the performance of "The Red Herring" and led the graduate students to participate in the workshop training and report performance. The official website of the Summer Theatre Festival provided comprehensive coverage of the performance activities of the teachers and students from the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
"Drama can shape a beautiful world!" This was a statement made by the principal of the Nico Pepe Academy at the opening ceremony of the Summer Theatre Festival, and what the teachers and students from the Shanghai Theatre Academy gained was precisely a "beautiful world shaped by drama".
