Drama Time Forest to Mark Conclusion of Children's Theatre Festival
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A rehearsal of an act from the upcoming children's drama, Time Forest, on August 3, 2016 at the China National Theatre for Children in Beijing. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Anchor: A drama about how swiftly time passes and changes people's life will be staged on August 25th to mark an end of the ongoing children's theatre festival.

Veteran Chinese actor Jiao Gang, who has captured a lot of public attention for his role in the 2012 film "Wan Jian Chuan Xin" (万箭穿心) also known as Feng Shui, is the director of this drama Time Forest.

Time Forest is a fantasy drama and anyone who steps into this forest may go through a time warp.

There's more than a week to go before the show is finally screened in a theatre in Beijing's suburban Huairou district. Rehearsals are going on with some scenes presented in a way that actors would speak some local dialects.

Director of this drama, Jiao Gang explains why actors and actresses speak local dialects.

"We practiced a lot in our theatre workshop. We felt nothing new when we practiced again and again in mandarin Chinese. Why not let actors and actresses speak their local dialects in our rehearsals? One day, I decided to have such a try. Eventually, they all felt quite excited. Also, I found bestowed with the inclusive qualities of local or cultural dialects, the drama looks very lively. So the part of speaking some dialects has been retained, including the Hubei dialect."

In 2013, Jiao Gang was nominated for best male supporting roles in both Golden Rooster Award and Chinese Film Media Award for his portrayal of a dreadful coward Ma Xuewu who married a strong-minded and sharp-tongued woman Li Baoli in Wan Jian Chuan Xin.

Coincidentally, that movie also featured the Hubei dialect.

But Jiao Gang denied that his inclusion of local accents in Time Forest was influenced by his previous film.

"I've never thought of Li Baoli when rehearsing this drama. I think speaking local dialects makes this drama vivid with life, particularly in embodying how people around China all come to work and live in an exhausting fast pace of life in Beijing. Speaking to their families in dialect indicates a slight slowing down in the rhythm of their life, which is a valuable part of time. So I reserved that part."

Time Forest is a realistic drama for children. It discloses the cruelty that as time has gone by it takes the love feelings further and further away.

By entering the time forest, two young visitors Tang Gaogao and his younger sister Tang Duoduo may regain the magic power of love. For such a drama, Jiao Gang thinks its audiences shouldn't only be young children.

"I keep considering a question if children are the only target audience group for this children's drama. Should the parents who accompany their children to the theatre kill time playing on their smart phones or sleeping? I hope Time Forest would cater to both parents and children audiences who may appreciate it. What is more, after the show I envision that they might discuss and even debate on the story."

The staging of Jiaogang's drama Time Forest on August 25th will draw curtain for the 49-day long China Children's Theatre Festival, which will shape a new fashion for children to spend their summer holiday.

During the festival, young audiences and their parents are provided access to vote for their favorite dramas. Will Time Forest be your favorite program, please check it out on your own in the Huairou District Theatre in Beijing.

 

Author： 　　　Source：CRI　　　 Editor：Yang Fan