The large-scale dance drama The Gate is inspired from Xi’an, a time-honoured capital city in ancient China. The synopsis is unfolded through the opening of a gate. The dance drama begins with the lively scene of working women in Court Ladies Preparing Silk, which is a famous painting by ZHANG Xuan in the Tang Dynasty. It not only brings together contemporary first-class dancers presenting a total of nine chapters spanning over thousands of years, but reveals a society-wide picture for 108 blocks of ancient Chang’an and the living conditions of the people during the prosperous Kaiyuan Period of the Tang Dynasty. The creative team adopts the unique cavalier perspective method to construct the interrelated section frames. The intimacy of childhood, affection between lovers, aspiration for joining the army, devotion to defending the country, shadow beside the gate and other subtle details are sublimed as distinctive artistic images after typical treatment, accompanied with full of aesthetic connotations. Coupled with a poetry verdure incubated by dreamful narration, the drama can impress the audiences with a variety of reflections on life and philosophical thinking. Love, hatred, lovesickness and devotion are separately described, while loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and justice are eulogized. It not only sheds light on inconstancy of human relationships and the vicissitudes of life, but reveals historical law of feudal dynasties from prosperity to decline to some extent. In shape of family gate, block gate, city gate and national gate, it is also everybody’s innermost world. The past and the future come out when the gate is opened and closed respectively.
Creative
Chief Director: YI Jie
Composer: Wenzi
Librettist: WANG Tiejun
Artistic Director: WANG Hong
Artistic Consultant: HAO Yaohua
History Consultant: YU Gengzhe
Deputy Chief Director: CHENG Ran
Costume & Makeup Designer: JIA Lei
Lighting Designer: ZONG Xiang
Set Designer: ZHU Binbin
Video Projection Designer: LIU Wenqiang
Production
Executive Presenter: YAO Lijun
Chief Producers: KOU Yaling, GU Yuying
Managing Producers: ZHAO Peng, SONG Yadong, LU Wang, ZONG Xiang
Production Coordinator: CHEN Zhiliang
Set Designers: WEN Jingyuan, WANG Tianyun
Technical Director: DI Jingchao
Stage Manager: LU Wang
Deputy Directors: ZHANG Yapeng, ZHANG Chi, LEI Peihua
Rehearsal Instructor: SHAO Lina
Assistant Directors: ZHOU Lei, XU Tao
Deputy Costume Designers: LI Ying, SONG Wenjing
Deputy Makeup Designers: TIAN Yan, FAN Lili
Deputy Props Designers: TAO Xiangdong, LI Xianggang, LI Jian
Deputy Lighting Designer: LIANG Qian
Deputy Sound Designers: GUO Xiao, WANG Peng, PAN Qiong
Subtitles Editors: WANG Jinghua, HOU Sirui
Cast (Subject to the order of appearance)
Sihun (Gatekeeper): QIN Jiangwei
Old Buddhist Nun (Young): ZHANG Jie
Old Buddhist Nun: DAI Wenting
Eunuch: SHI Zhu
Old Buddhist Nun (Young): HUANG Lufei
Eunuch (Young): SHI Renqi
Situ: CHEN Shuguang
General: BAI Yuhao
Kuangsheng: HU Yang
Chouniang (Ugly Lady): DING Jie
Swordsman: HAO Ruoqi
Beggar: WANG Tianyi
Jiubao: WANG Yuanyuan
Fish: LI Yanchao
Fish: MENG Dacheng
The dance drama The Gate begins with Court Ladies Preparing Silk, which is a famous painting by ZHANG Xuan in the Tang Dynasty, with focus on working women. With Sihun (gatekeeper) as an introductory role, this work gives a big picture of the people in 108 blocks of Chang’an during the Kaiyuan Period of the Tang Dynasty. Nine chapters are arranged to tell stories of these diverse blocks at that time, centering on a love story about an old Buddhist nun and an old eunuch. In the fickleness of the world, one of the lovers escapes into a nunnery, and the other becomes a eunuch. The eunuch’s adopted daughter Jiubao repeats the love tragedy of the previous generation. Subsequently, this work narrates the life tragedy of the Situ Family which falls after a rise. When Situ retires on account of age, he often recalls the playing scene of his two beloved sons when they were young. Situ’s second son Kuangsheng (unruly young scholar) is fond of poetry. But this obstinate man is eventually imprisoned. A woman swordsman, dressed as a man, admires Kuangsheng and deems him as a bosom friend. She wields her sword and follows Kuangsheng along the way. Situ’s eldest son has learned martial arts since childhood and grows into a general garrisoning the frontiers, but he dies on the battlefield. His lover Chouniang (Ugly Lady) feels grief-stricken and upholds loyalty to love at the expense of scarring her face. The whole dance drama describes three couples of lovers bitterly separated from each other and a pair of soul mates. In the epilogue of this dance drama, the image of a Fish symbolizes a pair of elves of freedom and love. The roles are strangers and overwhelmed by mixed feelings. The dance drama tells a series of sentimental life stories. Trough legends of these devoted and loving people, this dance drama epitomizes the historical landscape and society of 1,300 years ago on the stage.
Prelude
Recalling the blocks in the Tang Dynasty and telling legendary stories.
The opening remarks by Sihun (gatekeeper) who opens the gate to unfold the dance drama.
Chapter I. Yongxing Block · An Old Buddhist Nun
At the time of the Court Ladies Preparing Silk on the stage, a wandering shadow is vaguely seen.
When the old Buddhist nun chants Buddhist scriptures, where is her lover?
Chapter II. Yishan Block · Eunuch
At old age, he is reminiscent of his companion from youth.
He says goodbye to the prime of youth, without any feeling of ease and quietude.
Chapter III. Ande Block · Situ
Grey-haired retired official Situ lives a lonely, dreary life at old age.
He remembers two sons playing the game during childhood.
Chapter IV. Pingkang Block · Chouniang
Situ’s eldest son dies on the frontier.
Chouniang scars her face with loyalty to her lover.
Chapter V. Chongren Block · Kuangsheng
Situ’s second son arrogantly chants and drinks the wine.
Acting with exuberent confidence over his ability, he gets imprisoned.
Chapter VI. Tongyi Block · Swordsman
Although Kuangsheng comes down, swordsman still follows him.
Bosom friends stand together regardless of the situation.
Chapter VII. Changshou Block · Beggar
All prosperities fade away, but inspiration is never extinguished.
He unswervingly loves Jiubao through thick and thin.
Chapter VIII. Huaizhen Block · Jiubao
As the eunuch’s adopted daughter, Jiubao suffers from ups and downs.
She gets locked up inside the imperial palace, but she envies mandarin ducks and fish in pairs.
Chapter IX. East Market · West Market
It is difficult to be as one wishes during their lifetime, but the dream never vanishes.
East Market and West Market are reinvigorated at the scene of reunion.
The above information, including performance times, lineups, programmes and ticket prices, are all subject to change without prior notice and for reference only.