MENG JINGHUI and Liao Yimei, the Beijing avart-guarde theater couple, are finally shedding their inhibitions. In the final installment of their “Pessimism Trilogy,” the duo give themselves free rein in talking about gender issues and sexuality. 

    Cao Zhen

    MENG JINGHUI and Liao Yimei, the Beijing avant-guarde theater couple, are finally shedding their inhibitions. In the final installment of their “Pessimism Trilogy,” the duo give themselves free rein in talking about gender issues and sexuality.

    The 110-minute “Soft,” which will be shown in Shenzhen’s Huaxia Arts Center in mid-May, comprises only three actors — mainland actress Hao Lei, Taiwan actor Fan Jik-wai and Hong Kong’s award-winning comedian Jim Chim. The play, with a flashy backdrop and bold language, revolves around a female doctor embroiled in tabloid rumors and a young man confused about his sexual identity.

    Meng, 47, one of China’s most influential avant-garde theater directors, says “Soft” is not a simple love story but an exploration at gender and relationships, or human nature. His scriptwriter wife Liao clarifies that “Soft” is not only a play about sexuality, rather it’s about the emotional journey of the three characters’ finding themselves.