WELL-KNOWN theater director Meng Jinghui will be the art director for the First Contemporary Theater Biennale, which will be launched in Futian District on March 18.

    As an advocate for contemporary theater in China, Meng said that this biennale would not be a stage for artistic concept experiments and commercial productions but a stage for those who set their eyes on exploring modern society and humanity.

    A leading theater director, Meng has stirred up a storm of “experimental drama” in China with his innovations in the field. To some extent, his name has become synonymous with “avant-garde” and “alternative” theater, but his plays have also been very popular in small theaters across the country, which enhance his reputation for being both popular and avant-garde.

    He has written and directed more than 10 plays. The most influential ones include “Comrade Ah Q,” “Waiting for Godot,” “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “Rhinoceros in Love,” “The Balcony,” “I Love XXX,” and “Bootleg Faust.”

    Meng’s stagings of universally acclaimed plays are distinct. He is known for making changes and adjustments, often radical ones. He also gets inspiration from real life and the people he meets.

    Over the past few years, Meng has been very active at many national events for theater plays such as Wuzhen Theater Festival, Hangzhou International Theater Festival and Beijing Fringe Festival.

    “I am a professional director, a selector and an instructor of re-creating literary works. Over the past years, I have worked with many different drama events, and I think that Chinese contemporary theater has not made enough efforts on observation and exploration,” he said recently in Shenzhen.

    In Meng’s opinion, modernity is an issue that must be solved by Chinese contemporary theater. “A man can refuse to grow up, but cannot refuse to make progress. This is the reason why I will emphasize the concept of ‘modernity’ at this biennale,” he said.

    A play should reflect modern society in a form that is widely used worldwide and should no longer be small family talks in a traditional way. This is Meng’s interpretation of “modernity.” “Our focus should be people who are living at the present in today’s society. Therefore, audiences will have a chance to see the experiments and experiences made by artists from France, Lithuania, Japan, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong,” Meng said.

    Organized by Futian District Government, the First Shenzhen Theater Biennale will invite several avant-garde artists from around the world to share and explore contemporary art.

    Twelve plays from around the world will be shown in Futian District during the event. Many well-known artists, critics and directors will also attend seminars.

    In addition to plays, there are two major exhibitions as part of the event, including an image exhibition for 108 outstanding contemporary plays since the 1980s. The plays are from well-known directors such as Lin Zhaohua, Meng, Yi Liming, Wu Wenguang and Mou Sen.

    Another exhibition will select the portrait of about 100 well-known theater masters from the past 100 years, which will promote and introduce plays to the public.

    The organizing committee will offer affordable tickets to the public during the event in order to attract more people to learn about plays. Free seminars will also be held for the public.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)