The first open rehearsal of German-Chinese production "Totally Happy," or "Feng Chang Gao Xing" in Chinese, received mixed reviews. Play director Tian Gebing is not bothered; in fact, he anticipated such reviews and reveled in it.
In a phone interview with China Daily, Tian reacted to audiences' varying reviews of "Totally Happy." Some said it was good and stunning, while there are also those who said they could not understand it.
But for Tian, these comments are not really negative. "That's what I am aiming for," Tian said.
The director, now in his mid-50s, has played a huge role in Beijing's independent theater scene since the late 1980s. A graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, the director has always been keen for his work to be revolutionary. He founded one of the earliest independent theater companies in the country, the Paper Tiger Theater Studio, for the purpose.
"Totally Happy" presented five Chinese and five German actors hailing from Munich Kammespiele. The play explored how the masses and the individual relate to one another.
Confusion about what the play is all about may have stemmed from the fact that it offers no conversation and no clear storyline. The show is merely depicted through actors' body language and monologues. The idea behind the play was generated from his longtime observation of modern Chinese society.
This is not the first time that the director offered something as grandiose and yet confusing as this. Audience of his works is usually treated to unique blending of visual art, theatrical as well as non-theatrical scenes. Usually, the director would even up the ante by adding improvisation and non-professional elements in his plays.