In the autumn of 2004, at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, a multimedia spatial drama titled "End Station - Beijing" touched the audience's nerves with its unique emotional context and spatial presentation, exploring the hidden inner world of contemporary individuals.
This play is the creation of the renowned theater director Cao Kefei. Those familiar with her work may recall her previous directorial works, such as the original play "On the Road," Austrian playwright Thomas Bernhard's "The Power of Habit," and German playwright Marius von Mayenburg's "Fireface." During her years in Beijing, she used her unique and keen observation as a female director to explore various possibilities in theater, maintaining an independent creative attitude toward the exploration of theatrical art.
On the Creation of "End Station - Beijing"
Sun Min: I've read the script for "End Station - Beijing," and I found the language of the script to be quite unique, full of passion and provocative, yet it also conveys a deep concern and care for people and things. Relatively speaking, the script provides minimal stage directions, so if you just read the script, it's challenging to imagine the way the stage is currently presented.
Cao Kefei: I prefer drama texts with fewer stage directions. It offers me less constraint and more space for imagination and creativity.
Huang Du: "End Station - Beijing" is quite different from your previous works. Does this change stem from the script itself, or do you have new demands on theater as an art form?
Cao Kefei: My own demands on theater have evolved. I'm seeking interaction and communication between theater and the audience. I hope that when the audience enters the theater, they can feel that the world on stage is connected to their lives. The play should touch them, but it's not about catering to the audience. "End Station - Beijing" is closely related to the era we live in. It portrays the state and trends of contemporary society through six characters and their imaginings of money, sex, desire, and success. We ritualize everyday life, such as scenes of travel and fitness, incorporating elements from popular culture like trendy catchphrases and advertising slogans into the play for imitation and satire, which is something less common in my previous works.
Huang Du: How do you balance the actors' performances and the boundaries of theatrical freedom?
Cao Kefei: I don't control their specific performances. During rehearsals, we often engage in discussions and explore our collective understanding of the play and the characters, as well as the forms we want to present. We collide ideas and seek together. I'm an observer; I let the actors express themselves, and if something doesn't feel right, I'll let them know. I also capture interesting moments along the way.
Huang Du: You've introduced multimedia art into this play in a completely new way. How did you consider that these elements would shine in the theater production?
Cao Kefei: First and foremost, a play must be visually appealing. In popular terms, it needs to look good. Audiences in the theater space need to be captivated by an environment, an atmosphere, before they can gradually appreciate the deeper meanings hidden within the entire play. People who don't come from a theater background may have more open and free-thinking approaches, which are crucial for creativity. I've always enjoyed visiting art installations and listening to electronic music. This collaboration with my friend, multimedia installation artist Zhu Jinshi, felt like a natural fit for me.
Huang Du: From a visual perspective, I find this play very intriguing. You can see multiple spaces, such as the actors' performance space and the memory space through video. Grabbing the audience's attention visually seems to be an important feature of this play.
Sun Min: This play doesn't have the usual pretentiousness and appears very natural. Especially, the visual treatment of old photographs and the actors' performances create a very intimate connection. The integration of performance space and memory space is what makes this play moving.
Cao Kefei: I put a lot of thought into the time-space transitions in this play while adapting the script. In this production, we placed the audience in the center of the theater, with actors performing both in the audience seating area and around the theater. We aimed to make the audience an integral part of the play. The relationship and transitions between the reality of the cabin space and the extended situational spaces are crucial in this play. In other words, how to make the audience believe that the entire play unfolds within the airplane setting while not limiting the performance space to the confines of an airplane.
Huang Du: Did you envision the actor performances and interaction with the audience during the conceptualization of "End Station - Beijing," or was it something you wanted to change compared to your previous directing style?
Cao Kefei: The script itself didn't specify the stage presentation, and the idea of this interaction came about during the conceptualization stage, in discussions with Zhu Jinshi.
Sun Min: This play left me with a distinct impression that, after watching it, I couldn't remember individual actors, only the play and the ensemble of actors. "End Station - Beijing" focuses on a collective concept, and each individual actor within it is not as important. They play a role, and the identities and stories of each actor overlap and transform continuously. It can be said that the play presents a very strong and novel style. In the realm of Chinese theater, it's rare to see a production that truly portrays a group of people rather than an individual.
Cao Kefei: I lean towards theater that starts from everyday life and evolves towards abstraction and metaphysics. This play lacks a central character with a linear plot centered around them, as well as the primary means of dialogue-driven exploration of characters' psychology. Instead, we ritualize everyday phenomena that people are accustomed to, reflecting a collective unconscious state. This may convey the disappearance of individuals as independent thinking subjects in today's society.
Sun Min: Both you and your brother (playwright Cao Keyuan) have lived abroad for a long time. Do you think Western postmodern theater has subconsciously influenced your creative work, leaving traces of Western theater in your form of expression?
Cao Kefei: The real influence isn't in terms of form; that's just on the surface. European theater stages are very diverse, and the collaborations across various artists and art forms have greatly enriched and developed theater. In those places, measuring a city's modernity isn't about the height of its buildings but about going to the theater to watch plays. Furthermore, theater is not just entertainment; it must have a critical spirit and attempt to convey a form of reflection. These aspects have had a significant impact on us.
Huang Du: How do you view the future of theater from various angles, including commercial aspects and the psychological and aesthetic needs of the audience? Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or undecided?
Sun Min: I think the changes in theater are related to both the system and economics. There is room for economic improvement, and this can be expected. As people's material pursuits reach a certain level, they inevitably turn their attention to their spiritual dimensions, and theater provides a channel for that. With the development of the domestic economy, more people might become interested in theater, so that's one area of potential growth.
Cao Kefei: Besides changes in the system, the creativity, persistence, and sensitivity to the era of the creators themselves are essential. Currently, I don't have an optimistic view of the theater environment. It might seem prosperous on the surface, but it's mostly built on bubbles—either unrealistic glorification or a focus on pleasing the audience based on box office earnings. How much room is there for reflection and creation? Achieving true diversity and artistic excellence will require a long journey.
Sun Min: In China, as a young independent theater director, what hopes and disappointments do you experience in your creative work?
Cao Kefei: When we overcome various difficulties to finally present a work, that's when I see hope. Disappointment has always been with me, and I often disappoint myself. Perhaps disappointment is necessary for real hope to emerge.
Huang Du: What do you think about the relationship between the theater inside and outside the system in the theater world?
Cao Kefei: There isn't much interaction between the two, and there's even some rejection. Both the internal and external sides tend to build their own walls and lack collaboration. However, there are more issues within the system. They have many resources, but I haven't seen concrete long-term and meaningful contributions.
Huang Du: Theater is a collective endeavor, similar to filmmaking. It requires funding, actors, stage design, a dedicated venue, and a conducive environment. However, movies can be preserved, whereas theater is a short-lived experience. It undoubtedly needs support from the broader environment. I believe your play "End Station - Beijing" has already brought elements of visual arts into theater, expanding the theater's space. This is a significant feature of your play. I think the relationship between art and theater might be a crucial part of the near or distant future. Theater can incorporate various artistic elements, and this immediately enhances its vitality and richness of meaning.
Cao Kefei: After watching the rehearsals, my friend Jinshi remarked that theater is so enchanting; it's so rich and comprehensive.
Huang Du: Experimental avant-garde theater in China might not have a strong connection with the general audience. How do you balance this experimental aspect with the need to communicate with the public? Because typical experimental theater often seems disconnected from the audience.
Cao Kefei: Personally, I don't like labels like "experimental" or "avant-garde." I dislike the term "experiment" because every theater work is about finding the appropriate spatial language and form that fits that particular work. Every good work should inherently have an element of being avant-garde. If a work is disconnected from the audience, it's likely because we, the creators, didn't do our job well. I value the opinions of some friends, and the audience is vast.
Huang Du: As a young independent theater director in China, how do you view traditional or academically oriented theater versus so-called experimental and avant-garde theater?
Cao Kefei: I don't like drawing rigid boundaries, and I don't believe in binary oppositions. I think high-level art is interconnected. For instance, the relationship between tradition and contemporaneity is not necessarily a contradiction. I admire the installation works of female artist Yin Xiuzhen; they are very traditional yet contemporary at the same time.
Huang Du: What do you think is the direction for the new generation of Chinese theater?
Cao Kefei: I can't speak for the changes in the system. As creators, we must keep learning, keep practicing, speak less, and do more practical work. Produce more good works.
Huang Du: How do you see the future of theater from various angles, including commercial aspects and the psychological and aesthetic needs of the audience? Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or unable to judge?
Sun Min: I think the changes in theater are related to both the system and economics. There is room for economic improvement, and this can be expected. As people's material pursuits reach a certain level, they inevitably turn their attention to their spiritual dimensions, and theater provides a channel for that. With the development of the domestic economy, more people might become interested in theater, so that's one area of potential growth.
Cao Kefei: Besides changes in the system, the creativity, persistence, and sensitivity to the era of the creators themselves are essential. Currently, I don't have an optimistic view of the theater environment. It might seem prosperous on the surface, but it's mostly built on bubbles—either unrealistic glorification or a focus on pleasing the audience based on box office earnings. How much room is there for reflection and creation? Achieving true diversity and artistic excellence will require a long journey.