This is the first time that "The force of the habit", a play by Austria's most controversial playwright Thomas Bernhard, has been brought to the Chinese stage. In order to fight against the repetitive and meaningless reality of the life, the circus director, Caribaldi, has been forcing the artists to practice playing Schubert's Trout Quintet with him for 22 years. The artists are uninterested in the director's illusory ideals and are forced to rehearse only because of his terror. As Caribaldi intensifies his efforts to tame the artists, he gradually falls into a state of isolation. He often stands alone in the rehearsal hall, and towards the end of the circus performance, he is still mumbling about the next touring city, pinning his hopes on tomorrow and another place. In the program booklet, the director writes: "This play is a reflection of our nation's deep-rooted domination of power and the habits it has developed. When we are young, we are accustomed to hypocrisy, to compromise, to adapt, to deceive ourselves. "
Playwright: Thomas Bernhard
Translation, adaption: Xu Jie, Cao Kefei
Director: Cao Kefei
Stage Designer: Tan Shaoyuan
Starring: Li Lihong
Starring: Wang Xin, Fang Tong, Zhang Bing (deceased), Niu Xiaolin and three circus artists
Sponsor: Beijing Dramatists Association, Thomas Bernhard Foundation, Austrian Embassy in China, Austrian Cultural Office of the City of Vienna, China Acrobatic Troupe, Beijing Entertainment News
Dates: 8 November - 20 November 2001
Venue: China Children's Theatre (Donghuamen, Wangfujing)
