The Orphan of Zhao: A Modern Adaptation 赵氏孤儿

Saturday, Dec 4, 2021 @2pm & 7pm
Sunday, Dec 5, 2021 @2pm
Location: Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St, Boston, MA, 02111

“为这一出复仇记，亲变仇，敌变友，赵氏孤儿大报仇。忠良落难佞当道。冤冤相报何时了，只叹命运世无偿。甚荒唐。甚荒唐。”

《赵氏孤儿》以春秋时期晋国家喻户晓的政治故事为蓝本，讲述了一朝几代人的复仇轮回和悲剧。创剧社将以实验戏剧的方式，把这个故事重现在舞台上。《赵氏孤儿》不再是一个发生于两千年前发生的政治惨剧，它作为一个哲学思考，由话剧的形式展现给当今的观众们。

Sometimes referred to as the Chinese Hamlet and tracing its origins to the 4th century BC, The Orphan of Zhao was the first Chinese play to be translated in the West.

The courtier Tu'an Gu kills Zhao Dun, who stands in his way, and arranges for his whole clan to be put to death. But Zhao Dun's infant son survives under a different identity and is adopted by Tu'an Gu as his son. But the Orphan of Zhao will inevitably find out the truth about his identity and avenge his father's death.

Directed and adapted by Jingwen Zhang, the CHUANG Lab@Emerson fall semester production The Orphan of Zhao: A Modern Adaptation explores the use of multimedia, cyber music instrumentation, and Nuo Opera masks.

*Performed in Mandarin Chinese with English captions*

剧情简介

丞相赵盾家的门客程婴即将中年得子，他在欣喜与期望中筹备着赵府老太太的寿宴。此时的赵府是一片欣欣向荣的景象：赵盾丞相在朝中得势，儿媳作为当今王上的妹妹已怀有身孕，又恰逢老太太喜迎大寿，引得朝中官宦纷纷前来庆贺，好不热闹。

此时的赵府春风得意，哪能料到短短几月之后即将到来的灭顶之灾。二十年前被发配西域的武将屠岸贾已被秘召回城，他带着久积心头的仇恨再次回到了这里……