The Mermaid in East China Sea
Time: 19:15, Aug 18 10:00, Aug 19 15:00, Aug 19
From: China National Theatre for Children
Synopsis:Long Long Ago, a kind-hearted girl called Cai Ping went out from the Mountain to live at the Seaside, and had given names to all sea creatures. But one day she was caught to the bottom of the sea by bad Dragon Prince. In order to make her stay in the bottom forever, the Dragon Prince smelted Cai Ping鈥檚 Legs to a fish tail by a Fire Dragon, made her become a Mermaid. He also ruled her that only on the 15th of each month, can she take the wave chair up to the sea, looking out her hometown from afar.
Many years later, the story of the Mermaid has been spread as a beautiful legend. It said that the Mermaid tears can turn into pearls; also can bring the dying back to life. One day, a man called Jin Zhuzi met the Mermaid when he was collecting shells. He promised to save her back to home and to help her recover to be a normal people with two legs. The Mermaid told Jin Zhuzi that only by finding universe soil on Granny Reef, can he conquer the Dragon Prince, the rescue her. Another man called Wu Zhenbao also went together with Jin Zhuzi with evil thoughts to selfishly possess Mermaid鈥檚 tears. When they nearly arrived, Wu Zhenbao pushed Jin Zhuzi down to the sea. Then a Giant Whale came out, hurted Wu Zhenbao鈥檚 leg and saved Jin Zhuzi. Also with the help of Whale, Jin Zhuzi found universe soil, took Mermaid out of Dragon Palace. But to make the Mermaid have two legs, he has to gather hundreds of clams鈥?milk and thousands of flowers鈥?dew for her.
To fulfill his promise, Jin Zhuzi started his journey. Using the whole life, finally he succeeded in recovering the Mermaid, but died in her arms鈥︹€?
China Idiom Stories
Time: 10:00, Aug 18 14:00, Aug 18 14:00, Aug 19
From: Performed by US students
Synopsis:Ye Gong Hao Long (Lord Ye Loves Dragons)
In the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a lord called Ye (Ye Gong) who was very fond of dragons. He performed dragon dances and sang for dragons with his friends on his 60th birthday. A little dragon heard about this and asked his dad whether Ye Gong really adored them. To figure it out, the father and the child showed themselves before Ye Gong respectively. Ye Gong, however, was frightened. By telling us about Ye Gong who claimed his fondness for dragons outwardly but was in fact afraid of them, this story satirizes those who are pretentious and whose actions don鈥檛 match their words.
Ban Men Nong Fu (Show off Axe Skills before a Master Carpenter / Teach a Fish How to Swim)
In ancient China, there was a man called Wang Sheng, who was erudite and admired Confucius most. But his biggest regret is that no one would like to be his pupil. One day, he met an old man and his two students. Both the two students were courteous and polite to the teacher. Wang Sheng was unconvinced, and wanted to have a knowledge competition with the old man after the two students left. Then, the two students came back and told a story they have heard. It was about a small carpenter who showed off his skills before Master Lu Ban (who was supposed to be a consummate carpenter in ancient times). Wang Sheng took a tumble and realized that the old man was just Confucius. What he had done was just like the small carpenter to show off his knowledge before the sage. Through the humorous play within a play, and told the story that a small carpenter showed off his skills before the greatest carpenter master Lu Ban, this idiom excoriated those who wanted to show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts, over-confidently.
Dong Shi Xiao Pin (Ugly Dongshi Aping the Beauty / Mere Copycat)
Paiter Fan and 鈥渢omboy鈥?Dong Shi all attracted to visit Xi Shi by her well-known beauty, one came to see and paint the beauty, the other one came to learn and imitate the beauty. Both of them had taken great pains and also made Xi Shi be on tenterhooks. In order to get a portrait drawn by Painter Fan as an identified beauty by him, Dong Shi made nothing of hardships, she practiced to stand on the stake with heading a water cylinder, tried to speak lightly and softly, also copy to walk with hands doubled over on chest and knitted her brows, even learned to use grains as her cosmetics. But as a result, she still didn鈥檛 get anything. Dong Shi thought to change people鈥檚 discrimination on her by copying other鈥檚 behaviors, but she finally lost the basic of herself鈥︹€?
However, when someone fall in the water accidently, faced with the sudden crisis, the kind-hearted Dong Shi jumped into the water to rescue the person without much thinking. After that, Painter Fan, who used to only admire 鈥渆xternal beauty鈥? realized that 鈥渋nternal beauty鈥?also deserves to be extolled. At last, Painter Fan has drawn a great painting for Dong Shi to praise her inner beauty.
The Primitive Family
Time: 14:30, Aug 18 19:30, Aug 18 14:30, Aug 19 19:30, Aug 19
From: Beijing Children鈥檚 Art Theatre Co., Ltd
Synopsis:5 million years ago! Wait... Maybe 7 million years ago? In the wild ice land ...Ops! It may be burning in the desert too!
Anyway, in a cave surrounded by the mammoth bison pile, there is a brave... No.... Innocent? Wait ...Ah! Foolishly primitive family!
They like to do daily morning exercise, have some free time, go to harvest fruit, go fishing and play games, just like modern people.
They have laughter, happiness, fear, sadness, and even death. But the family has never been separated.
This is - The Primitive Family!
Journey to the West
Time: 10:00, Aug 18 14:30, Aug 18
From: China National Theatre for Children
Synopsis:This show tells story of being fearless of dangers and difficulties, travelling thousands of miles, Monkey King Sun Wukong followed his Master, Tang Monk (Xuan Zang) to go to the Western Heaven to pursue their faith.
After mountains collapse and the rocks crack followed a deafening thunder, Sun Wukong was born and later created a tremendous uproar in the Heavenly Palace. Unfortunately he played into the hand of the Buddha, the Tathagata, and was trapped under a hand-shaped mountain. Xuan Zang, the Tang Monk who was going to fetch scriptures from the Buddha arrived at the foot of the mountain where Wukong was prisoned and released the Monkey. Then the master and apprentice stepped on the pilgrimage journey. Along the way, Monkey King subdued The White Skeleton Demon, fought against Yellow Robe Demon; then he battled with the Fire-spitting Red Boy, as well as his parents Iron-fan Princess and Bull Demon. Though Sun Wukong defeated them, he also interceded with the Buddha for them to let their family reunion. The Buddha, the Tathagata, who appreciated Wukong鈥檚 benevolence rather than merciless, and removed his Golden Hoop. The Monkey became a Buddha immediately and Xuan Zang also acquired real Buddhist scriptures.
acquired real Buddhist scriptures.
As what the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang said in the show: 鈥淓verybody should have their own ambition to pursue faith in life. Without faith, one will behave just like a walking corpse, even though he eating the tastiest food and wearing the most beautiful clothes every day.鈥?The song also sings: 鈥淣o Pursuit No Happy, No Faith No Power.鈥?/p>
The Snowman Who Wanted to Meet the Sun
Time: 14:30, Aug 18 19:30, Aug 18 14:30, Aug 19 19:30, Aug 19
From: Romania Tandarica Animation Theatre
Synopsis:The snowman who wanted to meet the sun鈥?is a like a poem full of tenderness, innocence, sensitivity, which speaks about friendship, sadness, joy and hope. When he feels how the sunshine melts his body slowly, The Snowman begins a journey to find the sun and to ask him for mercy. On the way there he meets a bunch of animals, giving them the 鈥渁ccessories鈥?that the kids decorated him in exchange of help to reach the Land of the Rising Sun. Once the journey comes to an end, he asks the Sun to help his fellow animal friends instead of asking something for himself. The time haven鈥檛 passed in favour of the Snowman, only his red heart remains to pulse, but the Sun promises that he will transform him in a dream and he will be brought back to life on the next winter.
Mandragora Circus
Time: 10:00, Aug 18 14:30, Aug 18
From: Mandragora聽Circo from Argentina
Synopsis:Mandragora Circus is a wordless theatre performance in which two clowns tell astory of comedy and love where dialog and thoughts are understood without wordsCircus stunts , music and unconventional instruments weave the acts of thisperformance in which the two physical actors tell an attractive story which can beenjoyed by audiences of all ages.
The play , written and directed by Juan Cruz Bracamonte,has been premiered in Argentina in 2003 and presented without interruptions since its inception.In more than 14 years of performances " Mandragora Circus " was showcased in theatre festivals of 40 countries on 4 continents including the Americas , Europe , Africa and Asia delighting children , youths and families .
The universal language and theme of this work makes everyone feels identified with the characters in a piece where circus becomes poetry.
Aha!
Time: 14:30, Aug 19 19:30, Aug 19 19:30, Aug 20
From: Magnet Theatre from South Africa
Synopsis:A box arrives in an empty space! What could be inside? Aha! Wool! Pulling out the thread, the actors weave themselves and the children into the wondrous world of wool. This playful performance explores what wool can do, what we can make from it, how we can play with it and how the shapes that it makes can stimulate the imagination.
24 Grandmas(24 Solar Terms)
Time: 19:15, Aug 20 14:00, Aug 21 19:15, Aug 21
From: Xi鈥檃n Children鈥檚 Art Theatre Co., Ltd
Synopsis:A six-year-old boy Xiang Xiang is often sick. His parents are busy for work so they send Xiang Xiang back to their hometown in Shanxi Province from the south and ask his grandma to take care of him for a year. Huge differences between environment of the north and the south, urban and rural life, are hard to Xiang Xiang to adjust at first and he doesn鈥檛 listen to his grandma. With the change of 4 seasons and 24 solar terms, Xiang Xiang starts to love this place and grandma gradually because of grandma鈥檚 generous care and all the pretty views.
On Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, the Waking of Insects and the Spring Equinox, Xiang Xiang and grandma witness the spring coming back to the field and everything starting to wake up. On Pure Brightness and Grain Rain, they go to visit Xiang Xiang鈥檚 grandpa鈥檚 tomb and think about the past. On Beginning of Summer, Grain Full, Bearded Grain and the Summer Solstice, they enjoy sharing ice watermelon, watching fireflies together and grandma tells the story of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid. On Beginning of Autumn, the Limit of Heat, White Dew and the Autumnal Equinox, they are busy harvesting in the field and enjoying the happiness. On Cold Dew, Frost's Descent, the Winter Solstice and Slight Cold, they celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year, enjoy the temple fair and feel the rich festival atmosphere in Shanxi rural area. The warm affection between Xiang Xiang and grandma is completely melted into the twenty-four solar terms.
Yao Yao
Time: 14:30, Aug 21 19:30, Aug 21 14:30, Aug 22 19:30, Aug 22
From: Brush Theatre from South Korea
Synopsis:銆奩AO聽YAO銆?is a playful blend of reality and imagination by using magical screen art technology and live music.
YAO is a mischievous little girl who loves playing with her Dad. But every morning Daddy has to dress up in his suit, pick up his briefcase and go to work.
YAO, unhappy with Daddy鈥檚 departure grabs his overcoat and accidentally pulls a thread that leads to the start of a magical world of adventure and discovery.
Join YAO on her ingenious journey to find out what鈥檚 waiting for her at the end of the thread鈥?/p>
Sunny Ray and the Magnificent Moon
Time: 14:30, Aug 21 19:30, Aug 21 14:30, Aug 22 19:30, Aug 22
From: Arena Theatre Company from Australia
Synopsis:Imagine what it鈥檚 like to stay up all night!
Meet Sunny Ray: happy, light, a true wonder of the world. Sunny loves her life but has always secretly wanted to know鈥?what happens when she goes to bed?
Meet her best friend in the sky the Magnificent Moon: the all night party guy who gets to stay up late EVERY single night! Then one bedtime Sunny Ray breaks all the rules and doesn鈥檛 go to sleep鈥?What happens when the Sun and the Moon stay up all night together?
From the imaginations of Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias, creators of the internationally acclaimed Die Roten Punkte and Arena Theatre Company, and featuring original music inspired by everything from folk to funk, disco and pop, Sunny Ray & the Magnificent Moon will delight audiences aged 4 years and over.
The Twelve Months
Time: 10:00, Aug 22 15:00, Aug 22
From: Performed by Gexinli Primary School
Synopsis:The play is adapted from the fairy tale of the same name written by Samuil Marshak, a Russian and Soviet writer whose original had been awarded the Stalin Prize for literature. Ever Since 1980, to celebrate its 25th anniversary of establishment, China National Theatre for Children has rehearsed this play and made its national tour across the county.
This is a Russian style fairy tale. A young queen requests a bouquet of snowdrop flowers for New Year's Day in exchange for a reward. The diligent stepdaughter was sent to the forest in search of April flowers in freezing cold winter, by her malicious stepmother and her greedy daughter.
The girl almost freezes to death in the forest, but she is rescued by the spirits of the Twelve Months. Touched by stepdaughter's kindness and hard-working, the spirits of the Twelve Months used their magic power to create spring around her. The girl is able to deliver the bouquet to the queen, but others want a share of the reward. At last, the spirits of the Twelve Months help the stepdaughter and punish the stepmother and the greedy daughter.
Cube Circus
Time: 19:15, Aug 22 14:00, Aug 23 19:15, Aug 23
From: The Train Theatre from Israel
Synopsis:How many cubes does the princess wear?
And how would you train a cube dog?
Is the clown's nose round or square?
In the cubes circus everything can happen!
A couple of clowns / dancers succeed to set in motion a wondrous world of cubes.
The cubes will be spread out, shrink
and divide into different and bizarre animals.
The actors wear cubes and dance with them; they train and cast a聽spell on them. Sometimes they get eaten (but not for real). They quarrel, make up, fall in love and create a wondrous and joyful world.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Time: 15:00, Aug 24 19:15, Aug 24
From: Children鈥檚 Theatre of China Welfare Institute
Synopsis:An ugly, hunchbacked and lame gorilla with only one eye was swinging from one rope to another, ringing the bells one after another. Mary, a bell, was listening to him. There was a lark singing and dancing happily and a goat named Carrie with a hat in her mouth, waiting for the coins from the audiences. Meanwhile, a vulture was watching them slyly鈥?
The gorilla shot an arrow. The vulture couldn鈥檛 believe that he was shot, for he thought the arrow had been meant for the lark. It turned out that the arrow was an arrow of justice which would only aimed at one who is evil.
Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo is about fate. The children theatre Notre-Dame de Paris tells children what is justical and what is evil in a way full of playfulness.
Looking for Hailibu
Time: 19:15, Aug 23 19:15, Aug 24
From: Tianjin Art Theatre for Children from China
Synopsis:Looking for Hailibu is adapted from an Inner-Mongolian legend. Hailibu rescued the Dragon King鈥檚 daughter. In requital for this, the Dragon King presented Hailibu a dragon ball. Anyone with the ball could understand what animals are talking about, but he couldn鈥檛 tell what he had heard to human, or he would turned to be a stone. One day, Hailibu heard that the grasslands would soon be flooded. To save all the creatures on the grasslands, Hailibu tell people about the coming disaster bravely. The creatures were rescued, but Hailibu, the hero, turned to be a stone.
This is a musical mythology with universal values. On the basis of including folklore, it praises human's honesty, kindness and beauty from the perspective of the modern people.With a strong ethnic style and touching plot, the stage presents singing, dancing, puppets, opera and other forms of art.
Sparrow
Time: 19:15, Aug 24 10:00, Aug 25
From: Theater Fot from Norway
Synopsis:The sparrows are small, chubby and ragtag, and they always appear in a bunch. They are not much afraid, almost a bit nasty, and they live close to human beings summer and winter. Most children know the sparrow, and maybe they can see that they are curious and playful just as themselves. In our version, the sparrows find their way out of the egg and the nest. They try some of the first challenges of life, such as being on their own.
Michael Duch鈥檚 big bass and Tor Haugerud鈥檚 percussions play unpredictable improvisations, and give way for both individual surrealistic freedom and inventive interplay between everyone present.
The play is above all a celebration of playing and being together in an atmosphere of light, dance and music.
Sandpiper, Clam and Fish
Time: 19:30, Aug 24 14:30, Aug 25 19:30, Aug 25
From: China National Theatre for Children
Synopsis:This is a non-verbal new production of China National Theatre for Children which is adapted from the Chinese idiom. It says if a sandpiper and a clam have a fight, fisherman will be the winner, which is similar to the English saying, 鈥淲hen shepherds quarrel, the wolf has a winning game.鈥?New characters like fish and fisherwoman are added into the production to enrich motivations and to form a more interesting structure. With all the innovative creation, the spirit of the idiom are deepened and developed.
Kashtanka
Time: 19:30, Aug 24 14:30, Aug 25
From: Kazaliste Virovitica Theatre from Croatia in collaboration with Puppet Theatre Zadar
Synopsis:Kashtanka or Girl 鈥?that's the question. One of the most famous short stories written by A.P.Chekhov has brought to the stage in Virovitica one, at the first sight most ordinary, dog; one dog which, when it comes to her owner, shows the most ordinary respect 鈥?commitment, playfulness, dearness and obedience. Kashtanka's owner belongs to the pour working class of industrial Russia at the turn of the century. Followed by his hard work, he has an attitude of a severe worker and a stern pet owner 鈥?quite the opposite from Kashtanka's playful tail. But once they have been torn apart, and once they met again afterwards, the warmth of their reunion shows whole range of love, devotion and other complex emotions only relationship between dogs and humans can manifest. And where has Kashtanka been in the meantime? In circus, of course, together with Ivan, the goose and Fyodor, the cat, getting ready for her show!
This Kashtanka is extraordinary in her charm and vital performativity, which oppose to poverty, suffer and suffocation of Chekhov's industrial Russia. The performance is minimal in words, but expressive in its stage movements and sharp in its rhythm. Kashtanka is a symbolic performance, using animation, stage play and music instead of text; a performance which, shifting between its dynamics and rapidity, questions fundamental attutides: human attitudes towards work, human attitude towards ponderosity of life, and human attitude towards... dogs.
One would say, a dog indeed is man's best friend. Little girl Kashtanka, coming from the stage in Virovitica, is a long dog with a playing tail: so charming none could resist her, whether one is a dog or a cat person.
