The Story of Ni Huanzhi
Beijing Fringe Festival 2014
Ni Huanzhi was an angry young man who had the vision of strengthen the country by improve the education. In year 1917, introduced by his classmate Jin Shubo, he went to a townlet in Southern China to be a primary school teacher. Ni was befriended by Jiang Bingru, the school master. And soon they started the reform of education in their school. Jin Peizhang, Jin Shubo’s sister, who had the same belief in the reform of education, felt in love with Ni and married him. However, Jin Peizhang became a housewife after they had a baby, and indulged in household chores all day long. At the same time, Ni and Jiang`s passion for the reform of education started cooling. A few years later, Ni went to Shanghai with revolutionary Wang Leshan. Ni actively engaged in social reform activities, but again experienced the relentless gap between ideal and reality…
Adapted from “Ni Huanzhi”, a famous novel written by Ye Shengtao in 1928 (a pioneering author in modern Chinese literature), “The story of Ni Huanzhi” narrates the life of a radical youngster in 1920s China, his ideal vision to change the country through educational reforms followed by total despair of personal failure. Premiered at the Beijing Fringe Festival, 2014, “the story of Ni Huanzhi” not only enacted a specific fictional figure from a specific era, but also implicated the current status of young people struggling to promote social advances.
Directed by Ren Ming Young
Devised by RMYTHEATRE based on the novel by Ye Shengtao
Cast: Wang Dingyi, Li Haotian, Wu Zitong, Bai Shan & Li Jianhong
Set and Lighting Designer: He Yiyi
Photos: Li Yan
Presented by RMYTHEATRE