Chinese Movie Case

The name of live theater performance that I watched is "Butterfly Lovers" which is regarded as the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. This performance is an adaptation of a Chinese traditional legend. In this tragic story, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are a pair of lovers. Zhu Yingtai, who is beautiful young woman, disguises herself as a young man to go to study in school because in that ancient era, females are prohibited from going to school to accept education. In the school, she meets Liang Shanbo. During the process of their study, Shanbo finds Yingtai is an attractive female and then falls in love with her. However, Zhu's parents oppose this love and compel her to marry a rich man named Ma Wencai. After Liang heard this shocking news, sharp despair and great sorrows make him become more and more unhealthy and dead then. During the day of Ma and Zhu's marriage, the grave of Shanbo opens and Zhu throws herself into the grave to join Liang. After a moment, beautiful butterflies emerge from the grave and fly away together.

The theater performance was shown in February 3, 2011 which is Chinese Lunar New Year in the chinatown of London. Although the content of this theater is tragic, many audiences still came to watch this show. Based on the time point of this show and low price of ticket, it is not hard to figure out that the purpose of this production, to a certain degree, is attempting to give overseas Chinese an opportunity to experience the prosperous atmosphere of Spring Festival. Because the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese festival as well as a good chance for a whole family to enjoy the happiness, most of overseas Chinese are very good.