Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land
Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land
U.S. premiere of Stan Lai play among highlights of
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 80th year
Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land by acclaimed Taiwanese playwright Stan Lai had its U.S. premiere as one of 11 plays running in repertory during the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) ’s 2015 season. Mr. Lai also directs Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, which opened April 19 and will run through October 31 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR.
“For a theatre with Shakespeare at its very core, presenting great texts from around the globe represents a logical and profound extension of our mission,” said OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch. “I am particularly excited by Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land because it is the first world classic OSF has programmed where both playwright and director (the same artist in this case) originate from the same country as the story. The resulting authenticity of the production and deep connection to the originating culture will both challenge and enrich our efforts—and bring OSF’s commitment to global classics to an entirely new level.”
A hugely popular play in China and Taiwan, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land tells the tale of two drama troupes who happen to reserve the same rehearsal space at the same time. One group is rehearsing a 20th-century romantic tragedy, Secret Love, while the other company is rehearsing a period comedy, The Peach Blossom Land. The juxtaposition of the two worlds creates innumerable opportunities for comedic and enchanting theatre.
To accommodate an English-speaking audience, Mr. Lai modified the script greatly by bringing in historical context about the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and characteristics unique to OSF and to Ashland. The multi-racial cast furthermore highlights the universality of the story.
