New production takes flight

"Nina is one of Chekhov's best-known characters. Director (Pu) helped us read and understand the story and the characters," says Li Xiaomeng. "We had lots of discussions about the play, which I enjoyed and which allowed me to learn the views of the other actors and actresses. Those discussions made me think."

"They are versatile. One of them plays the piano onstage while singing an old Russian love ballad, which inspired me to use a live band onstage," says Pu, adding that the band features six musicians playing instruments such as the double bass, drums and the violin.

"The Seagull is one of the most performed plays in the world, staged by both professional theaters and amateur drama groups. The character (Konstantin) is a young artist who is desperate to prove his talent to the world. He is passionate and struggles in the face of his unrequited love for Nina and his desperate need for his mother's approval," says Li Yue, who joined Beijing People's Art Theatre after graduating from Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2019. "I was told I would play the role about six months ago and I even learned to play the bayan (a Russian musical instrument also known as "button accordion"), which I had never touched before. It was quite a rewarding experience."

Pu says that the idea to make this new version of The Seagull came to him over two years ago. Spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, he read The Seagull over and over again. He asked himself lots of questions, trying to find answers.

"It was like a decoding process when I read The Seagull. With the benefit of my own experience, I had a different understanding of it compared to my younger days. Many people view The Seagull as a tragic play about unhappy people. I saw something different in it. For example, there is a humorous, albeit bitter, satire, poking fun at the human condition," says Pu.

The Seagull is the second new theatrical production this year by the Beijing People's Art Theatre, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022. In January, the theater staged its new version of Beneath the Red Banner, adapted from an unfinished novel by Lao She (1899-1966), who is among the best-known modern Chinese authors. Codirected by Feng and Yan Rui, established actors and actresses of the company, including Pu, Yang, Liang Danni and Yu Zhen, performed in the play.