Purdue Theatre and Confucius Institute partner with Peking University for spring performances
Fred Li, a student from Peking University, portrays the Monkey King and Purdue students Nicholas VanderWal and Noelle Turner-Ball play the lion in a spring performance of "The Monkey King." Students from both universities are collaborating on the production to perform in West Lafayette before traveling to China for additional performances. (Photo provided)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University theater students are collaborating with students from Peking University to present "The Monkey King" on campus before traveling to China for additional performances.
"This is an amazing opportunity to combine the talents of two theater programs: one in West Lafayette, one in Beijing," said Joel Ebarb, project liaison and associate professor of theater. "Students from Purdue and Peking universities will work together to perform this classic tale from China's rich literary history. The English-language play tells the story of the mischievous Monkey King and his fellow travelers as they face the evil Skeleton Spirit and her silly sidekicks."
"The Monkey King" is appropriate for audiences 7 years and older. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on March 3-5 and a matinee is at 2:30 p.m. on March 5 at the Carole and Gordon Mallett Theatre in Pao Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to the performance, and seating is first-come. The play also will be shared at Glen Acres and Edgelea elementary schools.
The production is made possible by funding support from the Confucius Institute at Purdue, an organization that promotes Chinese language and cultural programs that serve Purdue, the greater Lafayette community and the state of Indiana.
"We are very excited to be able to bring this program to the Purdue campus and also to the Lafayette K-12 community to enjoy a performance of young actors from the United States and China," said Wei Hong, professor of Chinese and Confucius Institute director. "This is an excellent example of two cultures learning from each other."
Eight guest artists from Peking University's Institute of World Theatre and Film will join the Purdue team of student actors, designers and technicians.
"The Purdue and Peking university students are rehearsing the play separately, and the team from China will arrive at Purdue in late February to begin joint rehearsals," said Kristine Holtvedt, project co-director and associate professor of theater. "Everyone will have less than a week of rehearsal time to integrate the casts and open the show. The Chinese students will be in residence for 11 days and are staying with host families. The Purdue group will travel to China during spring break to perform in Beijing."
Purdue Theatre is part of the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts in the College of Liberal Arts.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Sources: Joel Ebarb, 765-494-2144, jebarb@purdue.edu
Kristine Holtvedt, 765-494-3083, holtvedt@purdue.edu
Wei Hong, 765-494-3859, hongwei@purdue.edu
Related websites:
Confucius Institute at Purdue: http://www.purdue.edu/Confucius