Introduction of Jon Fosse in China as Norway’s new Ibsen

Written by: Jon Fosse

Translated by and performance dramaturge: Lulu Zou

Artistic supervisor: Han Sheng (President STA)

 

Director: He Yan

Producer: Zhang Jun

Image design: Jiahua Xu

Stage design: Tong Weilie

Light design: Tan Hua

Performers: Sun Ningfang, Ma Xiaofeng, Xu Shengnan

 

 

Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway and currently lives in Bergen. He debuted in 1983 with the novel Raudt, svart (Red, black). His first play, Og aldri skal vi skiljast, was performed and published in 1994. Jon Fosse has written novels, short stories, poetry, children’s books, essays and plays. His works have been translated into more than forty languages. He is widely considered as one of the world’s greatest contemporary playwrights. With The play Someone is going to come, translated by Lulu Zou, the Chinese theatre audience will meet Jon Fosse´s text for the first time on a theatre stage.

 

Han Sheng, born in December 1960, Hebei Shijiazhuang. Postgraduate degree, party members, Professor. July 1985 graduated from the Shanghai Theater Academy stage art department, she served as assistant, lecturer, associate professor and deputy director of Stage Art Department, Director and other staff. December 2004, vice president of the Shanghai Theatre, in April 2006 he was appointed vice president of administrative work over, in September 2009 he was appointed president of Shanghai Theater Academy. Han sheng ,comrades engaged in creative arts and their teaching. The main design works: drama, “Bridge” and Cantonese opera “Home”, “Butterfly Dreams”, Gan drama “Peony Pavilion”, the film “King Lan Ling,” art design, large landscape opera “Aida” total design stage art, 2001 Chinese theatrical performance art APEC meeting overall design, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony creative design work. Write a “creative stage design and performance” and other monographs. Won the Ministry of Culture, the second, fourth, “Wen Hua Prize for Stage Design,” the Chinese stage arts drama “Golden Lion Award”, the second stage of China Art Exhibition “Design Award”, “Baosteel Arts Award”, “Baosteel Outstanding Teacher Award “,” Second National Teaching Achievement Award “and” Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award “, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,” the work of Honor Award. ” Has been named “outstanding expert Ministry of Culture,” “leading talents in Shanghai,” “Dawn scholars” and enjoy the State Council special allowance. He became vice president of Stage Arts Association, vice president of the Chinese Drama Studies, Shanghai Society of Stage Design, Shanghai Literature and Arts Association, member of Shanghai Dramatists Association executive director, Shanghai Television Arts Painters Association.

 

Lulu Zou is a published translator and scholar in theatre arts. She is a professor with Shanghai Theatre Academy. Her translation works of dramas, films and other literary works have been published and performed in and outside of China. In recent years she’s been focusing on the study of the contemporary Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse.

Awards

2010  “Cao Guangbiao Culture Fund”

2009 “Best Creative Projects Shanghai”

2008  “Shanghai Art Talents Fund”

Publications

Essays

2010 The end of the World—- Key Images in Jon Fosse’s Plays: published in Theatre Arts, the most important theatre arts journal in China

Translations of play-scripts

2010 Deathvariations, by Jon Fosse [Norway]: published in Theatre Arts;

2009 Someone Is Going to Come, by Jon Fosse [Norway]:

First published in Theatre Arts 2005;

Then in “Requiem—- Best Translated Plays in 30 Years of Theatre Arts” 2008;

2003 The Black Sequin Dress, by Jenny Kemp [Australia]: published in Theatre Arts

Translations of essays and excerpts of literary works

2003 The Photography Art of William Yang, by William Yang [Australia]: published in Theatre Arts;

2001 On Long-range Education (co-translator)

2000 A Dictionary of Comparative Study in English-Chinese Literary Works (co-translator and writer)

Staged translations of play-scripts

2008 The Dining Room, by A. R. Gurney [Am.]:

First staged in Shanghai and New Jersey U.S. 2005;

In Shanghai 2008;

2007 County Scholar and the Executioner: First-prize Winner of “Best Drama in China 2007” (co-translator)

2007 Someone Is Going to Come, by Jon Fosse [Norway]: graduation production of Grad. School students Central Academy of Drama;

2007 Phoenix and Yingning: Peking Opera, Shanghai International Experimental Theatre Festival;

2002 Sylvia, by A. R. Gurney: staged by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center

Translations of film-scripts

2005 Soul Carriage, written and directed by Conrad Clark [Br.]: winner of Altadis “Best New Director” at St. Sabastine Film Festival, 2007.

Educational background and work experience

Lulu got her M.A. in translation at Shanghai International Studies University in 2001. She started teaching at Shanghai Theatre Academy after that. As time went by her passion in theatre was inflamed. She decided to pursue further study and exploration in this field. Since then she’s been working with many world-renowned theatre artists such as the German avant-garde musician and music theatre director Heiner Goebbels, the German director Walter D. Asmus , the American director Richard Schechner, Prof. Elizabeth Diamond (head of Directing, Yale School of Drama), Prof. John Clark (President of National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Australia), and many others. Her talents, excellent performance and dedication have been highly praised.

Right now she is a Ph. D candidate in Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Other works

2009—2010

Translation of Jon Fosse’s plays: The Name, Dream of Autumn, A Summer’s Day, The Guitar Man, and others

2009

Invited by the Bergen International Festival [Norway] to attend the “Fosse 50” celebration for her research project on Jon Fosse and toured in countries of Germany, Belgium and others to interview artists/ translators for the Jon Fosse project.

2007— 2008

Website translator/ editor for UNESCO Chair-ITI (International Theatre Institute) Asia-Pacific Bureau.

2001— present

Invited to work with Chinese and foreign artists in the countries of Canada, United States, Romania, Sweden and others for theatre projects, international theatre festivals and art festivals.

 

Associate Professor, Deputy Dean of Acting Department, Tutor of MA

Responsible for the education of bachelor and master students in Acting Department, Shanghai Theatre Academ

Member of Education Committee, China Musical Institute

Member of Arts Council, School of Modern Arts, Fudan University, Shanghai

He Yan has directed more than 20 productions, such as Black Comedy, A Streetcar Named Desire, Les Séquestrés d’Altona, Mort sans sépulture, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Seagull, Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay, A Woman Alone. Among then the dramas Public Kitchen and Lady White he directed and starred in were invited to participate in the Singapore Art Festival in 1995. Seagull was shown in the “International Acting Workshops” organized by UNESCO Chair International Theatre Institute in 2003. Who Kills the King participated in the Turin Art Festival in Italy and went to Hong Kong and Taiwan for performance. Vesti La Giubba was performed in Japan and Hong Kong. In 2003 and 2006 he visited Taiwan for academic exchange and visit, while in 2008 he visited Germany for cultural exchange activity.

His recent research include: training on the body and voice of actors, open scene training, improvisational acting, body culture of actors. In the nearly 20 years of acting and teaching, he has cultivated many students who are now active figures in the fields of TV, film and drama.

 

Graduated from Shanghai theater academy of drama stage design professional stage

He is now working at Shanghai theater academy, the theater stage design.

Main stage design works?

The modern drama “you sadly said I sick”

The modern drama “bodhisattva ridge”

The modern drama “the crucible”

The modern drama “field”

Ballet “Shanghai roots”

The musical “Notre Dame DE Paris”

The musical “instant not forever”

Large-scale multimedia kongfu show “Soul of Shaolin” March 2010 in American

Reading play”resound recall”

 

Professor of Department of Stagecraft, Director of Department of clothing and make-up, Shanghai Theater Academy

Recent major arts events:

1, Chief Designer of make-up, Opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo 2010

2, Chief Designer of clothing and make-up, Opening ceremony of the Corporate Pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010

3, Chief Designer of clothing and make-up, Multimedia opera “Master Hong Yi”?2010

4, Chief Designer of clothing and make-up, Shanghai Spring Festival Party 2010

5, Chief Designer of make-up, Multimedia opera “Turandot” of Bird’s Nest edition?Directed by Zhang Yimou 2009

6, Chief Designer of clothing and make-up, Shanghai Spring Festival Party 2009

7, Chief Designer of make-up, Opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games 2008

 

September 2003 to July 2006 studying at the Central Academy of Drama Department of Fine Arts Stage lighting design professional, a master degree. Now teaching at the Shanghai Drama Institute Department of Fine Arts Stage

Lighting works:

August 2010 musical “Song of the film”

June 2010, Guangzhou Yue Opera “travel Theatre”

April 2010 China’s National Theatre Little Theatre play “Red Rose and White Rose”

March 2010 Shanghai Theater Academy of Dance ballet “The Seasons”
November 2009 drama “gadfly”, director Gu yi an
July 2008 drama “Crazy Crazy”, director  He Nian
January 2008 China’s National Theatre play “Red Rose and White Rose”, director Tianqinxin

Awards
August 2009 musical “white-headed langur” won the drama contest in Guangxi Province, Best Lighting Design Award
November 2005 drama “wilderness” was the fifth Lotus Cup Dance Competition Ballet of China Best Lighting Design Award
September 2005 drama “secretary of the people” by the Tenth Henan Drama Award for Best Lighting Design Competition

 

 

Og aldri skal vi skiljast (And Never we’ll be Parted) (1994)

Namnet (The Name) (1995)

Nokon kjem til å komme (Someone Is Going To Come) (1996)

Barnet (The Child) (1996 )

Mor og barn (Mother and Child) (1997)

Sonen (The Son) (1997) [3]

Natta syng sine songar (Night Sings its Songs) (1997)

Gitarmannen (The Guitar Man) Monolog (1999)

Ein sommars dag (A Summer’s Day) (1999)

Draum om hausten (Autumn Dream) (1999)

Sov du vesle barnet mitt (Sleep you little Child of mine) (2000)

Besøk (Visits) (2000 [3]

Vinter (Winter) (2000)

Ettermiddag (Afternoon) (2000)

Vakkert (Beauftiful) (2001)

Dødsvariasjonar (Deathvariations) (2001)

Jenta i sofaen (The Girl on the Sofa) (2002)

Lilla (Lilac) (2003)

Suzannah (2004)

Dei døde hundane (The Dead Dogs) (2004)

Sa ka la (2004)

Varmt (Warm) (2005)

Svevn (Sleep) (2005)

Rambuku (2006)

Skuggar (Shadows) (2006)

Eg er vinden (I Am the Wind) (2007)

 

Raudt, svart (Red, black) Novel (1983)

Stengd gitar (Closed Guitar) Novel (1985, 1992, 1997)

Blod. Steinen er (Blood. The stone is) Novella (1987)

Naustet (The boat-house) Novel (1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001)

Flaskesamlaren (The Bottle-collector) Novel (1991)

Bly og vatn (Lead and water) Novel (1992)

To forteljingar (Two Tales) Novellas (1993)

Prosa frå ein oppvekst (Prose from a Growing-up). Short prose (1994)

Melancholia I. Novel (1995, 1997, 1999 (English translation: Melancholy)

Melancholia II. Novel (1996, 1997, 1999)

Eldre kortare prosa med 7 bilete av Camilla Wærenskjold (Older shorter prose with 7 pictures of Camilla Wærenskjold) Short prose (1998)

Morgon og kveld (Morning and Evening) Novel (2000, 2001)

Det er Ales (This is Ales) Novel (2004, 2005)

Andvake (Sleepless) Novella (2007)

 

Engel med vatn i augene (1986)

Hundens bevegelsar (1990)

Hund og engel (1992)

Dikt (1986–1992) Revidert samleutgåve (1995)

Nye dikt (1991–1994 (1997)

Dikt (1986–2001. Samla dikt. Lyrikklubben (2001)

Auge i vind (2003)

 

Frå telling via showing til writing (1989)

Gnostiske essay (1999)

 

Nynorsk Literature Prize (1988)

Aschehoug Prize (1997 )

Dobloug Prize (1999 )

Norsk kulturråds ærespris (2003)

Nynorsk Literature Prize (2003)

Brage Prize (2005)

Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (2005)

The Swedish Academy’s nordiska pris (2007)

The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs’ Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (2007)

Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite of France (2007)

Ibsen Awards 2010

 

 

First seminar on the subject of Jon Fosse in China, introducing “the new Ibsen” into China.

Co-sponsored by: Shanghai Theatre Academy, Bergen University College

Timeline: October 30- 31

Location: Shanghai Theatre Academy

Guests: artists from Norway and China, including the Nordic Centers in Shanghai and Nanjing, Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai, as well as artists, scholars, writers, and critics from in and outside of China

 

 

Guest artist: Kai Johnsen, Director Dramatikkens Hus Norway

Co-sponsored by: STA, Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai

Timeline: October 25-29

Location: Shanghai Theatre Academy

 

 

Volume I of Jon Fosse plays in Chinese (translated by: Lulu Zou) coming out in October- November, 2010 together with other events of Jon Fosse introduction which include performances, seminar, workshop, etc.