Venue: Wenzhou Grand Theater

Time: 19:30, May 28th; 19:30, May 29th, 2019

Introduction:

There is an intimate connection between Paul Claudel, famous French poet, and China. From 1895 to 1909, Paul Claudel served as a diplomat in Shanghai, Fuzhou, Beijing and Tianjin respectively. As a result, his works were greatly influenced by Far East culture. As an autobiographical drama, his work Partage de midi was published in 1906 when he was torn by the pains of crazy love. The work reflected the theme of love, desire and spiritual pursuit, describing an old world that was collapsing in the face of the new powers.

The original story began with a cruise ship heading for China in the Indian Ocean. Then the story was set in Hong Kong, and the last scene took place in a villa in southern China. The heroes included a woman called Ysé and three men, Mesa, Amalrik and Ysé’s husband. Sharing her love with the three men in the play, Ysé was stuck in contradictory desires. Her love with Mesa was condemned against the backdrop of exile and war.

Directed by Eric Weiner, Partage de midi, the drama soon to come, was premiered at the National Theatre of Strasbourg in 2018, and staged shows at the Lance Comedy Theatre (National Theatre Centre) and the Brittany-Ryan National Theatre. Its Oriental elements in stage setting and its author’s Oriental complex make it all the more appealing to us.