Kids think "Cinderella" and "Snow White" are boring plays. So
they get a zesty original - "Kung Fu Rabbit and MBA Wolf."
Children are no longer happy with going to the theater to watch
the "classical" children's dramas that their parents watched when
they were little kids.
"No more 'Cinderella' or 'Snow White,' they want something new,"
says Shanghai-based theater director Yang Xinwei.
Yang will present "Kung Fu Rabbit and MBA Wolf," an original
children's drama designed for both children and their parents next
weekend at the Drama Theater of Shanghai Grand Theater.
It is the first children's play by the young director, well
known for his successful hesui ju (plays celebrating the New Year)
series.
The story takes place in the forest, where a group of rabbits
with excellent kung fu skills encounters a group of "MBA" wolves
just returned from studying abroad.
The rabbits love the forest and want to protect it while the
wolves want to destroy it and turn it into an amusement park. A
fight is about to start - and the audience takes part.
There is a lot of interaction between the actors and the
audience, says director Yang. The play features an unconventional
stage design, pretty songs with easy-to-remember rhythms, and
lively dances.
"We want to tell children about the importance of environmental
protection," he says. The play covers topics like climate change,
accelerating urbanization, desertification and endangered wild
animals.
The play has captured the attention of the China Environmental
Protection Foundation (CEPF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS) in China. It is an ongoing project of the CEPF.
Yang says two yuan from each ticket sold will be donated to save
the Chinese alligator on Shanghai's Chongming Island.
The voice of "Tree Grandpa" in the play has been dubbed by
CCTV's renowned host Zhao Zhongxiang, famous for hosting the long
running classic "Animal World."
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The leading character will be performed by Sister Nannan, a popular
host of children's TV shows in Shanghai. She is also a modern dance
performer and member of the "Xiao Ke Studio," a leading private
modern dance troupe in the city, known for its "free, young and
daring" style.
Date: January 26-27, 1:30pm, 3:45pm, 7pm
Address: 300 People's Ave
Tickets: 80-150 yuan
Tel: +86(021)6487-5703
(Shanghai Daily January 18, 2008)