From January 16 to 17, 2025, the original Chinese Production “Hero” was successfully performed at SUIS Gubei. Based on the experience gained from last year’s absurd comedy “Haha Land”, this year’s “Hero” made bolder attempts in story creation, dramatic style, and teamwork, offering the audience a unique theatrical feast.
A Deeper Storyline
As a classic mythological figure, the tale of Sun Wukong and the Tang Seng’s journey to the West is well-known. However, what happens to Sun Wukong after he attains the true scriptures and becomes the Victorious Fighting Buddha? This question opens up vast dramatic possibilities. “Hero” seizes this opportunity, innovatively exploring the narrative by presenting Sun Wukong’s reincarnation as a human, experiencing human emotions and desires. This exploration of self-awareness and inner struggle allows the audience to engage in familiar myths in a new light, imbuing traditional stories with contemporary significance.
Diverse Dramatic Elements
In portraying the inner world of the protagonist, Sun Xiaomai, the play incorporates a greater number of elements from physical theater. Through the expressive body language of the actors, the characters’ emotions and psychological states are vividly presented, breaking away from the traditional dialogue-centric format of plays. This approach offers the audience a fresh visual and emotional experience. Additionally, the lighting and sound design emerge as significant highlights of the production. The meticulously crafted lighting effects, sometimes bright and warm, other times dark and mysterious, are closely aligned with the narrative’s progression, creating varied atmospheres and emotions. The well-timed sound effects further enhance the drama’s impact, immersing the audience in the characters’ world.
Student-Led Cast and Crew
The cast and crew of this play are predominantly composed of students, including actors, lighting and sound technicians, stage designers, and even some directing roles. They put their imagination and creativity to full use during the creative process, infusing their understanding of drama and insights into human life into the production. This not only provided students with a platform to showcase their talents and develop their skills but also reflected the commitment of SUIS Gubei to fostering independent learning and innovative spirit among students. The students’ continuous learning and growth through practice showcased their youthful vitality and professional competence.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of SUIS Gubei’s exploration of Chinese drama. From initial classic interpretations to original short plays, and now to this magnificent original production, and even its participation in external competitions, each step has witnessed the growth and development of the Theatre discipline at SUIS Gubei. The successful performance of “Hero” not only represents a brilliant interpretation of theatrical art by the students but also vividly embodies SUIS Gubei’s spirit of exploration, creation, and inheritance in the field of drama education. It is believed that in the future, the drama education at SUIS Gubei will cultivate more outstanding theatrical talents, continuously injecting vitality into the development of campus culture.
Reflections from Cast and Crew
Scriptwriter
Ms Angel Tang
This is a courageous and challenging attempt. The play has a complex structure, intertwining themes of family, nation, and philosophical concepts, making it quite difficult for students to fully grasp the characters. However, each student has put in their utmost effort and deepest passion, rehearsing repeatedly and making progress each time, ultimately presenting the play beautifully!
Director
Ms Liv Jiang
“Hero” embodies the dedication and effort of many students and teachers both on and off stage. Since I was able to assemble such a talented cast, I feel like a very fortunate director. I hope that this production offers valuable experiences for the participating students and allows the audience to truly appreciate the joy of drama.
Assistant Director
Thomas Chen (11LM)
Pioneer, Create, and Legacy.
I am truly honored to participate in the creation of “Hero” as the first student director in the school’s history. I approached this challenging task with the spirit of a pioneer and a learner, actively collaborating with various units to complete it. I hope the passion displayed by all staff, both onstage and behind the scenes, will be passed down throughout history. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire cast and especially Ms Jiang and Ms Tang for their trust and the opportunity they provided me.
Actor
Brian Lin (11SUE)
I am very grateful for the support and guidance from Ms Tang, Ms Jiang, and Thomas Chen all the way. The recommendations and help that were given to me when I couldn’t get into character eventually helped me to open the door to XiaoMai’s heart. At the same time, I used to be nervous, forgetting lines at first, and I couldn’t really present the most natural XiaoMai. However, words can’t express how much I am grateful to all the other members in the crew who helped to repeat the scene over and over again when I couldn’t find the correct emotion. They always offered kind words of support and encouraged me with warm smiles. I was highly influenced by their emotions during the process and all these things intertwined to make the final XiaoMai. It’s an honor to be a member of this crew and I wish all the best to all!
Actress
Kyra Chan (11NP)
At first, I couldn’t immerse myself in my role “ZhuRuiXue” as her cheerful personality was out of my comfort zone when acting. Through everyone’s joint efforts, we not only presented a perfect stage but also helped me to take the first step out of my comfort zone. I am truly grateful and honored to have cooperated with everyone and I hope to cooperate with them again.
Kyra Chan is on the left 左为Kyra Chan
Actor
Jackie Wen (11SUE)
Theatre is both a study and a life for me. While taking IB Drama, I also actively participated in the Chinese production. First of all, I would like to thank the three directors for their outstanding contributions to “Hero”. I have learned a lot in this play. For example, this is the first large-scale physical theater production in my current theater career, which tests my position, movement and emotion on stage. This experience has allowed me to learn a lot of drama knowledge and enrich my acting experience. Finally, I would like to thank the three directors again, and especially screenwriter Ms Tang for providing such a perfect script.
Actress
Judy Xu (11VK)
Thank you, “Hero”, for being the first production where I got to play an antagonist who talks in Sichuan dialect. I’m not from Sichuan, so I asked my local friends for help and even was lucky to visit Chengdu. I really love my character as the Green-haired monster character. Its unique traits brought out a different side of me. Finally, I hope this production brings the audiences not only joy, but also their own thoughts.
Judy Xu is on the left 左为Judy Xu
Actor
Venlouce Zhao (11LF)
When I watched “Haha Land” a long time ago, I really wanted to perform on stage
After I stepped into N407, my heart was finally relieved
Every Thursday afternoon was so relaxing and happy
Rehearsal was Tiring
Mistake was Appearing
Time was Flowing
When my fingers touched the curtain.
“Then who do you want to go with?”
SHA GU SHAN
Assemble!
Venlouce Zhao is on the right 右为Venlouce Zhao
Actress
Nina Zhang (10RP)
Theatrical arts have always held immense significance for me, serving as a means of expressing my personal interpretation of characters and a rich source of experience. This production, “Hero” has deepened my understanding of a mother’s role, allowed me to explore new facets of my abilities, and, most importantly, helped me form new friendships and a strong sense of belonging. To me, that is why drama productions are exceedingly important. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Ms Jiang, Ms Tang, Thomas Chen, and all members of this production for your inspiring guidance and collaboration. Thank you for this incredible opportunity, and I wish you all the best!
Actress
Julia Zhu (10TF)
I’ve learned a great deal during my time in this film crew. Initially, during the audition, I chose the role of Xiaomai. However, my understanding of emotions was rather one – sided, and I felt I overacted. When I tried to read the lines of the ordinary people, I couldn’t get into the right mood and even burst out laughing.
Now that the performance has wrapped up, I’ve not only improved my skills in delivering lines, but also grasped how to bring a character to life. So, I’m truly grateful to the directors for their guidance and recognition, as well as to my friends for their encouragement. I hope there will be another opportunity for us to work together in the same crew in the future!
Actress
Angel Xu (10LA)
It was not until I entered SUIS Gubei that I discovered my keen interest in theatre. After participating in the school’s two performances of English and Chinese productions, I realized the unique charm of integrating music and body movements in different aspects of theatre. Thanks to all the directors and teachers for giving me the opportunity to participate in these excellent and meaningful works!
Actress
Chloe Sun (10WL)
In the production team of “Hero”, I have learned so much, so much. I truly love my character and during the rehearsal process, I have become more and more in tune with her, feeling her emotions, feeling that she is a living, breathing human being… All of this could not have been possible without everyone’s care, help and guidance for me. I really look forward to working together with all of you again!! I love drama! I love the little demon! I love “Hero”!!
Chloe Sun is on the left 左为Chloe Sun
Actor
Hanson Qian (10CY)
In the production of “Hero”, playing the role of “Father”—a character significantly older than me—taught me a lot. It was my first time to participate in the school Chinese drama production, so it was quite a challenge. At first, I didn’t fully understand the role and couldn’t bring out its “soul” in my performance. However, after repeatedly reading the script, receiving guidance from teachers, and getting encouragement from members, I gradually gained a deeper understanding of the character. I was even nicknamed the ‘old father’ by teachers and classmates. Along the way, I made new friends and significantly improved my acting skills. I felt truly thankful to Ms. Jiang, Ms. Tang, Thomas, and all the cast and crew members. Thank the director for giving me this rare opportunity to take part in such a brilliant production. I look forward to our next collaboration and wish we meet again!
Microphone
Gavin Gao (10KF)
We are a group of backstage magicians… We turn the knobs, controlling machines on stage significantly larger than even ourselves. Although from the audiences’ perspective, we may not be as noticeable as the actors illuminated under the bright spotlights, it is our presence that brought the scene to life, making the production more dramatic and dynamic.
During the tight rehearsal and preparation period, we have actively cooperated with the director’s team, making on-the-spot adjustments to the stage settings and performance details just to bring this fantastic Chinese play to life. What stood out to me the most was the interaction of us and the character, the Green Monster, during the actual production. Who would have thought us, as the backstage Tech Team, would have dialogues with the actors? This moment brought joy and surprise to the audience and was one of the most creative parts of the production.
Finally, thanks to our wonderful production, “Hero”, we have finally been granted another opportunity to perform our magics.
Lighting
Tracy Zhuang (10JJ)
Taking part in the theatre production “Hero” as members of the Tech Team has filled us all with great pride and gratitude. Managing intricate lighting and music setups and precisely positioning heavy spotlights required lots of practice and precise coordination. The sudden appearance of problems like headset signal instability and audio distortion also put us under great pressure. With time running out, we all tried our entire best, fearing any mistakes. Although behind-the-scenes work is often overlooked, when Sun Xiaomai chose not to be driven by his own desires, accepting eternal loneliness along with his responsibility in the plot, greatly moving the audience, we deeply felt that all our efforts were worth it.
None of this would have been possible without the guidance of our teachers and the support of actors and crew. Thank you, everyone, for your dedication which created this brilliant work!
tech support
Photo by
Andrew Chen 10RP
William Yang 11SUE