Tiny theater’s big meaning 小剧场大意义

Stage drama, especially small-scale theater, seems for many to be an esoteric art not everyone can immediately appreciate. However, Hong Kong stage director Edward Lam says learning to love the art form isn’t as hard as it seems.

对许多人来说，舞台剧，尤其是小剧场属于深奥的小众艺术，并不是每个人都能欣赏。然而，香港舞台剧导演林奕华认为，要爱上这种艺术形式，并没有想象的那么难。

“Good drama doesn’t directly tell you what it is and offer answers. Instead, it leads you to find out your own answers,” he said.

他说：“一部好剧不会直接告诉你它讲了什么，然后给出答案。相反，它会引导你自己去寻找答案。”

The 2015 Cross-Straits Little Theater Festival, running from April 25 to May 17 in Beijing, brings together 10 stage dramas from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, including Lam’s “Two Men”. It introduces audiences to the charm of small theater, and offers space for lectures from mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwanese theater directors.

2015两岸小剧场艺术节于4月25日至5月17日期间在北京各剧场上演，精选了来自中国大陆、台湾和香港的10部舞台剧，包括林奕华导演的《两男关系》。艺术节为观众介绍了小剧场的魅力，大陆、香港和台湾舞台剧的导演也借此做了相关讲座。

Originating in Europe in the 19th century, small theater (called Fringe theater or Off-Off Broadway theater in the West) is performed in a tiny space, like an underground garage. The movement came to China in the 1980s, and it’s since become synonymous with experimental theater.

小剧场(西方称为实验性质剧场或者外百老汇剧场)起源于19世纪的欧洲，举办场所为面积狭小的空间，比如地下车库。小剧场运动于二十世纪八十年传入中国，并从那时起成为实验剧场的代名词。

Ren Ming, head of Beijing People’s Art Theatre describes small-scale theater as a “dream studio”. “It offers a platform to showcase directors’ spirit of innovation and exploration. Many experimental dramas occur in these venues. To really know Chinese stage drama, you have to also appreciate small-scale theater,” he told Chinaculture.org.

北京人民艺术剧院院长任鸣将小剧场描述为“梦工厂”。他对 Chinaculture.org表示，“它为导演提供了展示创新和探索精神的舞台。许多实验剧场都在这样的场馆举行。若想真正了解中国的舞台剧，就不能不看小剧场。”

Small theater is gaining popularity among college students as well.

小剧场也正越来越受大学生的欢迎。

For example, this year’s Beijing college student small theater festival, held in January, received more than 100 entries produced entirely by students, China News Service reported. Ten of the entries won awards and toured universities in Beijing, attracting more than 10,000 viewers. Similar theater festivals have also been held in other cities including Jinan and Guangzhou in recent years.

比如说，据中新社报道，今年一月份举办的北京大学生小剧场戏剧节，完全由学生参与制作的入围剧目有100多部。其中有10部获奖，并在北京高校进行了巡演，演出吸引了1万多名观众。近年来，其它城市如济南和广州也举办了类似的戏剧节。

What prerequisites must be met in order to appreciate this form of art? Lam says not to worry.

要欣赏这种形式的艺术需要满足什么前提条件么?林奕华告诉我们不用担心这个问题。

“The only question is whether you are willing to admit the issue that the drama addresses is relevant to you,” he said.

他说：“唯一的问题就是你是否愿意承认，舞台剧中讲述的问题是与你息息相关的。”

He compares watching a stage drama to appreciating an abstract painting. At first glance, you may feel confused about the image and the meaning. But after you do enough research about the painter’s life experiences and cultural background, you will get some understanding.

他将看舞台剧比喻成欣赏抽象画。第一眼你可能会对画作及其要表达的意思感到困惑。但是，当你对画家的人生履历及文化背景做出一定的研究后，就会多一些理解。

“Art, no matter what form it takes, always reflects humanity,” he said. “It reflects humans’ desires, hopes and other internal needs.” And that’s something it doesn’t take much effort to grasp at all.

“艺术，无论是什么形式的艺术，都是表达人性的，”他说，“它传达了人类的欲望、希望和其它内在需求。”而这些东西是你不需要花功夫就能领悟的。