As the sole performer in the upcoming play “To the Moon,” Wang Junhao, having played more than 60 shows of the namesake production, is not only emotionally moved by the play, but has also elevated her views on the topic of death.
The story concerns a girl, Tara, who has spent a sweet summer holiday at her grandfather’s farm, finds the latter having passed away one day. In the hopes of reuniting with the beloved old man, Tara decided to set off on an expedition, with a flock of geese, to the moon one late summer’s day.
Discussing death in a play suitable for children from the age of four may be a challenge, but Wang stressed that the play does not have to be viewed by children only, and that adults will be able to take home some insights as well.
Having presented such a topic by herself alone on the stage for years already, Wang has been inspired by the time she has spent performing. Instead of becoming bogged down by the facts and memories of the lost family members, she has gradually absorbed the energy from performing in the play to carry on.
“Before, I considered [the passing of a relative] a fact difficult to accept. Probably because I have spent much time with older generations in the family,” she recounted. The more she performed in this play, the more she felt her passed-on relatives being commemorated, not by others, but by herself.
“To me, it felt ceremonial,” she explained. She admitted that every now and then, she recalls moments spent with her deceased relatives, but she no longer feels devastated or depressed.
“Rather, I feel this is the energy to keep moving. I feel empowered to make progress,” she said.
She pointed out that many of the scenes in the play coincided with her own growing up. The resonances between the scenes and her own adolescent experiences have made her more involved in the improvement of her performance skills. “I think the audience will be able to see it, even children will … too,” she said.
Marketed by the Macao Cultural Centre as targeting junior audiences, the 50-minute play employs technology to transform the stage instantly to suit the set. Some of the projected images involve mathematical formulae for the composition of spaceships. Wang noted that they are all genuine.
In addition, the performer revealed that extra efforts have been injected to make the play more attractive to younger audiences. For example, as the play progresses, the backstage is unveiled to the audience. Wang thinks this is appealing to children because they may want to know what is situated behind the scenes.
‘To the Moon’ will be staged across five shows performed in Mandarin with Chinese and English surtitles, scheduled from this Friday to Sunday at the Small Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre. A small number of tickets are still available.
No Comments