Veteran actress Wu Mian rehearses a scene from the drama, “Record of a Golden Lock,” a stage adaptation of Eileen Chang’s famous novel.

Shanghai Daily news

``Record of a Golden Lock'' is one of Eileen Chang's most outstanding novels. It is currently being adapted for the stage at the Shanghai Drama Arts Theater.
Chang, the legendary 1940s female writer from Shanghai, died in 1995 in the United States, but her books are still some of the most popular across China today.
In recent years, Chang's works and the story of her life have been brought to the stage and screen.
The newly adapted drama is part of this year's Shanghai International Arts Festival, which will begin this weekend, according to Li Shengying, producer of the play.
The play marks the first time for renowned Shanghai writer Wang Anyi to adapt a novel of Chang's. Wang's novel ``Song of Everlasting Sorrow,'' which has been adapted to stage, has won much praise, and readers have compared her to Chang. ``Personally I really appreciate Chang's novels,'' Wang says. ``She is very good at telling stories. Her style is very calm, sensitive and not too indulgent.''
Wang believes ``Record of a Golden Lock'' is Chang's best work because it includes intense social criticism. She says she bravely made changes to the original novel in adaption.
``Drama is a very compact art form,'' Wang points out. ``I had to subtract elements from the novel in order to present the characters with a limited time on stage.''
The play tells the twisting story of Cao Qiqiao, a woman who is forced by her family to marry a paraplegic man. In her struggle to deal with her life, Cao turns to a person in the hope of understanding but she just finds selfishness. Her bitterness manifests in her family relationships and eventually destroys herself.
Director Huang Shuqin, a renowned female film director, says Wang's adaptation is ``concise with a profound dramatic tension.'' It is also Huang's debut on the drama stage.
``It is a big production. I consider it quite a responsibility,''Huang confesses. ``Drama is totally different from film, so I'm really trying to work with it.''
The two women, writer Wang and director Huang, come together in a similar way to their late fathers.
Wang's father, Wang Xiaoping, was a renowned director and Huang's father, Huang Zuolin, was considered one of China's drama masters. The two men worked together for many years and established a deep friendship.
``So our cooperation is an extension of our fathers' friendship,'' smiles Wang. Peking Opera singer Guan Dongtian takes up his first drama leading role in the play.
``I love new things and I'm very interested in doing drama,'' Guan says. ``It's really an honor to be the protagonist in such a good play.''
Huang says: ``Guan was chosen for the leading role not for his Peking Opera background but because he takes his role to a new level.'' Selecting the leading role of Cao was a difficult.
Wang's original ideal actress was Xi Meijuan, whose acting skills are acknowledged throughout the country.
``But choosing an actress is a joint process,'' says Li.
When Xi was not available, the production team began focusing on veteran actress Zhu Yin. In recent years, Zhu has been active in TV series as well as on the stage. After reading the play, Zhu decided to accept the role though she confessed to it being a big challenge for her. ``Cao is really very different from me but the challenge captivated me,'' Zhu says.
But after two weeks of rehearsal, Zhu became too wrapped up in the story and her health condition forced her to quit.
Then Wu Mian was selected as she is known for her ``wicked women'' characters. When the team approached Wu, she was shooting a TV series outside Shanghai, and she accepted it immediately.
``This role is fantastic. Many actresses don't get this kind of opportunity in their life,'' Wu says excitedly. ``Cao has a very complicated inner world. It's a challenge for any actress to present her 30-year transformation in a two-hour performance.''
Wu has not been on the drama stage for 10 years, but producer Li is confident about her ability. ``Wu is a very capable actress,'' says Li. ``The roles she has played before have been difficult. She's a very dedicated actress and so far she is doing quite well.''

Date: October 18-23, November 17-28 (closes on Mondays in November), 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Drama Arts Theater, 288 Anfu Rd
Ticket: 100-150 yuan
Tel: 6473-0123, 6473-4567
With English subtitles