The Female Chief and Reindeer Show up on the Stage

Maria Suo, “China’s last female chief.”

The love story in Aoluguya is opened up through the old chief’s self-disclosure, which makes people think of an American film, Titanic. What’s different is that the whole story in Aoluguya is totally guided and narrated by the old chief. To people’s surprise, at the end of the performance, the prototype in life of the play, Maria Sou, who is the true female chief of the Aoluguya Tribe and almost 100 years old, goes up on the stage to meet the audience. She brings the audience back to reality from the Aoluguya space-time. When the audience sees the lead female character, who has experienced the hardships of life standing on the stage, it’s more genuine and believable than some montage films. The head director introduces Maria Souto the audience full of excitement that “She is the female chief respected by all Aoluguya people. She is nearly 100 years old. In order to come to Beijing this time, she for the first time got herself an ID and walked out of the mountains.”

A Bie shows up on the stage

At the end of the play, a reindeer named A Bie (meaning “moon” in Ewenki language) shows up on a stage full of beans. Audiences give thunderous applause and continuous cheers. A Bie is particularly beautiful. It walks swaggeringly on the stage with its horns up high. The look on its face is calm and dignified. It seems to know people’s fondness for it and wouldn’t like to leave the stage.

By Chen Yanqiu

Video: Zhang Xiao

Editor: Liu Fang