The courtesans rose owing to their knowledge of cultural practices. Some courtesans were even able to challenge some of the Neo-Confucian social norms of the time.

Therefore, the eight courtesans featured in the play enjoyed great fame and occupied special positions in recorded history.

Baimen Liu picks one of the eight and uses her perspective to depict the cultural upheaval between the Confucian intellectuals and the "heterogeneous" Manchu forces, instead of displaying the bloody war.

It tries to portray the reactions of the intellectuals of the Ming period to the changing times, along with their personal values relating to fame, wealth and power as well as their personal romantic lives.

  Successful adaptation

For Wang Yansong, adapting Baimen Liu from a 2,000-page novel was by no means an easy task.

Author Liu Sifen spent 16 years completing the three-volume work. In 1998, it won the Maodun Literature Award, China's highest prize for literature.

It is a turgid, sprawling and complex story mainly about Liu Rushi, a 17th-century poet, painter, and courtesan.

Guangzhou Drama Theater President Wang Luwei, who also designed the sets for the play, thought about making it into a theatrical production in 2001.

He was not sure about the idea, since it is such a large work lacking a clear storyline and often filled in by poems. He turned to Wang Yansong and asked whether it could be done.

Wang Yansong had also directed another play called Escort (Yajie) for the ensemble and the play won the National Drama Festival in 2001.

The Shanghai-born director finished reading the long novel in half a month, contemplated some ideas to adapt it during another month and then rethought these ideas for one more month before he went to Guangzhou to talk to Liu.

The writer applauded the director's understanding and approach.

After watching the debut in Guangzhou, Liu said he is satisfied with the adaptation.

"Respecting my novel, director Wang has given the play his own creativity," Liu said. "Limited by time, some complicated parts that I devoted dozens of pages to are perfectly symbolized on stage."

But he also pointed out that the play fails to give a convincing reason about why Liu marries Qian, who is 35 years older than her, and why she commits suicide.

"It might be because the play is much shorter than the novel," Liu said.

Guangzhou-based theater producer and critic Wang Wei said: "It is seldom for a local to produce such a splendid play. 'Baimen Liu' is sure to be a classic piece for the Guangzhou Drama Theater."

"The play is short on dramatic plot, but the director is good at characterizing and the cast vividly portrays the mental world of the roles, which makes up for that defect," he said.

The humble director attributes the success of the play to the performers, especially Du Yuan as Qian and Han Zaifen as Liu.

Han is one of the most popular Huangmei Opera actresses in China. Director Wang settled on her to play Liu because Han is good at singing and dancing much like Liu.

But Han performs far beyond his expectation.

"She is excellent in the play. She does not sing or dance, both of which are her advantages as a Huangmei Opera actress," he said. "However, she commands the stage with her acting and speaking."

Wang Luwei designed a splendid and true-to-life Qinhuai scene to highlight the play. And the set extends nearly 40-metres on one side of the auditorium, which brings the audience into the characters' lives.

(Editor: Yiyi; Source: China Daily)