spot_img

Falling for China Hook, Line & Sinker

spot_img
spot_img

Latest News

spot_img

With soles in foreign lands, comes the friction of souls in unchartered relationships, where tension, joy, frustration, compromise and victory all intermingle. “The Willing Take the Bait”, a two-part play performed at the Nanjing Winart Theatre in Xinjiekou from 3-12 May, attempted to portray just that; cross-cultural living and relationships.

The cast made efforts to hook the audience into the storyline of Part I, which began with the working relationship between a Chinese native and an expat. Between a composed business woman and care-free foreigner, mistakes were made by the expat, which garnered much laughter from the unfortunate mishaps and misunderstandings that resulted therein.

While the storyline presented a more theatrical look at issues and situations foreigners may face when in China, the plot’s twists and turns presented opportunities for the audience to take a deeper look within themselves. Putting aside personal motivations and willingness to experience new tastes and adventures, comes the common ground of the unknown. When you take a person out of their familiar comforts, and place them into a new norm, one could say this is the moment when strengths and weaknesses are magnified. While not all foreigners go to clubs or have as crude or dramatic of a time as the cast presented, most can relate to the experience of figuring out how to thrive in a new and different environment.

Part II took on the topic of interracial dating, perhaps in the hopes that such would show the highs and lows that comes with navigating different cultures and languages. While some interracial couples may be able to relate to the storyline, not all may relate to the specific issues and conversations raised. In the opening scene, a foreign man hoped to advance into a relationship without knowing much about the woman with whom he goes on a date. Later, when the relationship is manifest, this brings about blunders in family expectations, language and values. Ending with a somewhat triumphant dialogue from the female lead, her words nevertheless left a somewhat hopeless feeling.

The topics of Part I and Part II were well-chosen and relatable, presented in a comical way. If done with a more tasteful approach, it is possible a wider audience would have had the opportunity to connect on a more personal level and leave with a more positive, introspective attitude. In the end, laying aside the humor and dramatised scenarios, the underlying question remains; will they work to adapt, engage and understand the other’s culture, or will they they cling to their own understandings and agenda? The Willing Take the Bait.

- Advertisement -

Local Reviews

- Advertisement -
spot_img

Regional Briefings