INTERVIEW: Daoism inspires new ‘Three Kingdoms’ adaptation
Photo: Warrior Sisters of Wu stars, from left, David Lee Huynh, Kim Wuan, Nancy Ma and Vin Kridakorn. Photo courtesy of Russ Rowland / Provided by Everyman Agency with permission.
The new play Warrior Sisters of Wu, written by Damon Chua, is a combination of the classic Chinese tale Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Produced by the nearly-50-year-old Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, the show officially opens Wednesday, Feb. 14, with performances running through March 10 at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T/New York Theatres in Midtown Manhattan.
In the play, which is directed by Jeff Liu and features fight choreography by Michael G. Chin, two swordswomen named Qing and Wan battle traditional practices and perceptions to gain love, respect and self-determination, according to press notes. The individual battles of these two sisters are against two competing military men, which opens up an opportunity to change the power dynamics, political situation and gender equality. These two sisters are the same ones prominently showcased in the video game Dynasty Warriors.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 700-year-old text broken into more than 100 chapters. The actual setting — the Han Dynasty — is nearly 2,000 years old. But there’s also a more modern feel to the proceedings because of Chua’s use of Pride and Prejudice and today’s continued debates and discussions about the important topic of gender equality.
Recently Chua expanded on these topics in an email interview with Hollywood Soapbox. His previous theatrical credits include Film Chinois, The Emperor’s Nightingale and Incident at Hidden Temple. He has previously worked with a variety of companies, including Ma-Yi Theater Company, The Public Theater and Climate Change Theater Action. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How familiar were you with Romance of the Three Kingdoms before adapting the story for stage?
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the seminal Chinese classics, so I think most people of Chinese descent will have at least heard of it. Growing up in Singapore, I was taught it during elementary school, at least in broad strokes — after all, the book comprises 100 chapters, is over 800,000 words in length and involves hundreds of characters. Luckily, the main characters stuck with me through the years, and when I jumped back into it when I started the adaptation, it wasn’t as daunting as it could have been. Even so, I spent months reading and doing research before I felt I could do it justice.
How did you incorporate elements of Pride and Prejudice into the narrative?
As I have been telling everyone, I could spend the rest of my life writing plays based on storylines from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. While many of the main characters were male, when I chanced upon the Qiao Sisters of the Kingdom of Wu, things began to fall into place. I was inspired to write a female-forward piece about access and representation, amplifying the narrative of how these sisters fought alongside their spouses during one of the fiercest battles in the book (watch John Woo’s movie Red Cliff, which is about that very battle) and won. The sisters weren’t given a lot of breathing room in the book, but in the 21st century, they are well-known as video game characters.
To bridge the cultural gap between ancient Chinese machinations and modern American audiences, I knew I needed a framework not just to tell their story but also to surface the issues I wanted to highlight. I tried several approaches until I woke up one morning and thought: Pride and Prejudice! It was eureka moment, and I immediately knew it would work. It allowed me to deal with sexism head on and also introduce humor, both of which were game-changing. I think it will be quite clear to audience members which characters are the equivalent of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins, cousin to the Bennets and set to inherit their estate.
Is the story set in the Han Dynasty, or has it been transported to a different time period?
While the play is set towards the end of the Han Dynasty, it is not a historical piece by any stretch of the imagination. With Pride and Prejudice as the framework and a more-than-cursory nod to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, I would call this a period romantic comedy with swords and up-to-the-moment resonances.
Are you a fan of romantic comedies?
I’m a fan, unabashedly. When done well, as exemplified by the works of Nora Ephron, romantic comedies are a true art form, and I aspire to that. Even run-of-the-mill Lifetime movies can tug at my heart strings. For the stage though, I have never tried creating a romantic comedy; so this is a first, and it turned out to be so much fun. I think sometimes “rom-coms” get short shrift and may be perceived as lightweight, but they deal with affairs of the heart, which, to me, is everything. In this play, I explore the idea of romantic love not just as the ultimate bond between couples, but also as the fuel that propels them towards their destiny.
How do you explore the theme of gender equality?
This was tricky because I wanted to deal with it full-on within the context of the world of the play, without having it feel outmoded or be seen as a cop-out. While doing research, I realized Daoism was a rising ideology during the Han Dynasty, and it was beginning to challenge Confucianism as the state religion. While Confucianism was patriarchal, Daoism stressed the balance between yin and yang — i.e. female and male energies. The conflict between these two bodies of thoughts allowed me to underpin the Qiao Sisters’ struggle, giving it specificity and a meaningful historical backdrop. Using Daoism, I was able to flesh out motivation in a deeper, more organic way, and knowing how it was a real threat during Han’s final years, I was able to showcase how it had a hand in fostering social and political change. Daoism vs. Confucianism isn’t unlike the battle between today’s progressives and conservatives, adding an interesting layer of significance.
What’s it like to partner with Pan Asian Repertory Theatre?
Pan Asian Rep has been very good to me, as they have produced my full-length plays Film Chinois and Incident at Hidden Temple, and my TYA play The Emperor’s Nightingale. The company, led by its founding producing artistic director, Tisa Chang, is a true champion of all Asian American theater artists, and I believe there is no better home for this world premiere.
When you develop a new project, do you know immediately whether it will work better as a play, poem, short story, etc.?
Immediately, no. After writing a few scenes/stanzas/paragraphs, obviously yes. Actually let me clarify that. Any story can be a play or poem or short story or whatever. But if one wants the resulting product to see the light of the day (i.e. to be produced), one needs to be much more discerning. Sure, there are playwrights out there who are highly experimental and pushing the limit of what is possible on stage. Sadly I’m not one of those. I think I’m innovative in my own ways, and I truly admire those who take bold risks.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Warrior Sisters of Wu, written by Damon Chua, continues through March 10 at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T/New York Theatres in Midtown Manhattan. The play is produced by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre. Click here for more information and tickets.
