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In 1986, while studying at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, Li Liuyi travelled back to his hometown in Sichuan during a break to direct，his first play, The Young Guo Moruo. It was a sensation.
Not only was his choice of subject unconventional – Guo was an important but controversial cultural figure in 20th century China who penned a number of influential poems before recanting his literary career by destroying his works on the eve of the Cultural Revolution – so was his approach to theatre.
A year later, at the age of 26, Li returned to Sichuan again and adapted German playwright Bertolt Brecht’s 1943 work The Good Person of Szechwan into a Sichuan opera. A work for his graduation, the production was another success and drew nationwide attention.
“By that time, everybody agrees I’m not a conventional card-player as they call it, because I do not like to follow the traditions in theatre practice,” recalls the 55-year-old stage director, sipping iced cola at an upstart coffee shop in Beijing.
Li is known for turning traditional theatre on its head. His Heroine trilogy (2003), for instance, shocked audiences (especially in Beijing) by boldly abandoning the rules and aesthetics of Peking opera. His method is intended both to challenge contemporary theatre-goers and keep old stage works relevant. It’s an approach that has drawn both praise and criticism for Li, is now a director of the People’s Art Theatre in Beijing.
