Fall in 'Love' with PCT's spring show

What attracts one person to another? This question is explored by Princeton Chinese Theater’s passionate performance, “Love in a Fallen City.” This play, directed by Yifeng Wang ’11 and Peiwen Xu ’13, will be performed in the Frist Film/Performance Theatre on March 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and on March 26 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Chinese with English subtitles. The work was adapted for the stage by Danqi Shen ’11 from novelist Eileen Chang’s original love story centering on a Hong Kong playboy and the Shanghai woman who falls in love with him. Despite the somewhat cliche plot, the play breaks the mold by being completely comic at times and strikingly serious at others.

The most humorous scene of the play is performed by Beatrice Soh ’14 and Heling Zhao ’14, who play two young and mischievous sisters. The pair’s great comedic timing and physical humor make their interactions on stage especially entertaining to watch. In the scene, the pair walks on stage together while taking synchronized steps. Soh and Zhao proceed to huddle together, arm in arm as a unit. Shortly after, the two begin to regale the audience with a series of mischievous antics with their older sister. First they whisper behind her back as she drones on. They laugh. She scolds them angrily. They frown. Each movement is crisp and synchronized, which complement the lighthearted nature of the scene. The scene ends in the same, uncanny rhythm as the pair matches their steps on their way off the stage.

However, not all aspects of the cast are as strong. The ensemble of extras sometimes undermines strong lead actors. For example, during one serious scene, a squadron of smiling and clumsy soldiers comes clamoring across the stage. Their intrusion jarringly breaks the mood and takes away from the struggle of characters on stage who are fleeing for their lives.

Nevertheless, these hiccups are somewhat redeemed by the suave Tianlong Wang GS, who convincingly portrays the wealthy playboy Fan Liu-yuan. His performance provides a nice counterpoint to the comedy of Soh and Zhao. Although somewhat stilted at times, his movements are generally clean. What makes his performance come to life, though, is his chemistry with Bai Liu-Su, played by Zhihan Ma ’11. During one scene, emotions run high in a phone conversation between the two characters. As the lovers enact an intense fight about their relationship, they are accompanied by classical music. Even from opposite sides of the stage, Wang and Ma capture the heartbreak and passion of the moment. Both actors are masterful in owning what is a particularly complex series of emotions. First, Wang pleads with Ma to take him back, but she refuses due to his disloyalty to her. The music is particularly effective, speeding up to match the climax of the action. Suddenly, Wang slams down the phone. The music abrasively ends and the stage goes dark.

At the same time, Wang and Ma succeed in more than just explosive scenes such as this one. They are also passionately, almost palpably, in love. When Hong Kong is bombed in the play, the two take refuge together. Wang embraces Ma, and the audience can almost feel the embrace as well. The small details in their interaction, such as the gentle moment when Wang moves Ma’s hair away to see her face for the first time, are also especially powerful and honest.

PCT’s “Love in a Fallen City” achieves all that any artistic work can hope to: an honest exploration of what it means to walk with a mischievous sister and what it means to be held by someone you love. It is well worth the visit for any romantic, no matter his or her culture.