She has power because she is a nobleman, and he has power because he is a man...... The imbalance between class identity and gender identity, and the insurmountable battle of self-perception all eventually shaped "Miss Julie". A few days ago, Strindberg's classic play "Miss Julie" produced by the Shanghai Dramatic Art Center ushered in its premiere at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center Art Theater. The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center has invited Swedish national treasure director Hilda Hellwig to adapt and direct, and actors Mai Duo, He Ping, Xu Manman, etc., will perform until May 12.
The story takes place on a Chinese New Year's Eve night, and Miss Julie, a noble girl who has just experienced the breakdown of her marriage, slips out of the ball party in a luxurious mansion and meets the manservant Jean in the kitchen. In the night, which is thicker than lust, Julie and Jean are pushed into madness. After the madness, they have to face not only worldly pressures, but also self-battles that are difficult to overcome......
"Miss Julie" is the representative work of the Swedish theater master August Strindberg, who is known as the father of modern theater in the world. In the 80s of the 19th century, the second industrial revolution in Europe entered a mature stage, and new modes of transportation, such as railways, emerged, linking various regions of Europe in an unprecedented way. Increased mobility and economic prosperity have also contributed to the rise of a new class of wealthy Europeans, and technological and economic developments have not only changed the class structure, but also further awakened the idea of equal rights for women. But there is a strong need to define women as biologically weak, and this demand has become stronger with the call for equality between men and women. It was against this historical background that Strindberg wrote Miss Julie in 1888, and it was from this that the two characters in the play were born out of the epochality.
Throughout the show, both characters constantly mention their upbringing and social constraints as the reason why they can't achieve their dreams. Jean, a wannabe of the new aristocracy, a "newcomer" of the era in Strindberg's eyes, repeatedly mentioned that her poor background limited her ability to use her talents and powers, and Julie's unconventional upbringing gave her a notion of gender equality and women's rights, which, in Strindberg's view, ran counter to the "natural" state of women and made her unable to survive in this world.
Miss Julie's various "crazy" behaviors, whether it is her unruly affair with her servants or her yearning for free escape, reflect her pursuit of individual free will, which undoubtedly challenges the expectations and definitions of women's roles in society at that time. The play has also become an important text for exploring gender equality and women's rights. For 135 years since its premiere in 1889, Miss Julie has been performed in theaters around the world every year.
Costume design Ann-Margareth Fregaard restored the 19th century's requirements for showing women's beautiful body curves through the design of corsets and large tailed gowns, but added Chinese elements to the costume design of other aristocratic ladies and low-level servants at the ball, which is to weaken the regional characteristics of the story of "Miss Julie", which is why this version of "Miss Julie" changed the "Midsummer Night" set in the original script to "Chinese New Year's Eve" - "Miss Julie" exists in every era. In each region, as Helwig puts it: "Even in today's society, Strindberg's biased view of women is still pervasive. ”
The hierarchical "upstairs and downstairs" is the focus of this stage design, and the spiral staircase is staged to make Julie "climb up" and "fall down". At first, Julie was high at the top of the spiral staircase, and after a night of madness, the balance of power between the two tilted to put Julie in that position.
According to Helwig, Miss Julie explores the conflict between social class and power, the free will and self-realization of the individual, the positioning and conflict of gender roles, and the complexity and tragedy of human nature. Profound themes, outstanding artistic achievements, rich social and historical backgrounds, and ever-changing ways of interpretation and interpretation make Miss Julie able to continue to attract the attention and affection of audiences across time and space.
Reporter: Wang Yongjuan
Editor: Ning Pingying
Reviewer: Wei Li