I Am a Moon is a poetic production in which the journey to the moon is used as a metaphor for the search of the self. Written by US-based Chinese playwright Zhu Yi, this play combines the unique sentiment of solitude expressed in Sinophone literature with American self-deprecating black humour. The plot consists of two parts: a depiction of an isolated astronaut's journey to the moon, and the interconnected stories of five ordinary people on different terms, each of them echoing with the astronaut's states of mind while in space.
The play will be performed by the Drum Tower West Theatre on an ingeniously designed stage. In the centre is a revolving playground, on whose background the astronaut can be seen passing by, sometimes riding a bicycle, other times pushing the moon. The intriguing fairy-tale stage invites the audience into the starry sky to have a glimpse at the characters’ lives from an omniscient perspective.
I Am a Moon is a play full of vitality, glowing with the playwright’s keen observation of life, and the director’s examination of the subtleties in human relationships, and leaves the audience with a more compassionate and poetic view of life.
By Becca Cheung
Graduated in Directing from the School of Drama of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and has also engaged in physical theatre and dramaturgy.
This article is excerpted and translated from Chinese