Reimagining a classic

"It is an artist's most basic right to adapt classics into contemporary theater," Meng says.

"A classic play isn't a museum exhibit. It should be kept alive and it should continue to evolve. It's an aesthetic adventure for audiences."

Meng, a 53-year-old Beijing native and Central Academy of Drama graduate, has staged more than 40 works, including Rhinoceros in Love, Two Dogs, To Live and Amber. His avant-garde, critical and humorous style is said to have enabled him to bring new vitality to Chinese theater.

He adapted Chinese writer Yu Hua's acclaimed novel, To Live, into a three-hour play of the same title in 2012. The director adapted The Four Dreams by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu in 2016.

Meng first read the script of Teahouse as a university student and later watched the play at the Capital Theater. He also saw movies, TV dramas and books based on the work.

Meng worked with German dramaturg Sebastian Kaiser to not only adapt Teahouse into a contemporary context but also to generate a dialogue between Chinese and German artists.

"We spent six months reading the original texts of the play by Lao She before we started the rehearsals," Kaiser says.

"We also visited the museum of Lao She and the Lao She Teahouse in Beijing. It was an exciting process. We decided not to be intimidated by the classic play, which is like a big mountain in front of us. It's like a journey of seeking direction."

Some might say that adaptations destroy the classic play, but what they did was to show respect for a theater heritage, he says.

"It is a salute to Lao She."