China
Star Returning — Sibiu / A performance by Lemi Ponifasio
Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company
Performance by
Lemi Ponifasio
8th edition of China Season
An ancestral imaginary of earth and air, water and fire, inhabited by gods and humans, underlies the visionary creations of the Samoan artist Lemi Ponifasio. Drawing on the Indigenous cultures of the Pacific—from the Māori of New Zealand to the peoples of Kiribati in Micronesia—as well as from South America, Ponifasio creates, like a shaman, new symbols that speak to our present, where ceremony, performative culture and contemporary theatre converge.
“Star Returning” is a way of listening to the earth, to the ancestors and to the shared myths of the Yi people of the mountainous Daliangshan region in China—their cosmology, their origins, and their deep connection to nature, to ancestry, and to the spirituality intrinsic to this culture. Ponifasio writes: “Star Retuning is a community project to honor the complexities of life and infuse our communities with hope and authenticity. Through our collaborative efforts, we can reshape perceptions, inspire action, and resist despair with visions of beauty, strength, and potential”.
A haunting, poetic ritual that weaves memory, and hope into a powerful collective vision.
Directed by: Lemi Ponifasio
Concept - Direction - Design - Costume – Sound: Lemi Ponifasio
Poetry + Painting: Jidi Majia
Choreography: Performers + Lemi Ponifasio
Lighting & technical direction: Helen Todd
Video and sound: Alex Waghorn
Lighting: Michael Morgan
Technical supervision: Isaac Kirkwood
Stage manager: Stella Chen Sifan
Tour manager: Nancy Chen Simin
Production manager: Sasha Gibbs
Executive producer: Chen Zhongwen
Cast: Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company (Jili Mezizha, Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu, HAI Hongfei, Wu Zimo, Peng Zhaoyuling, Zhang Yizhe), MAU Company (Helmi Prasetyo, Rosie Belvie)
Cast: Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company (Jili Mezizha, Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu, HAI Hongfei, Wu Zimo, Peng Zhaoyuling, Zhang Yizhe), MAU Company (Helmi Prasetyo, Rosie Belvie)
Production: Liangshan Culture and Tourism Group (Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company)
Co-producer: International Theatre Institute (ITI)
Star Returning - Original co-production
International Theatre Institute
Shanghai Theatre Academy
Chinese Theatre Association
Liangshan Culture and Tourism Group
(Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company)
Duration: 1h 30min
Date of premiere: 23.11.2024
Original title: Star Returning
China
The Chinese Season
Program and Access