For the People, by the People: Penghao Theatre and The Story of Gong and Drum Lane

Abstract

In the final moments of The Story of Gong and Drum Lane (Luoguxiang de gushi, 2009), directed by Wang Shaojun and Mu De at Penghao Theatre in Beijing, music swells over the actors’ closing lines, the stage lights dim, and a slideshow of scenes from the South Gong and Drum Lane (Nanluoguxiang) neighborhood surrounding the theatre washes over the stage. First, a series of black-and-white images: cricket cages hanging from the eaves of old houses; bicycles in narrow alleys; clay tiled roofs decorated with small figurines. Then, a still shot turns into a pan as the camera tracks from rooftops to the contemporary alley (hutong) where cars line the street. Black-and-white fades to color and then a close-up on a new sign that reads “Nanluoguxiang.” Tourists walk past the camera, the footage accelerates, and a number of popular restaurants and bars speed past: Xiao Xia’s café ; Bye Bye Disco; and, of course, Penghao Theatre itself. The final shot, a slow zoom on the brightly painted traditional gate bearing the street’s name, brightens the entire stage and literally frames the play’s set within the cultural geography of Nanluoguxiang.