Liu Xing-Lin

About this designer
Liu graduated from the Central Academy of Drama with a BA in Stage Design in 1982. He received his MFA in Scene Design from the Academy in 1988. He is the Vice Chair of the Design Department at the Central Academy of Drama, and Vice Chair of Department of Academic Publication at Scenography Association of China. Liu is one of the most productive designers on today's Chinese stage. His credits covers most of the top state theatres and regional theatres in China.

Honors and Awards:
The Gold Loin Award of Chinese Drama by Chinese Drama Researching Association (1995)
The Best Scene Design at Little Theatre Production Exhibition (1994)
The Best Scene Design at National Children Theatre Festival (1993, 2000)
The Best Scene Design at An-Hui Art Festival (1994)
The Academy Award for Scene Design by The Central Academy of Drama (2000)

Representative Works

RETURNING
Director: Ren Ming, Scene Design and Costume Design: Liu Xing-Lin, Beijing Peapole's Art Theatre, 1991.
Liu found an unique metaphor for this show: an old gramophone is playing an old record. For him, there is a kind of aged beauty. He used a 18' turntable in the form of an old gramophone. It will run slowly during some of the memory scene, to reflect the old man's thought and feeling about his "good old time".

THUNDERSTORM
Director: Wang Xiao-Ying, Scene Design: Liu Xing-Lin, Beijing Youth Art Theatre, 1993.
Traditionally, this is a show with realistic sets. But Liu's design focused on the character's feeling. He said during the interview, "I was inspired by an paper mill's ad, which showed some half burned papers. I felt very strongly that this was going to be the feeling of the show, and the director agreed. On the stage, I used ashes alike materials to partially cover the furniture pieces on the stage. And, further arranged half-burn enlarged size newspapers scattered on the apron area. I also put some of them in the air to make the ashes and half burn newspapers to be more readable. One of my unrealized ideas is to cover the stage with those half-burn newspapers to symbolize the end of the family. However, it did not really work out for the director somehow. So, we just cut it as the result."

A HEROIC STORY OF SI MAO
Director: Chen Ping, Scene designer: Liu Xing-Lin, Zhu-Hai City Opera and Dance, 1997.
A four story frame was used in the upstage. The upper two stories was in the form of "periaktoi", which can turn and show various scenes collectively. The second story works as paneled balcony. When the penal flip and move further upstage, it become a upper level acting area. The first story is paneled as will. It serves as multiple entrances. It works at its best at the city square scene, while all of the entrances are opened, with all kinds of people running around.

MA LIN PATH
Director: Chen Ping, Scene Designer: Liu Xing-Lin, Shanghai Hua Opera, 1997.
Liu respects Beijing Opera's tradition, and always trying to work it out with new visual elements to enhance the overall quality. According to Liu, "For a while, there was a trend on the Chinese stage to import what we used in spoken drama to the Chinese traditional operas, such as high platforms, etc.. I believe that, in doing so, it conflicts with the traditions of the Chinese operas too much. It can work out better, if we research in the traditions, find out some viable elements, and further develop those elements into a new level, to give them new looks and new lives." For this show, Liu used 12 tables and 3 chairs in various configurations to create all of the environment the show needs. This is rooted in the Chinese opera traditional on set routine: one chair and two tables.

LING DING YANG
Director: Chen Xin-Yi, Scene Designer: Liu Xing-Lin, Zhu Hai Yue Opera, 1997

Some thoughts from the designer
"I don't like to make my set to be too realistic. I always want to speak something more than just offering a location. Even for many traditionally realistic shows, I still try to dig deeper into the script, trying to figure our a way to do it with a new look which can carry more massages."
"I'm enjoy giving directors what they really want but not knowing what it is exactly."

Contact information:
Design Department
The Central Academy of Drama
39 Dong Mian Hua Hu Tong
East District
Beijing, 100710
P. R. China