Performed by Wucaiyunxia Performing Arts Company

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The skull of the eagle fell from the unformed sky.
It sets the air on fire,
burning my mother’s tongue.
I am born amidst the echoes of ancient chants.

Shadowy figures emerge
clasping tattered flags
of broken empires,
of unfulfilled blood-borne promises
fail to materialize.

Ancestors trapped in human monuments,
spirits chained to fading memories,
unable to escape the future,
confined in glass boxes.

In the promised land,
women gather to pray
on the ruins of history,
in silent laughter and cries,
dance the slow dance on burial grounds.

Can the angel of history soar through the storm?
Awaken the dead from their sleep,
unearth our dormant eyes,
entombed beneath the relentless debris of desires.

In the ceremony of life,
we greet our ancestors,
walk facing backward to the future.

To cleanse,
to welcome new creators,
new leaders, new healers
reenter the womb,
quietude.

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Text by: Jidi Majia
Directed by: Lemi Ponifasio

Cast & crew: Jili Mezizha, Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu, HAI Hongfei, Wu Zimo, Peng Zhaoyuling, Zhang Yizhe, Helmi Prasetyo, Rosie Belvie

Producer: Liangshan Culture and Tourism Group
Co-producer: International Theatre Institute (ITI), Chinese Theatre Association, Shanghai Theatre Academy

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Duration: 1h 30min
Date of premiere: 23.11.2024
Original title: Star Returning
China