STAGE REVIEW
'Judge Bao' succeeds with tradition, style

By Joseph T. Razmiarek
Advertiser Theater Critic

•	'Judge Bao and the Case of Qin Xianglian' Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawai'i i Manoa 8 p.m. today through Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday $15-$4, 956-7655

The finale is particularly important in "Judge Bao and the Case of Qin Xianglian," now at the University of Hawai'i, because the title character does not appear until the final scene. When he does make his entrance, swathed in layers of stunning gold brocade, striding on elevated shoes, with a face like an iron mask trimmed out with flowing whiskers and a towering headdress, he merits applause simply for his grand appearance.

But Judge Bao teeters on the edge of an ethical dilemma that accounts for the story's wide popularity in its native land. Will he convict the Royal Consort for denying his peasant first wife and ordering her murder? Or will he give in to the might of the Dowager Empress, who decrees the man must be freed?

It's a moment of high stature that Joshua John Fanene intones with great resonance, emotion and judicial gravity — even through the layers of ritualized makeup and costume. The scenes that precede it offer tasty mini-crises that keep us intrigued.

A Western audience must get inside the staging conventions, the stylized presentation and the relatively slow unfolding of action to enjoy the drama. The UH production succeeds in making the production accessible, resulting from six months of study and preparation by the young student cast.

Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak directs the play and with Hui-mei Chang, translated it for English performance. Most of the intoned dialogue is easily intelligible, while the more difficult sung arias are supported by written lyrics projected on side screens.

Master performers from China's Jiangsu province — Madame Shen Xiaomei, Shen Fuquing, Lu Zhenghua and Li Zhenghua — are credited with teaching the large cast of student actors and musicians necessary to this performance. Most actors play different roles on different nights, and the demanding role of spurned First Wife Qin Xianglian is exchanged between two actresses at intermission.

Costumes come from China and are nicely set off by Joe Dodd's traditional stage set and Kelly Berry's lighting. Expect exotic makeup, elaborate cascading sleeves, atonal stringed instruments and percussion, and rigid furniture rearranged behind a golden curtain to signify scene changes.

The story unfolds quietly, but is punctuated by bursts of strong action.

Impoverished Qin Xianglian arrives from her home province, seeking news of her husband. Three years earlier he left home to take important examinations and hasn't been heard from. A friendly innkeeper informs her that the man has found favor in the court and has become Royal Consort to the Princess.

Qin Xianglian slips into the palace, where she and her children are spurned by her husband. He has her driven away and sends an executioner to murder her quietly. But Qin Xianglian arouses the executioner's pity, and the man commits suicide instead. Undaunted, Qin Xianglian files the court case that brings the Royal Consort before Judge Bao.

Although the 1,000-year-old story is foreign and ritualized, its central theme of perseverance and justice resonates with a contemporary Western audience. We can admire the young woman's determination, cheer for the minor characters who help her, despise the ambitious husband and hold our collective breath for Judge Bao's decision.

Combined with visual and aural spectacles and unique cultural traditions, the performance constitutes strong live theater.