Synopsis
Above Full Moon – the musical starts with the Boxer Rebellion of the late 1890’s in China, in the midst of confusion we see the hero of the musical, Lee Shu Tong, stopped by foreign troupes while on his way to the court examination, stopped by the foreign troupe. The city of Tianjin had been seized by foreign forces. It was then that he realized that his dream had been dashed, he would never be able to become an officer in the court and he would not have the opportunity to help his country… no matter how talented he is.
Lee had been born into a rich and traditional family. He had a gentle and earnest personality and showed versatile artistic talent since very young. Like most educated young Chinese, Lee believed his country and the Qing Dynasty, which was controlled by the powerful Empress Dowager, needed a reform. However, the reform movement was short lived and most of the reformers had been either killed or forced into exile overseas.
In 1906, Lee’s beloved mother passed away. Bound to a loveless arranged marriage and disappointed by the situation in his country, he left his wife at home to study Western painting and music in Japan. There, he fell in love with his Japanese model. Though she knew of his past, she chose to stay with him. While studying, he formed “Chunliu Association”, a coterie of drama, which subsequently moved to Shanghai and pioneered the New Dramatic Movement in China.
In 1911 when Lee returned to China, Qing Dynasty has been overthrown and a new government was in ruling. But, the situation in the country was still uncertain and people were living in fear and poverty. Lee felt that education was the best solution to his country’s problems and that the society needed cleansing through arts. He took up a teaching post where he taught painting and music, as the vanguard of education in western arts. Many of his students became renowned artists, painters and musicians.
However, he again surprised many people. After 7 years as a well-respected educator, Lee decided to take up the rope and was ordained as a Buddhist monk. He then dedicated all his time and effort to seeking perfection in life. His life’s journey as a citizen of his country had reached a higher level. He felt that a spiritual path complemented by his artistic expression was the way to a life with deeper meaning and satisfaction, a life liken to Above Full Moon…
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