Beijing recently saw the hit production of Waiting For Godot, directed by Ren Ming, a promising director of the People's Art Theatre. In Godot's wake, Ming's teacher, Chinese leading director Lin Zhaohua, directs a new play called Three Sisters Waiting For Godot.

Zhaohua directed Godot for the People's Art Theatre several years ago. He told Playbill On-line that Three Sisters Waiting For Godot is a hybrid play. Originally, he planned to direct Chekhov's four-act masterpiece The Three Sisters, but the play was suspended by his untimely illness. One day an idea stuck him while he was anxiously waiting for recovery -- why not blend Sisters and Godot into a new play under their common theme of "waiting"? The "waiting" of Sisters is somewhat classical and romantic, whereas the "waiting" of Godot is modern and absurd. The combination better demonstrates that humanity's common threads of existence, such as the fragility of human nature and the perplexity while waiting for uncertainty, are invariable from one race to another, from classical to modern.

Zhaohua plans to build a big pool on the stage of the Capital Theatre with a single islet inside. He will also employ other mediums to create some poetic effect.

The strong cast includes Pu Cunxin, Chen Jin, Xi Lijun, Lin Cong, Yang Qing, Chen Jianbin and Wu Wenguang. Cunxin is one of the leading stage actors in China, and Jin is a Best Actress-Winner of the Flying To the Sky Award, the national prize for best TV-stories.

Three Sisters Waiting For Godot is presented by China Theatre Performing Institute. It scheduled to open at the Capital Theatre on April 8th. For more information call 010-65249847. --By Wang Ling
China Correspondent