What made the Chinese artist travel to the Divine Comedy Festival? What is she looking for in Polish theatre?
We speak with Yuzhen He about her fascination with Polish culture, the differences between Chinese and European stages, and what art means to her.

MAGDALENA WALO: I heard there's a story behind your arrival in Kraków connected to the Director of the Boska Komedia Festival himself. Can you tell us about your first meeting?

YUZHEN HE: Yes, I'd seen his performances in China before. He was a jury member at the Future Theatre Showcase at this year's Aranya Theatre Festival, and I conducted interviews with the jury. He told me then that the most important thing is simply to act – don't wait, just start doing. So I'm here now, acting and exploring in my own way.

MW: Could you briefly explain what the Future Theatre Showcase is?

YH: SHOWCASE is a very young and dynamic section. The team members are full of ambition and passion for promotional content. We have many ideas we want to realize. We try to create materials that help people approach the works and the theatre, to establish connections with them. One of our interests is the future of theatre – what theatre is, why we still need it, and why we still create it. This isn't actually a new topic, but perhaps we need this process to find our own artistic language to talk about it. That's why during the festival we posed these questions to domestic and foreign creators, audiences, and passers-by. We don't want theatre to end on stage.

MW: What interested you in Bartosz Szydłowski's proposition? Why did you agree to fly to Poland for Boska Komedia?

YH: The unknown, challenges, and the political nature of Polish theatre. I find that Polish literature has a temperament that is "cold, blazing, and mad." I'm not entirely sure why, but most of the writers and works I'm drawn to happen to be from Poland – for example, Mickiewicz, Gombrowicz, Miłosz. Perhaps one day I'll have the chance to create a Polish-themed production (laughs).

At the same time, I'm also very curious about the political nature of Polish theatre. It's so strong that I really want to know more.

MW: You've only been here for a few days, but has something already particularly caught your attention?

YH: In the theatre, in this city, there are so many engaged audiences. A few days ago, when I was wandering around the square, I tried various local flavors. In one of these places, I sat opposite a mother and her son who were speaking Polish. I had no idea what they were saying, but they were very animated about it. The boy had gloves on and was holding dumplings, chattering about these snacks. The mother kept responding to him. I'm guessing she was probably saying something like: "Don't talk so much. It's easy to bite." Something about eating, or maybe not about eating. I think theatre is something like this. Sometimes we speak different languages, but our emotions are connected.

MW: During Boska Komedia you're creating your own audiovisual material. Is its concept created well in advance, or do you rather improvise, relying on what you find, for example, during rehearsals or after seeing a performance?

YH: When it comes to the creative process, I always create certain ideas and build frameworks beforehand. It's work that requires imagination and the ability to bring it to life. But when facing people and different matters, I always have several different ways of expressing. We're always looking for different solutions. (Laughs) Sometimes people say I'm looking for trouble, but in the end something interesting always happens, and that's what I care about most.

Besides that, we have three pillars: Radical Gesture, Political Fang, and Atmosphere and the State of Waiting. The film I'm preparing will focus on the works and ideas around them, delving into exploration and lively debates. I believe that when all this comes together, something will emerge quite naturally.

MW: I know you've already started working on these materials. You've just returned from the first rehearsals. What are your impressions – can you briefly describe them?

YH: Strong, sensitive, energetic, talent. No need to say more.

MW: Is there something you're most looking forward to during Boska? Or do you approach all the performances and events with the same curiosity?

YH: I was born in the southern part of China. I've always been fascinated by the snow in Kraków. And as I said earlier, I think Polish literature has a temperament that is cold, blazing, and mad. I'm curious about all the performances. If only I could have a clone – one would go see "A Year Without a Summer" tonight, another would watch "The Vegetarian," and ideally there would be another one working online, connecting our brain waves.

MW: Can you tell us a bit about the Chinese theatre scene? Especially about theatre festivals.

YH: In various cities across China, there are many urban theatre buildings. Most of them are configured with large, medium, and small performance spaces. Throughout the year, at different times, national tours by many theatre companies come to them, which differs significantly from the organizational model of theatres in Europe. Of course, we also have large, medium, and small repertory performances, encompassing contemporary works, traditional plays, and site-specific productions. Audiences choose based on their preferences and availability.

Additionally, there are well-known theatre festivals such as the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, Aranya Theatre Festival, and Beijing Fringe Festival, which present different styles in their programs. For example, the Beijing Fringe Festival showcases more works by young directors. Each festival also offers unique scenic experiences: in Wuzhen you can immerse yourself in the traditional Chinese landscape of small bridges and flowing waters; in Aranya you can marvel at the sea and even shout out loud to it. Meanwhile, the Beijing Fringe Festival takes place in autumn, so come and experience Beijing's beautiful fall season.

MW: Finally, a question or rather a request for recommendations. What artistic trails, names, or places in Chinese theatre, or even more broadly in the world of Chinese art, would you recommend to us?

YH: Theatre is essentially an imported art form in China, yet a great many people have dedicated themselves to its promotion and development. Both older generations and we young people are still trying to discover its new possibilities.

As a side note, I'd like to recommend two profoundly powerful works: the classic Chinese novel "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" (Liaozhai Zhiyi) and the writings of contemporary Chinese author Yu Hua. The former, through a series of uncanny and fantastical tales of humans and spirits, delves into the darkness and complexity of human nature when confronted with the "other" and the calamities of life and death. The latter, with his minimalist yet incisive prose, depicts the living conditions of ordinary people in a specific era, conveying a fundamental spirit: even after enduring countless wounds and hardships of life, one must persevere and move forward.

Do come to the Wuzhen Theater Festival! Visit the Aranya Theater Festival!