“Shawshank” in China, like you've never seen it before

A stage adaptation of the film featured an entirely Western cast, was performed in Chinese and raised questions about translation, both linguistic and cultural.

When a stage production of “The Shawshank Redemption” premiered recently in China, it was staffed entirely by Western actors fluent in Mandarin Chinese. But it's perhaps the least surprising part of the series.

It's the series, an adaptation of Stephen King's short story that became the one of the most beloved films of all time. - was staged against several trends in the Chinese cultural sphere.

The Chinese public's interest in Hollywood films is fading, moviegoers turning to local production. China's authoritarian government has stoked nationalism and made Western influence a political pollutant. Censorship of the arts has increased.

Yet the production reflects how some artists attempt to adapt to the changing landscape of what is permitted and what which is marketable in China. And its success shows the appetite that many Chinese still have for cultural exchange.

ImageA scene from the play.Credit...Gilles Sabrié for the New York Times

“The Shawshank Redemption” — the story of a man unjustly convicted of murder who defies the tyranny of prison officials and ultimately pulls off a daring escape – has previously been a target for Chinese censors. Mentions of it were briefly censored online in 2012, after a prominent Chinese dissident escaped house arrest and fled to the US embassy. In general, Chinese authorities have shown little tolerance for calls, artistic or otherwise, for freedom and resistance to injustice.

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