Metamorphosis of a Madman
Metamorphosis of a Madman
UCLA Macgowan Hall, Winter 2025
devised work with Dir. Meng Jinghui
An experimental attempt to deconstruct and re-compose modern classic texts from the East and the West, transforming daily objects into visual spectacles and soundscapes to unlock imagination and push the boundaries of theatrical art.
What defines humanity?
projection design by Shuwen Cao
special thanks to UCLA Starstage Lab
Casa Blanca Hotel
Aranya Theatre Festival, 2025
Devised work revised by Savannah Smith
Originally directed and devised by Meng Jinghui with students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Metamorphosis of a Madman is an experimental performance-in-progress inspired by Franz Kafka’s "Metamorphosis" and Lu Xun’s "Diary of a Madman." In this meeting of classic texts from the East and West, one man awakens to the sinister secret of his village and questions his sanity, while another man wakes up as a giant bug and begins to question what it really means to be a monster. Continuing with the methods of Meng Jinghui's, "Dangerous Direction" style, this show questions what we reject and why.
Members of the devising group include: Dorothy Guo, Brad Brady, Savannah Smith, Cypress Cai, James Stutts, Ee Ee Huang, Zoe Lai, and Shuwen Cao.
