<Ma-Lan-Hua > the 1st Chinese Children play in Australia

Date: 12th October, 1999     Venue: University of New South Wales
Organizer: Chinese Australian Service Socity                             
Technical support: Australian Chinese Performing Artists’ Association (ACPAA)

Description:
“Ma-Lan flower" drama was organized by the Chinese service organizations, with the support of Chinese parents and members of the Service and the participation of the Chinese children's drama classes from the service-based organizations. With the technical directing of the main technical staff of the Australian Chinese Performing Artists’ Association (ACPAA), the first Chinese-language children's drama was performed on the main stage of the University of New South Wales. The play was constructed with the aim to educate the local Chinese children about Chinese culture as well as enhance the abilities and interests in mother-tongue language expressions.

"Ma Lan flower" is one of the most popular story among the Chinese folk myths and legends. During the 1950s, president of the Shanghai Children's Art Theater, also a very well-known playwright, Mr. Ren Deyao transformed it into a fairy-tale opera and children's drama to perform on stage. It became Chinese children favorite drama for a long period, was performed on stage in Japan, the Soviet Union and other countries and has been made into a movie. The opera is divided into nine sections, including the "Mysterious Ma-Lan Mountain", "Foot of the Mountain farm," "The Wedding", "Get back home", "Old greedy," "God took snatch," "Fraud", "Dream," "The truth defeats the devil".