Staging Kafka’s Ape in China

"I've known Xi Wang for years and I had been looking forward to working with him. The Jaques Lecoq actor method training that he received in France focuses on physical theater, which is essential in shaping this role," Li said.

Under the director's guidance, Li watched different documentaries on apes to study his subject. The actor also frequented the Beijing Zoo, standing for hours on end in front of the chimpanzee enclosure to observe how they move, eat, and communicate.

"Sometimes I would think chimps and humans differ only by 1.2 percent in DNA, but they live in the zoo since their birth, leading a life that is poles apart from ours," Li mused. "I would often imagine what my life would be like should I live in the zoo."

In the meantime, Xi referred to three Chinese translations of Kafka's short story to work out a script suitable for modern Chinese theatergoers.

After four months of rehearsals, Xi and Li's efforts bore fruit.

Red Peter charmed the Chinese audience and struck a chord with many of them.

The audience roared with laughter when Red Peter shouted to the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, I learned that one learns when one has to; one learns when one wants a way out. One learns ruthlessly. One supervises oneself with a whip."