Huang Ruo

Of the Four Great Novels of classical Chinese literature, “Journey to the West” 西遊記 is arguably the most popular and beloved. Embraced by all, from scholars to children to Mao himself, it has certainly enjoyed the greatest reach into popular culture, due largely to the irresistible creation at its center, The Monkey King 孫悟空. Brilliant, arrogant, and disobedient, Monkey is a trickster trained to be the most powerful being in creation. When the elite gods of heaven reveal their prejudices by rejecting him because he’s a monkey, however, he turns into a rebel and a revolutionary, declaring war on the gods themselves and raining havoc on Heaven. Defeating divine warriors, iconic figures like Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王), Lord Erlang 二郎神， and Lao Tzu 太上老君, as well as the Jade Emperor 玉皇大帝 himself, Monkey emerges as an unstoppable force of chaos and destruction. Not until Buddha 如來佛祖 intervenes by restraining Monkey and imprisoning him under the giant Mountain of Five Elements for five hundred years, can order finally be restored to Heaven. In the midst of the pandemic with the rise of anti-Asians and anti-Asian-Americans sentiments in the US and around the world, we desperately need an Asian super-hero for us and our younger generations to look up to, instead of only idolizing spiderman, batman, and superman, etc. With this mind, our opera THE MONKEY KING is born. In our new interpretation of this classic story, Monkey’s teacher, Master Puti 菩提祖師, turns out to be Buddha himself, who sought to create an all-powerful creature to shake up the complacent and self-satisfied gods of Heaven. When his plan goes too well, however, and Monkey’s rebellion threatens the very longevity of the deities, Buddha’s forced to step in and clean up his mistake. Our opera begins with Monkey already imprisoned under the rock, where has no choice but to review his life and decisions which led to his punishment. Memories of his exploits are interspersed with six passages of Buddhist sutras, led by Guanyin 觀音菩薩, the Goddess of Mercy, and a chorus of Bodhisattvas, which reflect thematically on the scene we’ve just seen, helping Monkey to learn patience, humility, grace, compassion, renunciation, and the discipline to master himself. In the end, Monkey realizes that his amazing powers cannot only be used for his own benefit but must be applied for the good of others. This revelation frees him from imprisonment and serves as the origin story of the beloved superhero, who is then given an assignment by Guanyin to bring enlightenment to all of China.

Chinese people are often stereotyped as obedient, passive, and compliant to authority. The enduring popularity of the Monkey King, however, reveals the flip side of the Chinese character, which is willing to rebel, fight and stand up for justice. MONKEY KING: HAVOC IN HEAVEN will bring Western opera together with abstract puppetry, fighting and martial arts for the first time ever to tell a beloved Chinese story which has endured through the centuries and will captivate today’s audiences across oceans and generations.

– Huang Ruo