A Secret Chinese Opera in California

In a romantic garden in Southern California, a Chinese opera is performed under the stars. But only 40 people a night get to see it.

The audience wanders through the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino along specially illuminated pathways, bridges and pavilions. The dreamlike performance is inspired by a mix of classical Chinese drama and California history.

“This work grew from the elegance and secrecy of the Huntington Chinese garden,” the playwright, Stan Lai, explained. “When a friend suggested I do a performance in a certain pavilion, I suddenly saw the whole garden as a theater.”

From “Sharing a Site-Specific Secret” by Laura O’Neill for the New York Times; Photo by Emily Berl

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