Forbidden Love Game

Author: Ludmila Razumovskaya
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This is a heart-stirring play, one of the most influential modern dramas of the 20th century. It once caused a sensation throughout the Soviet Union and was banned for a time. After being reinstated, it quickly created a stir in Europe, the United States, and other regions. In March 2003, it was performed on the Beijing stage by students of the Central Academy of Drama, sparking widespread discussion and controversy. "I only know one thing: in these times, if you want to live a good life, you have to be shameless. But I can't be sure that if you become like that, I will still love you then." Every young heart that pursues ideals will face a painful choice between good and evil, between sticking to their principles and choosing to descend into depravity when confronted with the ugliness of reality. The young people in the play choose evil. When evil reaches its peak, love is mercilessly destroyed, justice is brutally shattered, and the seeds of goodness long buried within them finally awaken. They drink excessively, lie, cheat, engage in early relationships, and act with reckless abandon. They are high school students, yet cunningly manipulative; they have lofty ideals, yet struggle with exams; they are Soviet youth, yet they make their teachers heartsick. They undergo extreme madness, but in the end—they awaken. A feverish game of youth lets the hearts of those who are young and once young—taste youth. The original title of the play is Dear Lena Sergeyevna, a representative work by Soviet female writer Ludmila Sumovskaya, written in the 1980s. It caused a huge reaction upon its premiere in the Soviet Union. However, due to its accurate and profound exposure of social issues, it attracted the attention of the Soviet authorities, and the play was even banned for a time. After being reinstated, it quickly created a sensation in Europe, the United States, Canada, and other regions. In March 2003, it was performed on the Beijing stage by students of the Central Academy of Drama (this was the play's first public performance in Asia), and plans were made for a nationwide tour. The play tells the story of four high school students who meticulously plot and carry out a cruel "game" to obtain the key to an insurance cabinet where their teacher keeps the exam papers, so they can replace the unsatisfactory test results from their morning exams. In the face of the slender, kind, and lonely teacher Lena Sergeyevna, the four students fully display their snobbishness, cruelty, and indifference, which are out of step with their actual age. They use bribery, persuasion, threats, and other "base and vile" methods, even resorting to pretending to rape a female classmate in front of the teacher to force...