Rickshaw, Lao She's rather depressing novel about life on the lowest rungs of Chinese society was once adapted into a popular movie in Beijing dialect. A Peking Opera version of the sad story is now being staged in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province. The stage adaptation has already gained a place on a list of 30 plays competing in a national project to protect stage art.

The biggest change can be seen in the ending, which used to be rather loose and hasty. The music and scripts have also been adjusted to approach the original flavor of Peking Opera.

Director Shi Yukun said: "We extended the original 13-people band to a 30-person band composed of a Peking Opera group and an ethnic minority orchestra. When the performers sing on stage, they will have a live accompaniment."

The characters in the new Rickshaw have been polished, and new ideas have been injected into the stage and costume designs. The story is as depressing as ever but the improvements make it well worth a trip to the theater.

(CCTV.com August 26, 2003)