WEEk 14, 2019 • 1 ALL PHOTOS BY FOREDGEFROST The Disappearing Art of Vanishing Fore-Edge Painting... 4 2B2 | ARTS & TRADITION TUESDAY, WeekAPRIL 14, 2, 2019 Week 14, 2019 ARTS & TRADITION | 3 ALL PHOTOSALL PHOTOS BY BY AHRON R. FOSTER ESSENCE OF A CHINA HRO N R What Our . FOSTER Readers Say: Qingming Festival: Tomb-Sweeping Day in Honor of Ancestors It’s the only sane newspaper It's bringing morality amidst all this insanity. back to newspapers. ‘Be pure and bright,’ the loyal official advised the king STAN K., PASTOR LISSA T., BUSINESS OWNER THITI TAN/SHUTTERSTOCK DUOYU ZHONG & TANYA HARRISON who had betrayed him but now supported him. However, he forgot Jie. any Chinese will be visiting When Chong Er finally remembered Jie It's the only paper that You're presenting the the tombs of their ances- and his sacrifice, he was filled with regret. I know of right now that facts and letting the tors on April 5 to pay their He sent a messenger to find Jie and invite respects, as the Qingming him to the palace. But Jie had already moved actually gives you the honest, reader decide. MFestival, also called Pure Bright Day or with his mother deep into the forests of old fashioned journalism. TERRI B., BUSINESS OWNER Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on that day Mount Jin (in the northeast of China). The this year. king personally went to the mountain to DRUE L., BUSINESS OWNER Qingming is an important traditional look for Jie but failed to find him. Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day When a minister suggested that they set after the spring equinox. It’s not only a day fires on three sides of the mountain to force for honoring one’s ancestors but also a time Jie to come out, Chong Er agreed. The fires Everything I read in it is fair and balanced, to celebrate spring. raged for three days, but there was still no compared to other newspapers. The origin of the Qingming Festival can trace of Jie and his mother. JUNE V., RETIRED BANKER be traced back to a legend recorded in “Zuo Jie was later found dead, leaning against Zhuan,” one of the earliest Chinese works of a large willow tree. In a hole on the side of narrative history, which covers most of the the half-burned tree, there was a note writ- Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 B.C.). ten with blood on a piece of cloth. It read: A Solemn, Stirring Story Cutting off my own flesh to respectfully As the legend goes, Chong Er (697–628 B.C.), present to my monarch, offering loyalty once the crown prince of the state of Jin, with all of my heart, was driven out of the state by Liji, who was Only wishing Your Majesty will always when you think of me. then his father’s favorite concubine. During be pure and bright. Celebrating the Qingming Your minister in the underworld died $1 his 19-year exile, Chong Er lived in extreme Dead under a willow tree and seen no Festival at Longshan with a clear conscience, FIRST MONTH! poverty, with only a few faithful men to more, Temple in Taipei City, Tai- Be diligent in governing the country so that ((Top)Top) AAnnenne (Isabelle(Isabelle HHuppert)uppert) serve him. One of them was Jie Zitui. Better than accompanying my monarch wan, on April 4, 2018. purity and brightness will be renewed. and herher husband,husband, PPetereter One day, close to death from starvation, as a remonstrating minister. (Chris(Chris Noth),Noth), havehave growngrown Chong Er lost consciousness. To save his Your Majesty, if you have me in your heart, Tears rolled down Chong Er’s cheeks. He apart overover thethe years.years. life, Jie cut a piece of flesh from his own Frequently reflect on your shortcomings was so sad that he cried aloud. He tucked thigh and prepared a bowl of soup for his Jie’s note in a sleeve pocket and vowed to ((Above)Above) AAnnenne andand herher SL CHEN/SHUTTERSTOCK beloved son (Justice(Justice SSmith).mith). master. be a pure and bright king for his people. ((Right)Right) AAnnenne andand herher son’sson’s Chong Er was deeply moved and prom- girlfriend ((OdessaOdessa YYoung).oung). ised to repay Jie in the future. Jie insisted King With a Righteous Heart he wanted no reward; his only wish was Jie was buried under the willow tree, and for Chong Er to become a king who had a in his memory, Chong Er ordered that no Subscribe @ pure and bright heart while governing the fire or smoke be allowed on that day. That state of Jin, keeping it peaceful and orderly. day was called Hanshi Day (Cold Food Day) ReadEpoch.com After Chong Er ascended the throne, he because without fire, the people had to eat summoned the people who had stayed loyal The burning of cold meals. to him and generously rewarded them. As offerings during the THEATHEATERTER RREVIEWEVIEW the new king, he even rewarded the people Qingming Festival. Continued on Page 12 TRUTH AND TRADITION WHEN THE 35 COUNTRIES • 23 LANGUAGES MIND FAILS JUDD HOLLANDER subject. AsAs such,such, anyany opportunityopportunity toto connect connect to to the the characters isis lost.lost. WeWe areare reducedreduced toto passivepassive obob- EW YORK—TheYORK—The turmoilturmoil ofof a a confused,confused, servers, withwith littlelittle chancechance toto becomebecome emotionallyemotionally failingfailing mind is examined inin FrenchFrench investedinvested inin whatwhat thosethose onon stagestage areare experiencing.experiencing. playwright Florian Zeller’s “The ItIt doesn’tdoesn’t helphelp thatthat therethere isis littlelittle character character devel devel- Mother.” Translated by ChristopherChristopher opment in thethe play.play. TheThe intentionintention ofof thethe playwrightplaywright Hampton andand havinghaving its its U.S. U.S. premiere premiere may have beenbeen toto keepkeep the the audience audience guessing guessing as as to to Nat thethe AtlanticAtlantic TheaterTheater Company,Company, thethe workwork isis anan atat- what is realreal andand whatwhat isis not, not, but but it it would would have have been been tempttempt toto view one woman’s disintegrating psyche farfar betterbetter ifif somesome sortsort of of backstory backstory were were included included for for fromfrom thethe inside.inside. thesethese people.people. EverythingEverything thatthat isis offered offered isis coloredcolored byby TRUTH and TRADITION Anne (Isabelle(Isabelle Huppert)Huppert) isis aa middle-agedmiddle-aged womanwoman Anne’s own personalpersonal filters,filters, nono mattermatter howhow damdam- inin anan unhappyunhappy marriage.marriage. OnceOnce completelycompletely devoted devoted aged theythey mightmight be.be. toto herher twotwo children,children, sheshe hashas preciousprecious littlelittle toto dodo Huppert isis excellentexcellent as as a a woman woman whose whose life life is is fall fall- now thatthat theythey have have grown grown up up and and moved moved away. away. She She inging apart.apart. HerHer descentdescent waswas perhaps,perhaps, atat oneone point,point, prefers to staystay insideinside andand broodbrood about about what what she she has has of her ownown making,making, butbut sheshe hashas longlong since since lost lost any any lostlost ratherrather thanthan tryingtrying toto getget onon withwith her her life. life. control overover it.it. ItIt doesn’tdoesn’t helphelp thatthat sheshe andand herher husband,husband, PeterPeter Noth, basically relegatedrelegated toto aa reactivereactive character,character, (Chris(Chris Noth),Noth), havehave growngrown apartapart overover thethe years,years, comes offoff wonderfullywonderfully inin thethe earlyearly portionportion ofof thethe thoughthough exactlyexactly whichwhich ofof themthem isis toto blameblame forfor thisthis play as aa befuddledbefuddled husband,husband, withwith aa perfect,perfect, slowslow isis impossibleimpossible toto say.say. burn, as hehe triestries toto makemake sense sense of of his his wife’s wife’s actions. actions. On thisthis day,day, Peter Peter is is preparing preparing to to leave leave for for a a four-day four-day Smith isis finefine asas thethe son,son, althoughalthough some some insight insight as as A NEWSPAPER work-related seminar. Anne,Anne, however,however, is is convinced convinced toto thethe exactexact naturenature ofof Anne’sAnne’s relationshiprelationship with with her her thatthat PeterPeter isis planning planning to to dump dump her her for for a a much much younger younger sonson wouldwould havehave mademade thethe play play much much more more effective. effective. woman. This accusation hehe vehementlyvehemently denies.denies. We can assumeassume itit includedincluded overprotectionoverprotection onon herher Anne equates Peter’sPeter’s pendingpending departuredeparture with with the the part to thethe pointpoint ofof obsession.obsession. factfact thatthat bothboth herher childrenchildren havehave leftleft her.her. She’sShe’s eses- Young, the onlyonly actoractor whowho playsplays multiple multiple roles roles in in pecially hurt byby thethe departuredeparture ofof theirtheir son son Michael Michael thethe showshow (such(such as as the the husband’s husband’s girlfriend, girlfriend, a anurse), nurse), (Justice(Justice Smith),Smith), andand thethe fact fact that that he’s he’s now now living living with with isis quitequite good.good. HerHer turnturn asas Michael’sMichael’s girlfriendgirlfriend isis GEORGE WASHINGTON his girlfriendgirlfriend (Odessa(Odessa Young).Young). Anne is soso jealousjealous ofof particularly striking. She’sShe’s initiallyinitially aa lovingloving andand thisthis newnew womanwoman inin herher son’sson’s life life that that she she refuses refuses to to caring personperson whowho turnsturns intointo someone someone quite quite callous callous say herher namename aloudaloud correctly.correctly. and cruel,cruel, allall dependingdepending onon howhow AnneAnne happenshappens toto It’sIt’s not long beforebefore itit becomesbecomes obviousobvious that that some some- see herher atat anyany specificspecific moment.moment. thingthing isis amiss.amiss. Anne’sAnne’s actions actions and and comments comments change change Trip Cullman’s directiondirection isis fine fine asas farfar asas it it goes,goes, butbut fromfrom onesones thatthat initiallyinitially seemseem funny,funny, snide,snide, oror dede- itit can’tcan’t overcomeovercome thethe weaknessesweaknesses in in the the script.