Dreams of Zen was inspired by an episode of A Dream of Red Mansions: in his dream, the male lead character Jia Baoyu walks around in an illusive world and meets a fairy there.
The metaphor of "12" is illustrated on the stage: a bunch of flowers, a lamp, a meditation cushion, a straw mat, a wooden horse, a bed, a lotus, a silk fan, a moon, an incense, a set of eyebrows after make-up and a folding screen. With the idea of "having by letting go" or "letting go for the sake of having", one may gain insights into their past life love stories." Just as birds would eventually part their ways after sharing food in the forest, in the end, all is gone and nothing is left." Despite all the stories of the beautiful ladies (in A Dream of Red Mansions), in the end, the male lead character was left alone with a tragic ending.
Director Zhao Liang went through numerous challenges in the production process, including his father's passing away during that time. In the end, the successful debut of this performance was his way to memorize his late father...