Break a leg, Yin Yu!

Extra ~ The Waning Moon Theatre's Opening Night

Following the stunning success The Play had at The Butterfly and Flower Pavilion, Yin Yu went on to establish his own theatre company. Not that he wasn't happy being the absolute star of Ghost City's acting scene, but he wanted to stage small, intimate plays: fresh, intense, involving. He trained in the Mortal Realm after all, and wanted to try a more down-to-earth approach to theatre.

In other words, more stage tricks and less spiritual energy, more realness. Of course his celebrity status with The Play meant these productions would be more than often very popular, so Hua Cheng was happy to assist. He sponsored what was soon to be known for and adored by many industry professionals as a real 'actor's space': The Waning Moon Theatre.

Not far from The Butterfly and Flower Pavilion, on the area that would be Ghost City's very theatre district, cultured and refined, this amazing new building appeared: small, with simple lines – one could even call it minimalist – all white, as if it was carved from one jade block. At night it glowed by mysterious means, truly a ghost theatre.

Esteemed reader, I'm here again for another theatre story, and as usual, I'll take you everywhere...

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The theatre industry was fairly new in Ghost City, so it's not that he received many scripts on his mail box every day – however, Yin Yu came across the most perfect story, one that screamed it had to be the first production ever staged by The Waning Moon Theatre company! And as the company founder, he stepped in as Productor, or Managing Director.

With full creative freedom and total control on his hands, Yin Yu cast himself and Quan Yizhen as the two main characters – they were a match made in heaven, metaphorically speaking of course. After all, both him and Quan Yizhen received the awards of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor from the Juyuan Hanghui, or theatre guild, so it'd be a sensible business decision.

Dear reader, is that me, or Yin Yu is indeed getting business-minded just like our lord Hua Chengzhu?

He cast Pei Ming too, who didn't get any awards, but actually got so many comforting words from his beautiful female fans that thought it was better than winning anyway. His character was an old man too, that'd make them respect him as an actor! AND he got to thread on the red carpet and go to the after-parties as his charming and handsome self...

I daresay Pei Ming would only stick around at acting because of the theatre's many functions and exposure. And the female fans! Am I wrong, reader?

Yin Yu himself being quite an asset, the play could afford to have Feng Xin's directorial debut, with none other than Mu Qing as stage director, in charge of blocking and fighting choreography – the play was set in a martial arts sect, so they'd have plenty of those.

As mentioned before, The Waning Moon would try to incorporate more theatre tricks than spiritual illusions, so Yin Yu needed someone with carpentry, painting and sculpting skills; impressed by Xie Lian's fake blood, collapsible blades and what not, Hua Cheng himself volunteered to be responsible for the set.

Last but not least, Yin Yu, following the industry's demanding for inclusion and diversity, appointed someone from the Mortal Realm as Marketing Director: Heaven's Eye, who, with a team of monks and cultivators, spread the word about the play far and wide – this just gave a play in a martial arts sect a bit more of local colour and authenticity!

So while The Waning Moon Theatre survived Feng Xin and Mu Qing again as co-directors, this play took some time for the set to be ready, for the dialogues and blocking to be properly rehearsed, for the props and costumes – well, Ghost City wasn't built in a day!