SNOW IN MIDSUMMER

by Francis Ya Chu Cowhig

Based on the classical Chinese drama, The Injustice to Dou Yi that Moved Heaven and Earth by Guan Hanqing

THE STATE THEATRE: August 21 - September 12

Executed for a murder she did not commit, young widow Dou Yi vows that if she is innocent, snow will fall in midsummer and a catastrophic drought will strike. Three years later, a businesswoman visits the parched, locust-plagued town to take over an ailing factory. When her young daughter is tormented by an angry ghost, the new factory owner must expose the injustices Dou Yi suffered before the curse destroys every living thing. A contemporary re-imagining of one of China’s most famous classical dramas, Snow in Midsummer was first produced as part of the “Chinese Translations Project” at the Royal Shakespeare Company. A second production was received in 2018 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.