Fredric Mao

Fredric Mao Chun Fai (毛俊輝) was born in Shanghai on February 3, 1947. He served as the artistic director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (香港話劇團) from April 1, 2001, to March 31, 2008. He is currently the director laureate of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.[1]

Career

Mao moved to Hong Kong from Shanghai with his parents when he was a teenager. He studied at Bethel School (伯特利中學) in Kowloon City (Form 6 in 1964[2]), and later studied English literature at the Department of Foreign Languages of Baptist College (now Baptist University of Hong Kong).[3] In 1968, he went to the University of Iowa in the United States to study drama, and studied under his acting mentor Sanford Meisner (a theatre practitioner who developed a system to train actors called the Meisner Technique), and obtained a Master of Arts in drama.[3] While in the United States, he devoted himself to directing and acting in theater, film, and television, and participated in Broadway musicals.[4] At the age of 27, he served as the artistic director of Napa Valley Theatre Company in California,[5][6] and later served as the deputy director of the New Media Repertory Company in New York.[7] In 1976, he made his New York Broadway debut in Pacific Overtures, a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and directed by Harold Prince.[4]

In 1985, Mao returned to Hong Kong to serve as the Head of the Acting Department of the School of Drama of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. His students included Anthony Wong (黃秋生), Jim Chim (詹瑞文), Olivia Yan (甄詠蓓), Tse Kwan-ho (謝君豪), Emotion Cheung (張錦程), Joey Leung (梁榮忠), Lau Nga Lai (劉雅麗), Louisa So (蘇玉華), Lau Yuk Chui (劉玉翠), Anita Lee (李婉華), Sunny Chan (陳錦鴻), Cheung Tat-ming (張達明) and Lo Chi Sun (盧智燊).[3][8] In 2001, he became the artistic director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.[9]

Over the years, Mao has taught at Stanford University, University of Toronto, Peking University, Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.[4]

In 2002, Mao was diagnosed with a lymphoma (淋巴腫瘤) in his stomach, which had spread throughout his stomach. He needed to undergo surgery to remove his entire stomach and also receive chemotherapy.[3][10]

In May 2022, with the support of the Hong Kong & Macau Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Center and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mao launched the three-year project called "Jockey Club Mao Chun Fai Innovative Works in Theatre Scheme" (賽馬會毛俊輝劇藝研創計畫), which means that opera will become the focus of his work for some time to come.[3][11] The project will explore the "creativity" of Cantonese opera, and hopes to write a new chapter for the development of traditional Cantonese opera through Mao's rich knowledge of directing, creation and talent training, as well as his rich experience in stage practice in Chinese and Western cultures.[11] While cultivating a new generation of all-round Cantonese opera talents, he plans to introduce new creative styles that are in line with the development of the times and recognized by the public, continuously expand the Cantonese opera audience, and enable the intangible culture of "Cantonese opera" to be inherited and developed.[11]

Honor

Mao won the "Best Director Award" of the Hong Kong Drama Society (香港戲劇協會) Hong Kong Drama Awards (香港舞台劇獎) five times and the Best Actor Award (Tragedy/Drama) twice, and was awarded the "Artist of the Year Award" by the Hong Kong Artists Guild (香港藝術家聯盟).[4] In 2004, he was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2005 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.[12] In 2017, he received the Outstanding Artistic Contribution Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.[13] In 2024, Professor Mao was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Hong Kong Drama Society at the 32nd Hong Kong Drama Awards in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions in various fields such as directing, acting, drama education and research.[14][15]

Family

Mao and Amy Wu (胡美儀) registered their marriage in the United States on June 21, 2004.[16]

References

  1. ^ Yazhou Zhoukan (2019) 毛俊輝小檔案. Available at: https://www.yzzk.com/article/details/文化/2019-07/1550115915520/毛俊輝小檔案
  2. ^ "中文中學會攷放榜". 華僑日報. 1964-07-31. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  3. ^ a b c d e 香港經濟日報HKET. "【書展2022】毛俊輝疫情完成出書心願 胡美儀伴夫抗癌共歷低潮". 香港經濟日報HKET (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  4. ^ a b c d "Fredric MAO Chun-fai | HKAPA". www.hkapa.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  5. ^ "奇遇之後的承擔". 明周娛樂 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  6. ^ "廿七歲的奇遇". 明周娛樂 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  7. ^ "毛俊輝口述：我與戲劇的"緣"與"願"". 經濟導報-香港歷史最悠久的中文財經雜誌 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  8. ^ 信報財經新聞 (2018-09-13). "與同學合作搞舞台劇 關寶慧：好像回到從前". 信報財經新聞 HKEJ. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  9. ^ "香港話劇團宣佈候任藝術總監". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  10. ^ "同舟人誓相隨 胡美儀毛俊輝". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  11. ^ a b c "賽馬會毛俊輝劇藝研創計劃". 賽馬會毛俊輝劇藝研創計劃 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  12. ^ "香港演藝學院：榮譽院士". Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  13. ^ "藝術發展獎得獎名單公布". Archived from the original on 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  14. ^ "粵劇搞新意 移步不換形 - 20240517 - CULTURE & LEISURE". 明報 Our Lifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  15. ^ "不獲藝發局資助「香港舞台劇獎」堅持舉辦 田蕊妮奪最佳女主角". 大紀元時報 香港｜獨立敢言的良心媒體 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
  16. ^ 胡美儀「不斷結婚」才刺激 Archived 2009-05-29 at the Wayback Machine 文匯報, 2005年7月30日
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