Art Attack: Interviewing Kevin Spacey, Taming Shrews, Windy City Comedy and Nordic Docs

Raise your hand if you’ve heard Kevin Spacey’s name or read about him somewhere in the last week. Yeah, thought so. You’d think the man was trying to run for president here – which would be unreal on so many levels. Apart from the Spacey invasion, this week also has to offer: Shakespearean ballet, loud laughs, documentaries from the lands way up north and of course more art exhibits.

As usual, tons of event info below, but first, we had a nice chat* with the acclaimed actor behind Richard III’s aviator glasses:

Hi, Kevin. How are you?
My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood. This is my street. This ... is my life. I am 42 years old. In less than a year I will be dead.

Wow, that’s kind of … grim. Well, what brings you to Beijing?
You know, when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees. That was good. This is shit, but hey, I'm in a police station...

Actually, we’re in a Starbucks.**
What the cops never figured out, and what I know now, was that these men would never break, never lie down, never bend over for anybody. Anybody.

That’s … good to know. So, back to why you’re so interested in Beijing?
Don't interrupt me, honey.

Oh, I’m sorry. I just wanted you to tell our readers more about you and your work.
I'm an alien. Don't worry, I'm not going to leap out of your chest.

How reassuring. Do you usually have such a hard time carrying on a conversation?
Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.

Well, that answers that question. Any last words?
Gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don't share their powers with mankind.

Gosh, bitter much?

*You’ve probably already figured out by now that by “a nice chat” we meant “a look around the Internet for quotes from his movies.”
**… And we were not really in a Starbucks.

Of course, most of you already know Spacey will be playing Richard III in the famous Sam Mendes-directed, Old Vic-produced modern staging of the Shakespeare play. If you’re lucky enough to have gotten tickets, enjoy, and let us know how it goes.

Moving on, the much-beloved Nordic Documentaries Festival (aka Nordox) opens at the UCCA this Saturday. Click here for the festival screening schedule. Films we’re especially excited about:

• The Extraordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez, which takes us inside the mind of a brilliant and mysterious musician
• Yodok Stories, the true story of a controversial musical written about defectors’ time in the North Korean Yodok concentration camp
• I Am My Own Dolly Parton, which shows five women who meet at a Dolly Parton tribute and go on to support each other through life’s ups and downs.
• … and Videocracy – behind the scenes of Italy as a “TV Republic,” controlled by its mass media.

If you’re more in the mood for laughs, be sure to catch the Chicago Improv All-Stars, coming through this weekend and sponsored by Chopschticks. Wanna win tickets? Go here, where we’re giving a pair away!

Also a hoot should be Shakespeare comedy Taming of the Shrew in ballet form, also at the NCPA. See our feature and comments from the ballet’s director here. (Or you can check it out with our online-readable November mag here.)

Meanwhile, the art shows still keep coming. New at Chambers Fine Art out in Caochangdi, the extraordinary contemporary paper-cutter Wu Jian’an opens a new exhibit of large scale papercuts laced with thread, wax and silk materials.

And as always, plenty more information on the upcoming week’s events below – including a nerdy Chinese game show at The Bookworm, an exclusive dinner at the home of curator Karen Smith (check if registration is still available), fantastic films by Ari Folman (Waltz With Bashir) and Steven Chow (A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box) and more. For more information about events this November, be sure to check out the full issue of the November magazine here.

Nov 10-12
Ballet: The Taming of the Shrew
Shakespeare’s Kate and Bianca leap their way through relational mishaps. RMB 100-680. 7.30pm. NCPA Opera House (6655 0000)

Nov 11
Chinese Game Show
Test your Chinese language nerdiness at this special pub quiz/game show. Free. 7.30pm. The Bookworm (6431 2108)

Comedy: Chicago Improv All-Stars
Laugh out loud with this award-winning troupe from the Windy City. Each show is different! RMB 300, RMB 250 (advance). 8pm. Hard Rock Cafe (6590 0500)

Nov 11-13
Drama: Richard III
Kevin Spacey plays the Machiavellian king in this landmark Old Vic production. Tickets selling fast. RMB 200-880. 7.30pm. NCPA Theater (6655 0000)

Nov 12
Comedy: Chicago Improv All-Stars
See Nov 11. RMB 300, RMB 250 (advance). Two shows: 7pm, 10pm. Hard Rock Café (6590 0500)

Film: A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box
Steven Chow’s sleeper hit borrows from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Reservation required: contact@cultureyard.net. RMB 25 (includes soft drinks and popcorn). 7pm. Culture Yard (8404 4166)

Nov 15
Film: Waltz with Bashir
Ari Folman’s animated documentary takes us on a search for his own memories. RMB 30 (includes coffee or tea). 7.30pm. Riverbank Bar and Café (6506 8277)

Storytelling: Putonghua
Listen as others spin yarns about life in Beijing. RMB 30, RMB 20 (members). 7.30pm. The Bookworm (6431 2108)

Nov 17
Art Talk: At Home with Karen Smith
Enjoy an intimate evening in the accomplished curator’s courtyard home. Registration essential. Contact members@ucca.org.cn for enquiries. Price TBD. 7-9pm.

Photos: www.cinemanet.com.ar, the NCPA and Chambers Fine Art