MAO YIHUA- The Other Within

The Other Within is a proscenium stage play presented by Pesta Tanglung Universiti Malaya (PTUM). The story is set in Shanghai in the 1930s, and the main space is the Shen family’s old house. The play focuses on Shen Ruoyun, the eldest daughter of the Shen family. She has long been regarded by her family as “mentally ill,” but her “madness” is actually a form of self-protection in an oppressive family environment. Lu Ziyue, a psychiatrist from Guangzhou, is invited to the Shen family in Shanghai to treat Shen Ruoyun. He gradually discovers that behind her abnormal behavior are family power, revenge motives, and suppressed truths. This article reviews the production from the perspective of performance aesthetics. It focuses on how set, sound, and costume design construct the oppressive atmosphere of the Shen family’s old house in 1930s Shanghai. This article argues that the aesthetic design of the play effectively strengthens the characters’ difficulties and the dramatic tension. Some visual and sound symbols clearly serve the narrative, helping the audience better understand the characters’ psychological states and social positions.

The set design of The Other Within uses 1930s Shanghai as its overall visual background and places the Shen family’s old house as the main narrative space. A rotating structure is placed at the center of the stage. With the removal and replacement of props, it helps the production shift between different scenes, such as the Shen family’s old house and the dance hall. In the Shen family’s old house, the stage is divided into two levels. The first floor is the Shen family’s living room, while the second floor is Master Shen’s study. The sofa, tea table, and wall decorations in the living room together construct the interior space of a wealthy family. They visually present the Shen family’s respectability and order. However, the large amount of furniture and decoration also makes the living room appear crowded and oppressive. This echoes Shen Ruoyun’s situation, as she has long been watched and misunderstood by her family. The study on the second floor is placed above the living room. This suggests Master Shen’s authority in the family. The desk, bookshelves, and table lamp also strengthen the sense of reason and control in this space. According to stage semiotics, stage objects can become visual signs that express character relationships and social identity. Therefore, the set design of the Shen family’s old house not only establishes the story environment, but also presents the family structure and oppressive atmosphere of the Shen family through spatial layers. Overall, the set design of the play supports the presentation of the plot and character relationships effectively. However, because there are many visual elements, some group scenes may distract the audience’s attention. If the production could further emphasize character positions and the focus of conflict, the stage space would express the characters’ psychology in a more concentrated way.

The use of original songs becomes the most expressive highlight in the sound design of The Other Within. The songs in the play are created according to the plot and character relationships, so they have a clear narrative function. In the section where Master Shen describes Shen Ruoyun’s condition to Lu Ziyue, Shen Ruoyun uses singing and dancing to interpret this description. This changes “mental illness” from a verbal description into a visible and audible stage expression. Master Shen’s words represent the Shen family’s judgment of her, while Shen Ruoyun’s singing and dancing present her suppressed inner state. In terms of musical style, this original music contains the atmosphere of old Shanghai dance halls. It has a clear rhythm and echoes the story background of 1930s Shanghai. On the one hand, the singing and dancing strengthen Shen Ruoyun’s image as abnormal and out of control in the eyes of the Shen family. On the other hand, they also show her awareness and self-protection in an oppressive environment. In general, this original music is closely connected with the plot. It makes sound design an important method for shaping characters and developing the narrative.

In terms of costume design, The Other Within uses color and style to distinguish the characters’ identities and psychological states. During the day, Shen Ruoyun wears grey-white and light blue cheongsam. Her image appears weak and quiet, showing her obedient state under family discipline. At night, she changes into a red long dress. The color is brighter, and the material is more glossy. This highlights her clear and sharp true self. From the perspective of stage semiotics, the contrast between Shen Ruoyun’s two costumes helps the audience understand that her “madness” is actually a form of self-protection. The costumes of other characters also show the power structure of the Shen family. Master Shen’s dark
Chinese-style clothing emphasizes the authority of a traditional patriarch. Xu Qin’s cheongsam presents her respectable image as the second wife. The Western-style vest and tie of the eldest young master of the Shen family show his closeness to modern urban style. Taken together, the costume design effectively shapes the characters’ images. It also builds the visual atmosphere of a wealthy family in 1930s Shanghai and supports the play’s themes of oppression, disguise, and self-protection.

As a whole, the aesthetic design of The Other Within effectively supports the expression of the plot. The set design, sound design, and costume design together construct the oppressive atmosphere of the Shen family’s old house in 1930s Shanghai. They also help the audience understand Shen Ruoyun’s psychological state and personal difficulties. Although some group scenes contain many visual elements, which may distract the audience’s attention, the overall design still serves the theme of the play.

From the perspective of social context, the play mainly presents the control of women under a patriarchal family structure. Shen Ruoyun has long been regarded by her family as “mentally ill.” Her words and actions are watched, explained, and denied, but she is rarely truly listened to. Therefore, her “madness” is not only a personal psychological problem. It can also be understood as a form of self-protection when facing family oppression. Through obedience and disguise, she keeps her true awareness and avoids being completely controlled by family power. The background of 1930s Shanghai further strengthens this conflict. On the surface, the Shen family is wealthy and respectable, with the appearance of a modern urban family. However, its internal relationships are still limited by patriarchal authority and gender hierarchy. Therefore, the aesthetic design of the play not only creates a sense of period atmosphere, but also turns the situation of women being disciplined, watched, and defined into concrete stage images. Through Shen Ruoyun’s story, the production allows the audience to see the family pressure and social structural problems behind personal “abnormality.”