Li Bonan (; born November 1978) is a Chinese director.
Li has produced over forty full-length plays, including How Much Love can be Borrowed (2006), Single Lady (2008), Married to a Budget Husband (2009) and Fake Single (2010). His plays have won numerous awards, including the 2nd National Drama Culture Award of China, the Golden Lion Award (the highest award in the performing arts in China), and Best Director Award at the 9th International Theatre Festival Donzdorf, Germany.
Early life and career Li was born in 1978 in Beijing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and an MFA in directing from the Central Academy of Drama. Li was also educated at Beijing Film Academy and Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Upon his graduation from the academy,, Li directed his first full-length play, How Much Love can be Borrowed (2006). It earned critical acclaim and remains one of the highest-grossing theatrical productions in China.
Li then created the Love Trilogy, which consists of three full-length plays focusing on the relationship issues of China's new generation. The plays in the sequence are Single Lady (2008), Married to a Budget Husband (2009) and Fake Single (2010). The Love Trilogy was adapted to books, and TV series. Li' is known for adapting contemporary stories on stage, and also for conveying traditional context with a modern twist.
Li is the artistic director of Li Bonan Theatre Studio, a member of the Tenth National Committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and acknowledged by the China Ministry of Culture. He also serves as the artistic director at several regional theatres and performing art organizations across China.
Honours and awards
2009: Shandong International Experimental Theatre Festival, Best Play, Best Director, for Camouflaging 2010: Most Popular Director of the Year, Sina China
Young Theatrical Director of the Year, The Global Times
2011: National Drama Culture Award, Best Original Play, Best Director, for Fake Single
BeSeTo Theatre Festival, Best Director
Shandong International Experimental Theatre Festival, Best Director
2012: the Golden Lion Award, Best Director 2013: Top 10 in the Theatrical Director category of the 2012 China Performing Arts Industry Ranking 2014: International Theatre Academy Award of the Central Academy of Drama, Best Play, for Fake Single 2015: International Theatre Festival Donzdorf, Germany, Best Play, Best Director, for Confucius
International Theatre Academy Award of the Central Academy of Drama, Best Play, for Single Lady
2016: Shanghai Critics’ Choice Awards, Best Play, for Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains Legend
Works
Full-length plays +Play numberTitleSeriesPremiere1How Much Love Can Be Borrowed20062I Want To Be Famous20073I Am Not My Girlfriend's Boyfriend20084Single Lady20085Camouflaging20096Prison Break20097Married To A Budget Husband20098Fake Single20109Do Not Bother201010Happiness.Com201011Glance Of A Witch201112Half Sugar201113Can't Afford To Flirt201114Love A Little201115The Withering Palace201216Talking Nonsense201217Murdering The Golden Age201218When A Woman Starts To Age201219Family Defend201320Where Did The Time Go201421Jump Ahead201422Why So Panicked201423Little Me201424Confucius201425Sports Game In The Forest201426Story Of The Giant Stone201527The Secrecy of Daily Life201528Lao Zhang's Philosophy201529The Crimson Gown201530Pity Peony201531The Chongqing TrilogyBig Small Sausages201532My Toxic Bestie201533A Room With Two Beds201534Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountain's Legend201635Hello Huiyin201636Flowing East The Great River201637Door No.21201638The Qiushui Mansion201739Every Beautiful Thing201740Tears Of Laughter201841Guarding My Belief201842The Strokes Of Innocence201843In The Field Of Hope201844The Amnesty2018
One-act plays +Play numberTitlePremiere1Came Bearing Gifts20142Found You20153Who Could It Be20164The Elementary Of Psychology20165City Statues2017
References