"I'd have given up doing [The Peony Pavilion] if I hadn't found these two," Pai said.
After the cast was chosen, the duo underwent what they called "hellish training" for over a year, under two of the leading lights of modern Kunqu, Chang Ji-ching (張繼青) and Wang Shih-yu (汪世瑜), in Suzhou.
"The first two months was like hell," Shen said. "I left home at around six in the morning and didn't get home until 10 at night." Yu also broke his right knee during one rehearsal last winter, losing 100g of blood.
"Some of the girls almost burst into tears when they saw the blood coming through the two pairs of wooly trousers I was wearing," Yu said.
Yu and Shen may have suffered for their art, but the smiles and excited chatter from the audience leaving the National Theater earlier in the week made it all seem worth while.
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