From Small Figure to Epochal Microcosm: An Analysis of the Expressionist Narrative in Wang Er’s Long March

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-593-5_68How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Wang Er’s Long March; musicals; expressionist; small characters; red-themed

Abstract

The localization and modern expression of “Red-themed” musicals is a vital research topic in contemporary stage arts. The musical Wang Er’s Long March reimagines the narrative of the Long March through the eyes of an ordinary person. By moving away from traditional “heroic” or “epic” styles, the production combines personal experiences with the broader revolutionary spirit. This approach brings “small characters” to life, creating multi-dimensional figures that successfully bridge historical themes with stage performance. This paper uses Expressionist Theatre Theory and the framework of the Concept Musical to systematically analyze how the protagonist, Wang Er, is developed. The study examines specific musical elements, including form, tonality, harmony, orchestration, and choral arrangements. The production employs several key artistic techniques to portray the protagonist's psychological growth. Ultimately, this paper explains how an ordinary individual can represent the collective experience of an era, and how personal awakening can reflect larger revolutionary themes. These findings provide valuable insights for the creation and theoretical development of original Chinese Red-themed musicals.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Baihan Lu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/30
TI  - From Small Figure to Epochal Microcosm: An Analysis of the Expressionist Narrative in Wang Er’s Long March
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 5th International Conference on Humanities, Wisdom Education and Service Management (HWESM 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 620
EP  - 628
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-593-5_68
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-593-5_68
ID  - Lu2026
ER  -