Stage Play Based on Hospice Stories Urges Audiences to Treasure Life Before It's Too Late
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A stage play titled "Before We Leave, There's Still Something to Say" will premiere at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre from November 13 to 15, bringing real hospice care stories to the stage. The production is based on experiences from the Tai Kok Fuk Yat Hong, a Buddhist organization that has provided spiritual care to terminally ill patients in Hong Kong hospitals since 2011. The play features 27 actors, with over 20 being non-professional performers, and aims to inspire audiences to cherish their loved ones while they still can.
Key Points
- Tai Kok Fuk Yat Hong, founded in 2009, operates a Buddhist Chaplaincy Department serving 21 hospitals with 340 spiritual ambassadors who have cared for over 110,000 patients
- The play recounts a moving story of a chef who rarely visited his dying single mother, and after intervention from chaplains, rushed to her bedside in his chef's uniform to kneel and apologize, resolving their unfinished grief
- The late founder Venerable Yin Yeung, despite battling late-stage lung cancer, actively arranged her remaining time, including attending Buddhist ceremonies, embodying the spirit of treasuring every moment
- Lead actor Kiu Bo Chung, who plays the protagonist "Jau Kau," has personal experience with multiple loved ones passing away and was moved to tears during rehearsals of emotional scenes
- The production team includes 27 actors with over 20 being non-professionals, selected from nearly 100 applicants, each bringing their own life stories to the performance
Why It Matters
The play arrives at a time when discussions about end-of-life care and mental health are gaining prominence in Hong Kong society. By presenting authentic hospice stories on stage, the production offers a platform for the public to reflect on mortality and relationships, potentially encouraging more people to express unspoken words to their loved ones before it's too late .
The play arrives at a time when discussions about end-of-life care and mental health are gaining prominence in Hong Kong society. By presenting authentic hospice stories on stage, the production offers a platform for the public to reflect on mortality and relationships, potentially encouraging more people to express unspoken words to their loved ones before it's too late .