AVIGNON, France — In a quiet French village theater, the soft glow of stage lights fell on a scene that feels both familiar and entirely new. Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris unfolds, not through actors in grand costumes, but through the delicate artistry of Chinese glove puppets.

For Christian Luciani, an 83-year-old French theater veteran, the experience was nothing short of revelatory.

"Bringing French texts to life through Chinese opera is a remarkable achievement," Luciani said after attending a performance by a traditional Chinese theater troupe. "It transcends the boundaries of theater. I believe it helped the French rediscover their own culture."

The event, the Chinese Tour in the Most Beautiful Villages of France, ran from Dec 17 to Dec 21, bringing centuries-old Chinese theatrical traditions to the heart of southern France. Villages known for their deep artistic roots — Pernes-les-Fontaines, Lourmarin, Gordes, and Avignon — played host to the troupe, whose performances blended ancient Chinese storytelling with iconic French literature.

A glove puppet adaptation of Notre-Dame de Paris and an interpretation of Moliere's The Miser in Gaojia Opera, a traditional Chinese Fujian local opera, captivated audiences with their originality.

"Glove puppet theater is purely Chinese, yet it conveys the text's essence so vividly," Luciani says. "The actors express enough through their craft alone to tell the entire story. They've embraced a culture that isn't their own and elevated it with their unique perspective."

Luciani is no stranger to the stage. His journey into theater began in childhood, performing at his boarding school. By 24, he was directing the Youth and Cultural Center in Arles, and over the decades, he has played kings, judges, and popes across Europe and North Africa.

But even with such an extensive career, Luciani finds Chinese theater offers something European performances often lack.

"In Europe, most performances are similar — we're too focused on the text," he explains. "We're not open enough to physical expression in its many forms — circus, song, movement. Chinese theater blends all of these effortlessly, offering a richness we seldom achieve."

The tour, co-organized by the China Opera Research Society, Fujian Vocational College of Art, and the Association of France's Most Beautiful Villages, aimed to break those boundaries.

"It's a significant achievement to bring these performances to villages," Luciani notes. "When we limit ourselves to major theaters, culture becomes niche. But this brings it directly to the heart of French life."

Luciani's appreciation for Chinese theater stretches back decades. In 1993, during the famed Avignon Festival, he watched an elderly Chinese actor perform.

"I was captivated by a technique that transcended the text through physical expression. It made me realize we need to go beyond our own boundaries and embrace a more open approach to theater," he recalls.

That spark has remained with him ever since.

Now, Luciani hopes to deepen his understanding of Chinese theater. "I'd love to learn more and explore how we, as French artists, could adapt and interpret their texts," he says. His own troupe, The Company of Cormoran, continues to experiment with theatrical styles, blending tradition with new forms of artistic expression.

For Luciani, cultural exchange between France and China enriches the theatrical traditions of both nations, fostering innovation in performance and stagecraft.

"Culture must be alive," he says. "Without communication, it becomes isolated and loses its meaning."

Xinhua