The Prop Master’s Dream

The premiere, 2022

Vancouver Cantonese Opera premiered the fusion opera "The Prop Master's Dream" on November 5th, 2022, at the Vancouver Annex Theatre.

Annex Theatre, 823 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC

The Prop Master’s Dream is based on the true-life story of Wah-Kwan Gwan (1929-2000), a legendary prop master born to a Chinese father and an Indigenous mother in BC. As a child, Wah-Kwan lost contact with his mother when his father took him to Guangdong, China and sent him to train as an apprentice with a local Cantonese Opera troupe. The opera follows Wah-Kwan’s journey as he comes of age and sneaks off on a steamship bound for Vancouver, in search of his true identity and birth mother. Along the way, he encounters discrimination, unexpected friendships, and a rekindled love for the opera that embraces him as a master of his art. A bilingual Cantonese-English production, open to all ages.

The remount, 2024

Who is Wah-Kwan Gwan?

Wah-Kwan Gwan was born to a Chinese father and an Indigenous mother in B.C. His father, Gwan, came to Canada to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway and later met his wife, Lucy. After years of hard labor, Gwan’s health declined, and he returned to China with Wah-Kwan, leaving Lucy and their daughter behind. In China, Wah-Kwan was adopted by a Cantonese opera performer and trained in opera and prop making. As an adult, Wah-Kwan returned to Canada to find his birth mother, facing discrimination due to his language and background.

“The Prop Master’s Dream” highlights the historical racism faced by Chinese Canadians and Indigenous people, raising awareness of race relations and anti-racism. This fusion opera tells Wah-Kwan’s true-life story, blending traditional Cantonese opera with modern elements.

How did the audience’s reaction to the opera in 2022 shape the decisions for this year’s Production?

The enthusiastic response and sold-out performances in 2022 led to the decision to remount “The Prop Master’s Dream” this year. To enhance the experience, new components have been added, building on the opera’s success and meeting the demand from opera enthusiasts.

The documentary

“The Prop Master’s Dream” is the story of Rosa Cheng, a trailblazing performer and director who’s been leading the way in revitalizing Cantonese Opera, a centuries-old art that combines singing, dancing, acting, martial arts, and live music.

When the pandemic took hold in 2020, Rosa had just started producing an experimental opera titled “The Prop Master’s Dream”. Her most daring project to date, the opera fuses traditional Chinese music, jazz, and Indigenous rhythms to share the true-life story of her friend Wah-Kwan Gwan (1929- 2000). Wah Kwan was born to a Chinese father and an Indigenous mother. When Wah Kwan was one year old, his father took him back to China. After his father died, Wah Kwan was adopted by a Cantonese opera family. He became a Cantonese Opera performer and a props maker.

When Wah-Kwan returned to Vancouver as an adult, he continued working as a prop maker for the local Cantonese operas and thus befriended Rosa. Wah-Kwan, who never learned much English, led a humble lifestyle as a bachelor in a rooming house on East Hastings Street. Although never publicly recognized in his lifetime, his profound operatic knowledge earned him a legendary status in the Cantonese opera community that embraced him.

This documentary follows Rosa’s journey as she leads the production of The Prop Master’s Dream from beginning to end, providing an intimate behind-the-scenes view of the opera’s exquisite singing, costuming, and choreography. Ever pushing the boundaries of tradition, Rosa brings together a diverse team of artists to create a challenging piece that explores Chinese-Indigenous relations, the rise and fall of a gentrifying Chinatown, and the many cultural complexities that shaped Wah-Kwan’s life as he traversed continents and cultures. Tension grows as Rosa begins interviewing people to research Wah-Kwan life. She’s unexpectedly taken aback by the entrenched racism within the Chinese community. Some elders who knew Wah-Kwan use derogatory terms, calling him a “disheveled drunk.” They urge her to abandon the story, arguing it would embarrass the opera community to be associated with him. But Rosa doesn’t give up and grows even more determined to honor Wah-Kwan’s memory.

Will she succeed in transforming the prejudiced attitudes in her community? How will this daring new opera be received? Pitted against the challenges of a global pandemic, a decaying Chinatown, and the pressure to save a dying art form, Rosa must marshal all her resources to pull off this groundbreaking project. A spry elder with a quirky sense of humor and an indomitable spirit, Rosa herself is defying the stereotypes of what older Chinese women can achieve as leaders, artists, and savvy social instigators.

A bilingual Cantonese and English production, The Prop Master’s Dream will be the first feature-length documentary to focus on Cantonese Opera filmed in North America, and to provide an insider’s perspective on a diasporic art form that’s long been the cultural heartbeat of Chinatowns everywhere.

The documentary follows the production of a fusion opera "The Prop Master’s Dream" from beginning to end, sharing the true-life story of Wah-Kwan Gwan (1929-2000) a Cantonese Opera performer with a Chinese Father and an indigenous mother. Wah-Kwan’s father took him back to China leaving behind his indigenous wife and daughter. Wah-Kwan was raised in Guangdong, China. When Wah-Kwan returned to Vancouver as an adult, with his indigenous features, spoke no English, only Taishan Chinese dialect. Wah-Kwan worked many menial jobs. He who never learned much English led a humble lifestyle and lived out his days as a bachelor in a rooming house on East Hastings Street.

Although never publicly recognized in his lifetime, Wah-Kwan’s prop-making talents earned him a legendary status in the Vancouver Chinatown Cantonese opera community that embraced him. WahKwan led a remarkable life and his memory deserves to be preserved, honored, and celebrated.

“The Making of the Prop Master's Dream” follows Rosa Cheng's journey as she leads the production of the fusion opera from beginning to end. Rosa Cheng, a trailblazing Cantonese Opera performer and the Artist Director of VCO, will bring together a diverse team of artists, artistic and cultural advisors to explore Chinese-Indigenous relations, the rise and fall of a gentrifying Chinatown, and Wah-Kwan’s extraordinary life as he traversed continents and cultures.

A bilingual Cantonese and English production that explores Chinese-Indigenous relations in B.C. history. It will also focus on Cantonese Opera in North America and provide an insider’s perspective on a diasporic art form that has long been the cultural heartbeat of Chinatowns everywhere.