We've all heard of and probably seen Reality TV Shows, but last weekend brought us the perhaps first ever, "Reality Theater Show". What is that?? It is a play based on the concept of Reality TV and centered on two things: characters and topic. The topic: The environment. The characters: Environmentalists and Polluters. The result: Hilarious entertainment with an important message!

"Lean, Mean and Green" was a collaborative effort between Beijing International Theater and Entertainment (BITE) and China's Green Beat (www.chinasgreenbeat.com ). These two organizations are headed by very colorful characters as well. Rene Ng, director of BITE, is no stranger to the Beijing stage. He studied drama in Canada and has worked on several acting projects in town including teaching acting at the Beijing Actors Workshop. Rene directed the cast and crew to create Lean, Mean, and Green which was formed through a new theater technique developed by BITE called "Mosaic theater technique." In this way, the director acts as a facilitator to "allow each participant the freedom to express themselves, create their own characters, and add to the narrative structure of the piece."

John Romankiewicz is the founder and creator of China's Green Beat, a website which "creates films that engage people in fun and informative ways to promote green design, lifestyles, and investments." John came to China after graduating from Northwestern University in the US. He is currently supported by the Fulbright scholarship to live here and create innovative solutions to the environmental problem. China's Green Beat is the result of his experience.

The show was held in the bottom floor of Club Obiwan just outside the Jishuitan subway exit C and across from Xi Hai (northwest of Houhai). This club is a staple of Beijing nightlife and the venue creates an intimate environment for stage performance.

With Lean, Mean, and Green, the entire experience was unique and fun. Upon entering the club, you are greeted by the characters mingling among the audience. It reminds one of those "murder mystery dinner parties in a box" or a trip to Broadway's hit show "Tony and Tina's Wedding." The show is highly interactive and blurs the line between reality and fiction on stage. With an issue like the environment, the form of interactive theater is the way to go!

Besides a great message of environmental awareness it was the characters who really made the evening a success. Each actor's commitment to his/her character was key in sustaining the audience's attention and enjoyment. There were two teams: The environmentalists (the Greens) and the polluters (the Greys) and each group was well represented by the characters on stage. Some of the most memorable characters were Ng's own "Peacock Feather," a flower child who runs and "alternative bakery" featuring items like "green herbal cakes" and "deep dark chocolate cake." Of course, each one is sold by the gram. "Helen Dupont" (Nathalie Hemeleers) was "helping the children" in developing countries by providing jobs for them in her factories and "Li Qiang" (Sun Zhe) runs a joint venture DVD shop/travel agency. He sells the DVDs by the pound and his travel agency motto is "Buy a one-way trip for the price of two!" Actor Sun Zhe also starred in the opening scene produced by China's Green Beats entitled "Green Dating Gone Wrong."

The other Team Greens included: "Alexander Organoff" (Georg Tschebull), a Russian scientist interested in human organ experimental research and creating a pig resort; "Joseph Gelflecknerbeigen" (Case Bruyr) who suffers from an allergic reaction to anything unnatural (he wore a darth vader mask to keep from suffocating in the nightclub air); and "Ricardo Martin" (Vene Vieitez), a Columbian environmentalist with a guerrilla attitude.

The rest of the Greys include "Eugene Wong" (Rene Ng) a financial analyst who specializes in finding "boutique logging companies" and "Gloria Feldman" (Case Bruyr) a 74-year-old resident of Queens New York who is CEO of Gloria's Garments, a company specializing in crotchless panties and other unmentionables. Actor Case Bruyr practically stole the show with his portrayal of the crass, bra-less old woman, but the other performances were stellar as well.

And what Reality game show would be complete without the perfect host? "Ryan Guy" (Barry Brake) guided the contestants through typical and atypical competition to win the $250,000 prize at the end of the night. Brake is a musician from Texas who performs with his jazz band in clubs around Beijing. His next gig is at the OT Lounge.

The first event was a "Fear Factor" type eating contest where the participants were asked to drink either human urine which is 95% water and 5% nutrients, or Coca Cola syrup which contains phosphoric acid and is known to dissolve a nail in less than 4 days. The solid food choice was between insects (a good source of protein and lower in cholesterol than chicken, beef, or pork) or a "Dorito's" tortilla chip which contains 250 calories, 13 grams of fat, and the special ingredient "E-110" which, while giving the chip its golden color has also been known to produce chromosomal damage, tremors, and vomiting.

The other "events" of the evening included a "Mystery Skit Creation" where contestants had to come up with a skit together based on a theme and genre. The first group had green alternatives and mafia movies. They did a Tarintino style skit, using biodegradable products to clean up after a bloody murder. The second group produced a skit in the style of Greek Tragedy who's title was "An Inconvenient Truth" in Latin.

The final part of the evening involved audience participation in "the World Machine" and the moral of the story is best put by the director, Rene, “Environmental pollution is everyone’s problem, and it’s particularly obvious here in Beijing. Modern media is displaying the debate with such doom and gloom which doesn’t solve anything. We are showcasing it using laughter and showing positive solutions. This will have an impact!”

The play will be filmed and showcased online at a later date.

For more information about upcoming BITE shows contact beijingtheatre@gmail.com and for more info about China's Green Beat, visit the website www.chinasgreenbeat.com.

These actors have certainly put the "act" in activism!