SAN FRANCISCO—Shen Yun Performing Arts entranced the audience at the War Memorial Opera House on Jan. 3. Susan Gibson, a business owner in the pharmaceutical industry, and her husband Patrick Mealey, a senior electrical engineer, enjoyed the performance tremendously.
“It was fabulous,” Ms. Gibson said. “It’s amazing on every front: the talent, the costumes, the acting with the stories and the expression, the history that’s conveyed. It’s remarkable. And the best talent you’ll find anywhere in the world. Everyone up there is phenomenally athletic. They’re amazing dancers.”
For five millennia, China filled its history with breathtaking legends and rich traditions rooted in spirituality. However, following the 1949 communist takeover, traditional Chinese culture was destroyed and replaced with Communist Party culture.
“It’s amazing,” Mr. Mealey said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. And I very much appreciate how you’re tweaking the red Chinese because I’ve been an anti-communist since 1970.”
Ms. Gibson said she had been to China in the 1980s. About the portrayal of the persecution of spiritual belief, Ms. Gibson said it was “very realistic. … And, of course, the persecution against Falun Gong shows the continuance of the communist oppression.”
Mr. Mealey said, “I’m a devout Catholic also, and the Catholic Church says you cannot be a communist and be a Christian. It’s forbidden. It’s a horrible evil. It’s brought to us by the devil himself, and it needs to be suppressed by any means possible. The stories of persecution really strike my heart.”
Practicing one’s spiritual beliefs is almost impossible, Ms. Gibson stated. “You have to be totally underground to do any kind of worship. They don’t have any freedom of speech or freedom of religion like we believe we have here or we used to have here. Maybe less than we used to, but we still have freedom.”
The New York Times recently followed the propaganda of communism. “I’ve noticed that, yes. We ignore the New York Times now. Even in the 1950s, they were supporting the communist side. There are many, many articles and books about that.”
“Most of the traditional media is communicating a party line, not the truth. So there are a lot of people that are brainwashed in our society now. That’s why we read The Epoch Times, so we can get the other perspective,” she said.
They both encourage friends to see Shen Yun. “You should see it,” said Ms. Gibson.
Her husband concurred: “Absolutely see it. It’s beautiful beyond anything I’ve ever seen. And the amazing interaction of live and video is incredible. It’s awesome.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive authentic Chinese culture. “I think the beauty of 5,000 years of history gets lost and often retold in ways that are not true. And so it’s a beautiful expression of China’s history and how different from where they are today.”
Mr. Mealey said, “Let’s get the right kind of government in the United States that really opposes communism.”
Susan Gibson said, “We love Epoch Times. Keep up the good work. Thank you. I recommend you to everyone.”
Mr. Mealey said, “Keep pushing. That’s all you can do. Don’t give up.”
Reporting by Lily Yu and Yvonne Marcotte.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
From The Epoch Times
