The intended premiere of The Other Shore under the direction of Lin Zhaohua at the Beijing People's Art Theatre had its production shut down by the Chinese government before it reached performances.
The title is a literary way of saying "the opposite bank of a river", but also refers to an element of Buddhism known as paramita (the "perfection" of a virtue), this "other shore" representing a state of enlightenment which everyone wants to reach.
However, Gao's philosophy specifically inverts this hopeful worldview by proclaiming in his opening stage directions that the action takes place on "the non-existent other shore".
Most likely influenced[citation needed] by the French Avant Garde movement, with which Gao was familiar, the playscript states that: The play can be performed in a theatre, a living room, a rehearsal room, an empty warehouse, a gymnasium, the hall of a temple, a circus tent, or any empty space as long as the necessary lighting and sound equipment can be properly installed.
[1] Attending the 2003 Sons of Beckett Theatre Company performance directed by Jerry Wienckowski, Les Spindle praised "Xingjian's timelessly compelling vision, a plea for human liberty and peace.