[Dress Rehearsal], a work Cheung completed in 2011, is considered to be his magnum opus that presents a perfect fusion of self-concealment, acting, and parody in his allegorical choreography. In this work, Cheung’s intimate partner dons the costume of the God of Wealth in Beijing opera and takes the standard posture. He holds a gold ingot in his right hand with a signature gesture, and manipulates a puppet of the God of Wealth in his left hand. Around him on the floor are many gold and silver coins, gold ingots, and two poker cards. One of the cards is the ace of hearts emblematic of love, while a dice lies right beside it, as if these materials and desires were implicitly linked to a game in which a sudden turnaround may occur at any time. In the middle of the gray clouds in the upper right corner is the term “OLLYWOOD” written in small font size, which should be the term “HOLLYWOOD” with the letter “H” covered by the clouds. Seeming to imply the ultimate destination for drama, it is probably a self-depreciating humor indicating that what is worth doing is being a Hollywood actor.
