Popular original theatrical works to be staged in Beijing April
- Source: Global Times
- [21:46 March 28 2011]
- Comments
By Jiang Yuxia
The First Performance of Original Dramas at Small-scale Theatres (FPODST), sponsored by the Beijing Theater Association (BTA) and Donglian Artists Community, is to kick off on April 13 at Donglian, with 12 popular works centering on the life of Chinese youth to be presented over three months.
The selected works, including If I'm Not Who I am, I Don't Want to be Alone and P.S., I Love You, were all created by young dramatists from China's private theatrical companies during the past two years. Centering around themes of love and life, they enjoy a reputation for originality and a good box office.
"By hosting such a performance we wish to clear up misunderstandings towards dramas performed at small-scale theaters," said Yang Qianwu, secretary-general of the BTA, at a press conference Tuesday.
"For a long time, dramatists from the mainstream theatrical circle regarded dramas performed at such theaters as mainly for entertaining with little artistic value, while investors in theater hold the view that only by making them entertaining or making spoofs cant such dramas have an audience," Yang explained. "But small-scale theaters in Beijing are the most hopeful platform for the growth of China's contemporary theater, with a group of young dramatists cherishing theatrical ideals."
With young people the target audience, FPODST wishes to attract genuine lovers of theater, said Liu Lihong, deputy general manager of Donglian, which opened in July last year. "Dramas performed at small-scale theaters are more close to daily life. We wish to attract anyone interested in theater and art," Liu added.
Although promotion activities for the shows are in the early stages, there's already high interest, Li Kecang, project manager of ticket agency damai.cn, told the Global Times. With ticket priced from 50 yuan ($7.63) and Donglian located near colleges and universities, FPODST will attract a large number of college students, he added. The theatre scene in Beijing is better than last year's and 80 to 90 percent of tickets are expected to be sold, according to Li.
