Performers play Yuju Opera at the Fourth Yuju Opera Festival. (Photo/CGTN)
Young performers offered a number of promising productions. The Youth Troupe of the Henan Yuju Opera Theater is a case in point. Its 65 members averaged 29 in age. The majority have been trained in college, and eight have graduate degrees in dramatic art.
In mid-August, the troupe put on the historical drama "Xuanzang" at the Chang'an Grand Theater. The production takes its name from a Buddhist monk travelling between China and India. The young cast found an opportunity to show their best.
Meng Xiangli, head of the youth Yuju opera troupe said "We have a merit system at my troupe. And it has worked very well. There is nothing to keep a good man down. If you've got what it takes, you will get the role. There's always a role that suits you. You don't have to worry about being sidelined."
Since 2013, the Henan Yuju Opera Theater has worked closely with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts. Welcomed as fresh blood, graduates of the Academy have displayed both superb stagecraft and passion.
Zhu Xuguang, who played an Indian princess in "Xuanzang", is nicknamed "The Young Veteran". She first stepped on the stage at the tender age of four, and began formal training in Yuju Opera five years later.
Many opportunities have come her way, thanks to her soaring voice and remarkable acting skills.
"I believe it's the instinctive passion that has kept me on the stage for so long. I just love Yuju Opera. Now we are having better conditions and greater support from the government as well as the general public. So I have even more faith in the tradition," said Zhu.
