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Youth theater festival puts focus on creativity

2014-08-21 13:37 Shanghai Daily Web Editor: Si Huan
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“The Legend of Dragon Inn Tenants,” a comedy from Shaanxi Province.

"The Legend of Dragon Inn Tenants," a comedy from Shaanxi Province.

Since its launch in 2009, the Youth Creative Theater Festival has put a premium on high-quality, creative theatrical works. This year, the 3-week event that started last week and ends next Sunday again highlights innovation and experimentalism among young directors and actors.

A pioneering Chinese drama, "Landmine War 2.0," will be staged at D6 Space of the Shanghai Drama Arts Center starting tomorrow. At the same time, the documentary drama "Crowd" from Tianjin will be performed at 1933 Old Millfun's Mini Theater for three days.

Before that, several original productions have been performed across the city, winning a lot of applause.

"Landmine War 2.0" which has recently been honored at the Tokyo International Theater Arts Awards is about wars in both contemporary times and the future. The venue, D6 Space, has been set with 40 loudspeakers to create a special sound for the war atmosphere.

Overall at the theater festival, 10 young Chinese theater artists' original works are presented at D6 Space, 1993 Mini Theater and Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts.

In addition to "Landmine War 2.0" and "Crowd," the other eight Chinese shows include black humor tragedy "Yun Xiang," drama "Red Butterfly," comedy "Kapok," comedy "Several Questions About Water," drama "Antenna," urban comedy "No Meet with Baby" and fantasy kung fu comedy "The Legendary Dragon Inn."

The theme of this year's festival is "Meet Another Self at the Theater." Young artists and audiences are expected to not merely enjoy the show but get a chance to rediscover themselves through the experience.

The festival is open to the public for the first time in what is now its sixth year. From January to April, numerous candidates from all over the country applied to participate.

"The Youth Creative Theater Festival promotes the attitude of 'theater first, and live for drama,' aiming to build a platform for independent art individuals and groups and provide a platform for young people passionate about art," says Yu Rongjun, vice director of the Shanghai Drama Arts Center, the co-organizer of the festival.

The festival has not merely brought creative theatrical works to audiences, but also induced people to think and talk about social issues and cultural and moral values.

The comedy "No Meet with Baby" will resonate with young people who are living busily in this fast-paced city, with their common problems and worries about love and marriage.

"Several Questions About Water," created by college students from Shanghai Tongji University, will close the festival at 1933 Old Millfun Mini Theater. It recently won top honors at the 2014 Shanghai University Students Drama Festival.

Inspired by the Chinese philosophical fairytale "Three Monks," the story reflects on social problems through the conflicts among three monks.

• "No Meet with Baby"

Date: Through August 24, 7:30pm

• "The Legend of Dragon Inn Tenants"

Date: August 27-31, 7:30pm

Venue: Ke Center for the Contemporary Arts, 613 Kaixuan Rd

Tickets: 80 yuan

Tel: 6131-3498

• "Landmine War 2.0"

Date: August 22-23, 7:30pm; August 24, 2pm

Venue: D6 Space, Shanghai Drama Arts Center, 288 Anfu Rd

Tickets: 80-150 yuan

Tel: 64730123, 64734567

• "Crowd"

Date: August 22-23, 7:30pm; August 24, 2pm

• "Several Questions about Water"

Date: August 28-30, 7:30pm; August 31, 2pm

Venue: Mini Theater of 1933 Old Millfun, 611 Liyang Rd

Tickets: 80 yuan

Tel: 6888-1933 ext 1933, 400-888-1933

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