China Original Drama International Exhibition to kick off on Friday

The 10th China Original Drama International Exhibition will open at the National Theatre of China on Friday.

From April to September, 25 original Chinese stage productions will be held in Beijing and Leshan city, Sichuan province.

The Chinese play, Da Zhai Men, or The Grand Mansion Gate, produced and performed by the National Theatre of China, will open the curtains of the event. Since its debut in 2013, this production has been a sellout. Adapted from the popular Chinese TV drama of the same title, the two-and-a-half-hour stage performance follows the story of the Beijing-based Bai family through one of the most politically tumultuous periods of modern Chinese history, spanning from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) till World War II.

Now, on its 12th anniversary, the play will return, with star cast members such as Wu Yue, Wang Xin, Liu Peiqi, and Chang Yuhong.

Other highlights will include Beijing Fenglei Peking Opera Troupe's The Peking Opera Trilogy — The Net, the stage play The Waves produced by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, and the original historical drama Du Fu by the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

For the first time, China Original Drama International Exhibition will be held outside of Beijing, adopting a dual-city format. The organizing committee will also host a special seminar, inviting industry experts, scholars and practitioners to discuss the interactive exhibition model between the two cities.

In May, the stage play The Four Generations Under One Roof, directed by Tian Qinxin, the president of the National Theatre of China, will open the "Leshan Performance Month" as the inaugural performance at Leshan city. Following this, four other productions, including Shuisheng, a physical theater play written and directed by Zhao Miao; The Amazing You, a documentary-style play produced by the Hangzhou Drama Theater; and Half of My Life, a play based on the literary works of Lao She (1899-1966), written and directed by Huang Ying, will be performed in Leshan.