World theatrical artists, fans gather in China's Wuzhen for theater festival

HANGZHOU, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival raised the curtain Thursday evening in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, east China, bringing together theatrical artists--young and old--and enthusiasts from home and abroad.

This year's festival, which runs until Oct. 27 under the theme of "solidarity," features 24 specially-invited plays from 11 countries, 18 plays that will compete in the emerging theater artists' competition segment, as well as teaching and reading sessions and outdoor carnivals.

The theatrical play "We Are Leaving" presented by the Nowy Theatre from Poland, was featured at the opening ceremony.

The emerging theater artists' competition, a major component of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, aims to provide a platform for promising young artists to develop original theatrical works. Eighteen creative works have been chosen from about 560 candidates to perform in Wuzhen under the prescribed themes of "a pillow, sunlight and a big dinosaur."

Chen Xianghong, one of the co-founders of the festival, noted that the Wuzhen Theatre Festival is committed to cultivating young talent, creating sustainable and high-quality cultural experiences, and making a name for itself as a window into the Chinese theater scene. ■