2024-04-04 11:08:34
March 27 is World Theater Day. In Huichang Theater City in Jiangxi Province, which has been open for several months, Zhu Chen enters the theater as usual, inspects the equipment and makes relevant preparations for the work in April and during the May Day holiday.
With short hair, neat bangs and a black jumpsuit, Zhu Chen, who is about to turn 30, looks mature and capable. Under the century-old banyan tree at the entrance to Huichuan Theater City, she explains how she got into theater and how she returned to her hometown from Shanghai to pursue her dream.
Radio China recalls that Huichuan is the hometown of the famous Chinese playwright Lai Shenchuan, and in 2017, Huichuan County started the preparatory construction of the theater city, so Lai Shenchuan’s dream of returning to his hometown is about to come true. . In the same year, he launched the “Shanghai-Huichuan Bi-City Cultural and Technical Talent Training Program”, which provides an exclusive channel to recruit young people of Huichuan nationality to study in theaters in Shanghai.
Zhu Chen, who studied music at a university in Hunan province, sees this as her future theatrical destiny. “If I didn’t have this opportunity, I would take the civil service exam or become a teacher, I always wanted to go out and try more things and experience different experiences while I’m young.” Seizing this opportunity, Zhu Chen started working in the Shanghai theater for nearly seven years and became a professional theater technician. Deeply influenced by the story of Lai Shenchuan, she chose to return to her hometown for the preparation of the theater city and the Huichuan theater season. “Just as Mr. Lai said , the theater can benefit the young generation in the small county”.
During the 2024 Huichuan Theater Season, more than 200 performances were performed, as well as nearly 100 theater events. A total of 1.19 million visitors were welcomed. The highest number of visitors exceeded 200,000 in one day.
In early spring, primary and secondary school groups from the local and neighboring districts visit the theater town to experience its stage. Zhu Chen says the town will present musicals, children’s plays and other colorful forms of theater that are not limited to comparative modern drama. “These youngsters can see high-level drama. It is good that from an early age they will feel the theater culture and I think it will leave an imprint on their hearts”.
In addition to the busy holidays of the theater festival and the spring festival, the theater city also begins to function during non-holiday periods.
“Usually, in between performances, we review what has been done and at the same time prepare the program for the next month. We see which productions can be put on and what technical equipment is needed. Visitors’ opinions are important to us, thanks to which we make improvements”.
Zhu Chen likes to focus on doing his job well. “During a performance, sound effects or lighting are at a very high level. Although we are a small county, what I learned in the metropolis helped me to realize the ultimate goal, which is to present a perfect performance for the audience.”