Experiment with theater

A competition section of the annual Wuzhen festival aspires to draw more young people, Xing Wen reports.

In Tongxiang county's Wuzhen scenic spot stands a hip-roof structure that was built during the reign of emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), under which is a stage of more than 200 square meters. On it, elderly artists perform a local opera called Tongxiang huaguxi almost daily, as they hope to keep the traditional art form alive.

While this building is in the eastern part of Wuzhen, the Bangwan playhouse that can host up to 200 audience members is located in the west, and hosts the Young Theatre Artist's Competition, a part of the annual Wuzhen Theatre Festival, which ran from Oct 18-28. This section has remained "at the core" of the festival since it started in 2013, in the words of renowned theater actor Huang Lei.

The festival has also turned the ancient town into a place where the traditional and avant-garde appear to mix.

Huang, a festival co-founder, says the competition section should spur interest in theater among young people. His experience in the past six years in Wuzhen has been encouraging, he adds.