Making the stage his own

Cui Hao, playwright/director. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Like Jin, Cui Hao, 23, was not a theater major but now works at a theater company in Beijing.

The Beijing native, who became interested in theater in high school, is the leader of the drama club at Peking University, which was founded by famous Chinese director Ying Da, a psychology major at the university, in 1981.

Roar! Roar!, an original play directed by Cui, won awards at the Gold Hedgehog College Students' Theater Festival in 2014.

"Some of the members join us for fun while some are fully dedicated to the field, hoping to work with theater companies after graduation. Either way, they do it for pure passion," says Cui, adding that the average production cost of a play is 15,000 yuan ($2,200). The club doesn't sell tickets and the main revenue comes from donations after each show. Now, the club has over 300 members.

Besides regular training, the drama club of Peking University also invites veteran dramatists, including Chinese comedian actor-director Chen Peisi and actor-director Fang Xu, to give workshops to students.

The major challenges for campus drama clubs include the frequent changing of members and the lack of professional guidance, says Cui.

In June, Cui will organize a festival at which drama clubs of Beijing-based universities can showcase their works.

"There are many talented students who are not theater majors. We want to offer platforms for them to present themselves, and hopefully gain attention from professionals," says Cui.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn