2019 Wuzhen Theater Festival set to kick off
Updated 19:36, 03-Aug-2019
By Zhang Ziyu
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The 7th Wuzhen Theater Festival press conference was held in the Wuzhen Grand Theater on August 2. This year, the festival's theme is "Yong," which means "a surge" in English. The festival will be held between October 25 and November 3. 

World-class masters of theater including Peter Brook, Eugenio Barba, Yury Butusov and more will attend the festival. In total, 141 performances from 28 productions will be shown, some of which will be world premieres.

Wuzhen Grand Theatre. /VCG Photo

Wuzhen Grand Theatre. /VCG Photo

'Three Sisters'

Opening the festival is Anton Chekhov's classic play "Three Sisters," which will be produced by famous Russian director Yury Butusov this time.  

This will be Butusov's first time working in China. He is regarded as one of the foremost directors on the contemporary Russian stage.

Why theater?

Peter Brook is known as one of the greatest living theater directors. His book "The Empty Space: A Book About the Theater: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate" is in the must-read list for Chinese dramatists. 

He will bring his new production this year, which is named "Why?" It was written and directed by him and his longtime partner Marie-Hélène Estienne.  
Director Brook came up with a series of questions for the new play, "Why theater? What's it for? What's it about?", mulling the ultimate questions of existence. Audiences believe this is a poetic work with strong political expression. 

People are standing on the stage. /VCG Photo

People are standing on the stage. /VCG Photo

Avant-garde drama

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival has an avant-garde section focused on new directors' avant-garde dramas. Chinese directors Chen Minghao, Wang Chong and Ding Yiteng will bring their new plays to stage this year. Takahiro Fujita the young Japanese playwriter and director who started the "Mum&Gypsy" theater company in 2007 will also be present in this section.

The Wuzhen Theater Festival has an international impact on a global scale and is gaining popularity with festival-goers. Furthermore, it has attracted a large number of young people and artists every year. 

(Cover image via VCG)