On Saturday night, Beijing witnessed a big moment for its cultural and entertainment sector.

Two of the most well-known theaters in the Chinese capital city, Beijing Poly Theatre and Beijing People's Art Theatre, both staged their first non-charity public shows, after a closure for over six months due to the coronavirus epidemic. Audiences stepped into the venues, eager to enjoy long-missed performances.

The simultaneous return of the two in-person plays is a milestone for the revival of the performance market in Beijing where the containment of COVID-19 has been steady for a while.

Venues from the grand National Centre for the Performing Arts to small grassroots livehouses have all started to stage shows.

Theaters

Beijing Poly Theatre has been preparing for its reopening since June. It had closed on the day before the Chinese New Year at the end of January, cancelling all performances.

The theater revealed the tickets for the first show on August 8 – over 400 pieces – were sold out in just one hour.

COVID-19 containment measures are in place, including a 30-percent occupancy cap, ID number requirements to book tickets, ID verification at the venue, temperature checks and a mobile health code check.

Both theaters picked eye-catching stars for the first show.

The show at Beijing Poly Theatre, "Love Letters," has two actors. One of them is Zhou Tao, a former TV host known nationwide. On Saturday night after the play finished, loyal fans waited to see Zhou at one of the theater doors and screamed when she appeared.

Beijing People's Art theatre also put on a play featuring only two actors, one of whom is Pu Cunxi, a well-respected veteran actor in China.

It's the first official play in months for the troupe of "Love Letters," too.

Zhou told CGTN they were supposed to go on a national tour covering other cities, but were asked to play in Beijing instead on an ad hoc decision.

The decision is probably due to the reality that theaters are facing a different situation after reopening.

Normally, under routine procedures, it takes two months to market and sell a play. But during the initial recovery period of the performance market, "we will adjust – there will be smaller-scale plays and we will stage shows that can be ready to go in a short amount of time," said Feng Baokun, general manager of Beijing Poly Theatre.

Stand-up comedies

On the other side of the performance market are stand-up comedies that are new in China. They appear to have fully embraced the resumption of performances.

Danliren Comedy, founded in 2017, revealed they have staged 12-13 shows each week in Beijing since resuming performances just two weeks ago.

"Because we can only have a limited number in the audience for each show, we've increased the number of shows." said Icy, chief operating officer of Danliren Comedy.

"Tickets are very popular and often sell out in one or two days. The attendance rate is 100 percent."

She said ever since the performance market was able to resume in Beijing, they have been trying to put on so many shows that "the team jokes we are taking revenge on the pandemic by putting on so many shows."

"There is just too much pressure and too many emotions to be released, for both the audiences and the team." 

Icy says it's also because stand-up comedies are easier to organize. They don't need much stage decoration, and the comedians just wear casual outfits.

"We are lighter. We have more advantage in this regard than large-scale shows, such as concerts and drama."

Two to three other stand-up comedy companies in Beijing have also resumed work.

Return of the performance market in China

Beijing is relatively late in the resumption of the in-person performance market and reopening of performing venues because of a second-wave of coronavirus infections in June.

In many other places around China, performing centers have reopened for some time. According to Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd., from June 17 to August 1, 61 out of their 66 theaters around China have staged first plays after the pandemic. It accounts for 92.4 percent of their venues.

Similarly, Danliren Comedy has been arranging national tours for a while, sending their comedians all over the country to places where the coronavirus containment situation has been good enough to allow performances.

Nevertheless, it's a relief and happy news for everyone as Beijing can finally kick off performances.

"For us the feeling is the same with the audiences. It feels like we can finally embrace life again," said Sun Qiang, the actor of "Love Letters."

"It's very significant for us," said Icy, "Performing on the stage in front of audience is very important for our comedians. It's part of their creative process. It's the basis and root of our existence and business."

Feng of Beijing Poly Theatre said, the theater as well as the performing sector in China have started to go through an initial recovery. He hopes after a period of steady development, the market will be prosperous again.

(Cover: A still from the play "Love Letters" at Beijing Poly Theatre, August 8, 2020. /CGTN)