The Wuzhen Theater Festival is now in full swing and putting on a show of shows. Beijing-based actor and producer Huang Lei is one of the initiators along with experimental theater director Meng Jinghui and award-winning Taiwan playwright Stan Lai.

Huang sat down with our reporter Shen Li to talk about the uniqueness of the festival which offers a stage for young talents to thrive.

Shen Li: So it's the fifth edition of the Wuzhen Theater Festival, tell us about the changes you've seen in China's theatrical scene.

Huang Lei: I'm glad to see that people are welcoming theater in their lives. It's no longer reserved for the wealthy or the elite, it's making its way to the public. I grew up in theater and I want more people to feel attached to theater. The Wuzhen Theater Festival creates the collaboration in a space with the artists and audience. That's where you get the meaning of theater – a collaborative, imaginative space. The festival started out as a very private thing, something spontaneous. We're all amazed to see it grow and thrive.

Shen Li: How does the Wuzhen Theater Festival compare to other theatrical festivals? What is Wuzhen's unique asset?

Huang Lei: The Wuzhen Theater Festival is unique in its own way because of the history and culture it boasts. Here at the festival, we offer as many productions with as diverse styles as possible. And we give full autonomy to the artists. Also, it's an immersive experience for the audience. Usually you watch a play at night, after that you go back home and go to work the next morning. Your thoughts about the play have been interrupted. But in Wuzhen, you have the luxury to focus on your thoughts and emotions. It's an amazing thing.

Shen Li: Can you share a bit about the creative process of organizing the Wuzhen Theater Festival? And what are the criteria for selecting the productions?

Huang Lei: We usually start preparing for next year's festival at the end of this year's event. We gather feedback from the audience, there'll be a discussion and a little summary, then we would work out the theme for next year. When it comes to selecting productions, we really want to introduce the most representative ones. It may be a classic play which has been staged for a long time or a brand new production that's really innovative. For example, this year we're proud to have the world premiere of "Fantômas: Revenge of the Image" by the CalArts Center for New Performance, a truly groundbreaking exploration of performance space, the intersection of film, theater, and physical sensation.

Shen Li: So apart from the theater productions from all around the world, another highlight of the festival is the Young Theater Artists competition. What do you expect from these young talents?

Huang Lei: We encourage the young artists to express themselves. Here we don't want to make empty promises like creating a hatching mechanism or a guarantee for a future career. Maybe the young talents won't choose theater as their profession, but we want to make sure that the attention and encouragement they get here in Wuzhen would be a most precious and memorable experience for them. That's part of the reason why we initiated the festival; to create a stage for the young theater talents and let them grow freely.