The 7th China Children's Theatre Festival opened at the China Children's Theater on the evening of July 15.

The Children's Theatre Festival lasted 7 days from 15 July to 8 August. Offline "New Era Outstanding Children's Drama Exhibition" and "'Bloom and Set Sail' Incubation Program Repertoire Performance"; The "International Outstanding Children's Drama Exhibition" was set up online, with 20 plays from 37 countries including Japan, the Netherlands, Israel, Romania and South Africa specially invited for public welfare exhibitions, bringing together 7 performances from 8 children's theater groups at home and abroad, with 24 performances. With Beijing as the center, the festival radiates across the country, and has set up branch venues in Chengdu, Jiaxing and Changzhou, benefiting children and young audiences through the joint organization of festivals in multiple provinces and cities, as well as the integration of online and offline performances.

Three children's art classics debuted

With the theme of "Lighting Up Children's Hearts and Shaping the Future", the festival was co-sponsored by China Children's Art Theater, Beijing Dongcheng District Party Committee, District Government and China Children's Theater Research Association, and Hu Heping, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, attended the opening ceremony and announced the opening of the festival.

Since its inception in 2011, the China Children's Theatre Festival has been successfully held for 30 sessions, welcoming 290 art institutions from more than 489 countries and regions on five continents to participate, exhibiting 2072 plays and performing a total of <>,<> online and offline performances.

In this year's offline "New Era Outstanding Children's Drama Exhibition" and "Bloom and Set Sail" Incubation Program Excellent Repertoire Performance, the drama works loved by children in the past two years and the outstanding competitive performances of the Incubation Program will be concentrated in large and small theaters, and three Chinese children's art classics - "East China Sea Mermaid", "Xin'an Travel Group" and "Special Assignments" were transplanted by the American Student Joint Delegation, Xin'an Children's Art Troupe of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province and Tibet Autonomous Region Repertory Theater and made their debut on the stage of the festival. The "International Outstanding Children's Drama Exhibition" held online for the first time, 3 foreign plays will be broadcast on the "China Children's Art Theater" video channel, Douyin number and other platforms. At the same time, there are also a variety of theatrical activities during the festival: "8+ Summer Tour" with 8 plays and 100 performances in 12 urban areas and counties in 12 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country; "Little Drama Critics" and "Warm Action" public welfare activities allow children to grow up hand in hand with children's drama.

Fifteen American middle school students contributed surprises

The highlight of the evening was the opening play "East China Sea Mermaid" performed by the American Student Delegation, where a group of American middle school students vividly interpreted the touching story of the Chinese Fish Girl in the form of Chinese and ballet. The children's skillful lines, elegant body language and wonderful performances allowed the audience to feel the innovative expression of Chinese classics from different cultural perspectives and different art forms. In April 2022, China Children's Art Theater officially authorized the American Rocky Mountain Ballet to rehearse this work, and the American creative team adapted and translated the script. After more than a year of meticulous preparation and hard rehearsals, 4 middle school students from four different regions of the United States completed the premiere of the work that night on the stage of the festival's opening ceremony.

Feng Li, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 12th China Children's Theatre Festival and President of the China Children's Art Theater, said: "Children's and Youth Drama is a 'world language', which allows children of different countries, ethnic groups and skin colors to instantly connect with each other without words. Merlin Jokela, who plays "Golden Beads", said: "When I first started practicing lines and rehearsals in the United States, I always had a feeling that it was not very real, but I didn't expect that we really came to China and Beijing, and it felt like a dream come true!" Maya Jinto, who plays "Grandma Jinzhuzi", a Chinese ethnic whose nickname is "Bingbing", was born in China and grew up in the United States, she said: "This work gives me the opportunity to return to China, I like acting, I like the stage, I can go back to my hometown where I was born to perform, I am really very moved!" ”

On the evening of July 7, the joint delegation of American students will also present a dance collection "Youth Crossing East and West" with both Chinese and Western cultural characteristics to the Chinese audience.

Text/Reporter Guo Jia Photo/Reporter Wang Xiaoxi

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Beijing Children's Art "Yaya" growth trilogy will be broadcast for the first time

"Three Plays in a Row" Seven Hours Creator Extreme Challenge

Beijing Children's Art "Yaya" growth trilogy seven-hour "three plays in a row" dream is about to become a reality - the series of children's dramas "Uncle Zi is Late", "Flower Cat Sanya Goes to the Room" and "Dirt Dog Old Black Broke into Trouble" produced by Beijing Performing Arts Group and performed by Beijing Children's Art Theater will be held from 7:28 to 13:00 on July 19 at Beijing Children's Art Nanluo Theater. This children's drama marathon will show audiences the unique customs of Beijing.

"Yaya" growth trilogy is adapted from the famous Beijing taste of children's writer Ye Guangxuan and children's literature, Beijing in the 50s of the last century as the background of the times, telling the story of the pure, youthful and beautiful childhood of the Beijing girl Yaya. Growth is the eternal theme of children's dramas. The protagonist of the story is an eccentric little girl named "Yaya" who grew up in a hutong compound, she was born in the Year of the Rat and nicknamed "Yazi Ya". Yaya befriends the rat uncle in the hole in the wall, accompanies the flower cat Sanya on the beam, grows up in a crash with the earth dog Lao Hei, and realizes the mystery of life with relatives and friends in the passage of time.

This "three-play performance" is not only a heart-warming feedback to the audience who love the "Yaya" series of works, but also a challenging theatrical experiment. How to achieve the complete presentation of three performances in the same stage scene in seven hours is undoubtedly a big theatrical challenge for the actors' performances, the stage scenes and the patience of the audience.

Wang Dong, Dean of Beijing Children's Arts, said: "To let the same group of creative performers present a complete theatrical journey to the same audience through three different plot stories and three different stage expressions in half a day, which is an extreme challenge for everyone present. The actors need to adjust their state, change their costumes and makeup in the shortest possible time, and the stage beauty has to disassemble the stage and complete the scene change in the fastest time, of course, the audience will also decide whether to go or stay according to the excitement of the story. ”

In addition, between the performances of the three performances, the audience can also receive exclusive snacks for "Yaya" with the performance ticket stub. The theater will also set up a "drama dress-up area", where children will have the opportunity to change into costumes and feel the happy experience of becoming "Yaya" in a second.

Wang Ze, chief director of the "Rats Yaya" series of children's dramas and young director of Beijing Children's Art Theater, said: "The three works have a strong continuity, "Uncle Rats Waking Up Late" is like a fantasy chapter in the ignorant period, "Flower Cat Sanya Goes to the Room" is a game chapter for children in the alley, and "The Soil Dog Old Black Broke into Trouble" is a growth chapter that truly belongs to childhood. Since its premiere in 2021, "Yaya Growth Trilogy" has received praise and applause from audiences large and small, and this "Three Plays Consecutive" event is not only a stage play for children, but also a gift for adults.

On the day of the event, Beijing Children's Arts will also unveil the upgraded Nanluo Theater for the first time, showing the audience a "new space for children's drama" that can be heard, seen, eaten and played. It is reported that after the three plays are performed consecutively, from July 7 to September 29, the "Hutong Ya" growth trilogy will also have more than 9 summer performances.

Text/Reporter Guo Jia (Source: Beijing Youth Daily)