A theater built up its reputation with adaptations of classic works

On Jan 29, 2019, Xiao Shuo got up at 5 in the morning and arrived at the Capital Theater, where the Beijing People's Arts Theatre is based before 7 o'clock. There were lots of audiences waiting for hours to buy tickets of the theater's classic play, Teahouse.

"It happens whenever the play is staged. It's a signature play of the theater, which is enjoyed by lots of audiences," said the Beijing native, Xiao, 36, who finally bought two tickets for the play then.

Written by Lao She (1899-1966), a renowned Chinese writer who is known for his vivid descriptions of grassroots life that reflect social reality and for his precise depictions of local Beijing culture through his unique humor and use of the city's dialect, Teahouse-which spans over five decades in modern Chinese history, brings together over a hundred characters from all walks of life. Since its premiere in 1958, Teahouse has been staged for over 60 years with over 700 shows.

It has featured actors from Beijing People's Arts Theatre of different generations, from the elder generation such as Yu Shizhi (1927-2003), Huang Zongluo (1926-2012) to the younger generation, such as Feng Yuanzheng and Yang Lixin. Besides Teahouse, the theater, which has over 300 plays as its repertories, has adapted many of the Laoshe's works, such as Rickshaw Boy and Four Generations Under One Roof, which earned the theater international reputation.

During the 1960s, the theater built up its reputation among audiences with classic works adapted from Chinese playwright Cao Yu, Chinese writer and historian Guo Moruo (1892-1978) and playwright Tian Han (1898-1968).

"My mother is a big fan of the theater and Teahouse is one of her favorites. She often took me to watch plays at Capital Theater. Whenever I walk into the theater, I could smell the old wood furniture and feel the emotion," Xiao said. "I also like watching plays from the theater. Besides the classics, I enjoy the smaller production of plays, which is pioneering and gathers young talents."

While spending his Spring Festival holiday in Beijing, he bought tickets to watch Miss Julie, a Chinese play adapted from Swedish writer August Strindberg's work of the same title in 1888.

Directed by Ren Ming, who joined in Beijing People's Arts Theatre in 1987 and now the president of the theater, the play was staged from Jan 17 to Feb 10, which featuring young actors including Xu Cenzi and Li Yue.

"The theater has become a collective memory for audience of different ages and it has never stopped being creative and bringing out new works," said Feng Yuanzheng, adding that many tourists come to watch plays at the Capital Theater because they consider the theater as an iconic site in the city.

Now, the theater has three venues, including the main theater-Capital Theater, an experimental theater catering to a smaller amount of audience and Ju Yin Theatre, which opened in 2015 and was named after Jiao Juyin (1905-1975), one of the country's most famous playwright and a founding member of Beijing People's Arts Theatre.

A new theater will be finished by April 2021, which be located on the eastern side of the Capital Theater with a bigger venue of 690 seats and a smaller venue of 350 seats.

"It will become a landmark of the capital, which keeps on the tradition of the theater," Feng said.

(All the interviews have been conducted in early January before the viral outbreak started. Now that all the shows and public events have been canceled or postponed, the theater has been trying to get in touch with the audiences through online programs, such as streaming classic plays and having celebrity actors or actresses creating home videos to offer comfort, encouragement and express their wishes.)