Play examines a generation's tension between virtuality and reality

Delving into the complex interplay between technology, human connection, and the search for identity, Yi Ri Ding Liu (One-Day Top Influencer), the latest production by the Beijing People's Art Theatre, premiered on June 6 at the company's intimate small theater. The show will run until June 27.

Adapted from the novel of the same title by award-winning Chinese author Shi Yifeng, the play, directed by Yang Jiayin, brings to life the digital struggles, fractured familial bonds, and deep existential questions that resonate with a generation caught between virtuality and reality.

From the very first scene, the audience is introduced into a digital labyrinth that has consumed the lives of the two protagonists: Hu Xuejian, a reclusive tech expert who spends his life in online forums, and his son, Hu Xin'ou, a socially withdrawn young man who accidentally becomes a viral internet celebrity.

The stage design is not merely a traditional set but a hybrid of digital screens and physical space, embodying the novel's central theme of blurred realities. The space is divided between cutting-edge technology — smartphones, LED screens, and social media — and tangible, real-world props. Screens flicker with notifications, live comments from streams, and social media updates, creating a world where the boundaries between reality and virtuality are constantly in a state of flux. The audience, much like the characters, is immersed in this visual overload.