On the evening of November 29, the grand event "Eastward View of Great Theatre · 2023 National Drama Exhibition Season" kicked off. From now until January 2024, a series of improvisational drama performances, theatrical salons, and artistic exhibitions will unfold across spaces such as 77 Cultural and Creative Park, Nanyang Theatre, DaMai Performing Arts New Space, Pigment Hall, and Dahua City Art Center, all located in Dongcheng District.

Themed "Enjoying Drama in Dongcheng - Coexisting with Drama and Beauty in the City," this edition of the National Drama Exhibition Season opened at the Beijing Comedy Theater with the acclaimed play "Tasting." This drama, spanning nearly seventy years, condenses the history within a family's four generations, telling the heartwarming tale of kinship across the strait. The exhibition season will collaborate with more than 10 cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Nanjing, presenting 23 plays and 43 performances. Featured productions include the Chinese version of Victor Hugo's classic "Les Misérables" produced by the Yanghua Drama, original plays like "How Are You," the drama "Protagonist," and the children's play "Cat God in the Forbidden City," offering diverse theatrical experiences to the audience.

During the exhibition season, a deep collaboration with the Central Academy of Drama will unfold for the first time, focusing on the theme "The Theatrical Landscape of the City." This will involve engaging in summit dialogues with renowned drama experts, scholars, educators from national academic fileds, as well as prominent artists, managers, and media experts in the industry. Additionally, the "Citywide Drama" series of activities will be staged, featuring improvisational drama performances, theatrical salons, and art exhibitions in various small theaters, providing citizens with immersive cultural experiences.

As a branded cultural event in Dongcheng District, the National Drama Exhibition Season, since its inaugural edition in 2017, has successfully hosted five consecutive seasons. It has become a guiding light in the drama industry and a beloved cultural brand, having presented 124 outstanding plays and staged over 230 performances, reaching an audience of 200,000 people nationwide.

Translator: LIU Jin

Reviewer: WANG Yixin