'In Youth' debuts at Great Theater of China to great acclaim
The stage production tells the true story about Shanghai teenagers who volunteered to go to war in the 1950s.
The original drama “In Youth” recently closed its first run of performances, to great acclaim from both audience members and theater critics.
A joint production by the Shanghai Theater Academy and the Huangpu Culture and Tourism Group, the drama is based on Li Jing's non-fiction work "Cannon Shell, Violin and Parachute."
The play was successfully staged at the city’s Great Theater of China from September 6 to 9.
The drama depicts a true event in the early 1950s, when several students of Shanghai Bile High School gave up their superior learning and living conditions to join the People's Volunteer Army of China during the Korean War (1950-53). The incident caused a sensation in Shanghai at that time.
The drama is based on Li Jing's non-fiction work "Cannon Shell, Violin and Parachute."
The first run of performances received wide acclaim.
After returning safely from the war, they rarely spoke of their experiences on the front line until they were awarded medals in 2021. Their stories of bravery and patriotism moved many viewers to tears.
According to the drama's director Ma Junfeng, the actors try to record that period of history and the young people's courageous choice with sincerity.
Theater scholar Song Baozhen said that the drama about the teenage warrior's growth and their heroic decision to protect their country was impressive.
"It achieves an interaction between history and reality in its storytelling," Song said. "The drama also presents a beautiful, romantic sentiment and poetic representation, which enables it to resonate well with today's audiences."
The drama's second run of shows is expected to be launched in the city later this year.
