Heavy rain doesn't stop thousands vying for dream chance at fame
Despite the heavy rain, a record 8,000 or so would-be stars from all over the country took part in the first round of competition for Shanghai Theater Academy’s most sought-after acting department on February 15.
Competition is at record fierce levels as only 68 students will be enrolled in the two majors — film and TV acting and musical acting.
Two days later another hot major of the academy, TV hosting, will see more than 6,400 candidates. Students will receive several rounds of testing, and exams will run until March 2.
According to Lou Wei, an official from Shanghai Theater Academy, a record number of 45,884 students applied for the entrance examination for just 484 places.
“It is a 50 percent increase over the previous year,” said Lou. “We hope to discover more talented young people who have comprehensive abilities, global vision and good cultural backgrounds.”
A change in this year’s exams is that the final round of competition for acting department candidates will last for 4 days, in order to better explore their potential for art.
The judges will spend a lot of time listening to the thoughts of the candidates to get to know about their life experiences, inherent emotions and real personalities.
In addition to showcasing their skills in recitation, impromptu performances, singing and gymnastics, candidates are also required to achieve good performance in the national college entrance exam.
Zhang Xi, a girl from Anqing, Anhui Province, said that her art dream began years ago when she was amazed at the performances in hit reality TV shows.
She has also applied for admission to the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy to expand her chances of success.
“I am not satisfied with my performance today,” Zhang said. “I didn’t expect to see so many candidates today and I was a little nervous.”
Zhao Qi from Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, said he knows how hard the road ahead will be but he doesn’t want to give up his dreams.
“Luckily I have my parents’ support,” Zhao added. “They are open-minded.”
Competition in Beijing's Central Academy of Drama is fierce, too. This year a total of 11,441 candidates took part in the exams of the acting department. Only one in every 229 applicants will make it.
