Arts center offers free admission ahead of revamp

Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center is offering free admission from Friday to Sunday.

The move comes ahead of the center's first major renovation since it relocated to its current location at 288 Anfu Road 17 years ago. Renovation work will start  at the end of the month.

“We hope that the opening days will offer both the staff and the public a good chance to share our memories with the center, and connect us even tighter,” said Pearl Wang, the center's marketing and public relations manager. 

The center, which has three theaters ─  Arts Theater, Drama Salon and Studio D6 ─ will be under repair till the spring of 2019, according to Wang. All three theaters will be open to the public throughout the three free admission days. 

Visitors can also participate in arranged activities by making reservations in advance. 

A photo exhibition will be set at the Drama Salon on Friday, helping visitors to review moments they may have shared with the center.

Theater programs run by the center will still be shown at other venues in Shanghai while the repairs are carried out.

These include ACT 2017 to be staged at Shanghai International Dance Center and 1933 Micro Theater in November and December, along with “The Taming of the Shrew” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” to be staged at Shanghai Grand Theater in July. 

Visiting schedules to the center this weekend are: 10am-3:30pm on Friday; 12:45-3:30pm on Saturday; and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Reservations for all the opening-day activities are required via the center’s WeChat account, sdac_anfu288.