New light on tales of patriotism and valor

Chinese Soldiers (top) and Homeland will be staged in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. [Jiang Dong / China Daily]

Another original drama, Chinese Soldiers, which was produced by the National Theater of China and will be staged in Beijing from Sept 3 to 6, was also made to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in that war.

The drama focuses on stories of Chinese troops who fought on the battlefields of Shaanxi province at the time.

"It was a shame that China didn't have an original drama on those heroes," says the director Zha Mingzhe.

Zha gained his master's degree at the Russian National Academy of Theater and Arts in 1995 and is known for his depictions of war in his productions.

In 2005 he directed a series of dramas, including The Dawns Are Quiet Here, Death Without Burial and The Monument, to mark 60 years since the end of World War II.

Since then, he had been thinking of adapting stories of Chinese soldiers for the stage.

"I didn't find a good script until scriptwriter Feng Li gave me three long articles on Chinese soldiers of Shaanxi province who gave their young lives for the country," Zha says.

Besides depicting the horrors of war and the hard living conditions of young soldiers, the director has added to the drama extracts of qinqiang, a folk opera of Shaanxi known for its high-pitched singing.

"I hope more people can learn the history and pay respects to our wonderful soldiers, who were as young as our youth today and made great sacrifices for peace," Zha says.

If you go

Homeland

7:30 pm, Aug 31, Sept 1, 4 and 5. Capital Theater, 22 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6525-0996.

Chinese Soldiers

7:30 pm, Sept 3-6. National Theater of China, 277 Guang'anmenwai Street, Xicheng district, Beijing. 4006-206-006.

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