The musical's scriptwriter Tang Ling says that this production is one of the most challenging projects she has worked on in recent years, in order to faithfully capture the history and do justice to the historical figures.
"Through the process of researching and writing this piece, I came to a deep understanding of the sense of mission and responsibility that drove those educators to put in tremendous efforts and seek paths for the country's development despite the difficult conditions," Tang says.
Instead of zooming in on one or two prestigious teachers or students from the university's early days, the team decided to present the production as an ensemble drama, a method that can help reflect the arduous collective journey and the zeitgeist of the era.
Apart from influential educators such as Liang and Fan, the production presented a scene where female students, such as Liu Hezhen and Shi Pingmei, cut their hair short to advocate for women's independence and gender equality.
"We hope to present this ensemble of characters and their stories, which are both turbulent and inspiring. For us, attending schools and receiving education seem natural and taken for granted, and we rarely stop to consider the difficulties faced by teacher training schools in the early days," Tang says.
"It led me to think about how many things we see as ordinary were in fact hard-won. It was only made possible because a generation of pioneers bore the hardship and paved the way for the future."
The musical's entire process, including planning, producing and casting, called for the participation of students and faculty from the university, providing the students with a platform to work with professionals and exercise their creative potential.
According to Zhu Jie, the musical's composer and an associate professor at the university, while the musical incorporates a variety of vocal forms, including solos, duets and choruses, 19 out of 26 original songs are choral pieces.
In an effort to merge the past with the present, the production's prologue and epilogue show a contemporary Beijing Normal University student singing, highlighting the development and heritage of China's education spanning a century.
The monologues, dialogues and debates among characters portray the vibrant exchange of ideas during the early educational reforms. Multimedia technology is adopted to create smooth transitions between historical and modern narratives.
The production is set to become a recurring show at the beginning of every academic year, for the university's freshmen to learn about its history and inspire in them a passion for education. It will also tour to other Chinese universities.
