Dancing toward meaningful connections

One of the defining features of this annual gathering is its commitment to avant-garde theater — productions that challenge conventional structure and offer new narrative forms.

The Threepenny Opera, by the Berliner Ensemble (Brecht Theater), Germany, will also debut in Beijing during the festival.

The Berliner Ensemble, one of the most prestigious international institutions, has written one of the most important pages in the history of theater. The Threepenny Opera is famous as the "show with music", which premiered in 1928. A story about love, betrayal, business, and morals, the production was written by Bertolt Brecht and composed by Kurt Weill. Director Barrie Kosky constructs the stage using giant scaffolding on which the actors climb and move.

"We are very excited to bring this production to Beijing. The Threepenny Opera has a long, powerful history. I studied in Germany in the 1990s, which allowed me to see many theatrical productions and learn about theater styles that are much different from Chinese theater," says Feng.

Les Paravents (The Screens), one of the founding pillars of contemporary French theater, by the Theatre National de Bretagne (the National Theater of Brittany), will make its China debut at the festival.

Premiered in 1966, the production portrays a family during the Algerian War (1954-62), and brings together 100 characters. Decades after its premiere, Arthur Nauzyciel directs 16 performers in this updated version that also tells the story of immigrants in France.

Other highlights of the festival are The Servant of Two Masters by the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, the first public repertory theater in Italy, founded in 1947, and the return of the Georgian New Theatre, which will stage its production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This year, the festival will introduce a "small theater program" for the first time, showcasing six avant-garde and experimental works from countries such as Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, and Germany. The performances include physical puppetry, puppet theater, monodrama, and more. Audiences are invited to not only attend the performances but also participate in workshops.

"These initiatives expand the variety of productions and deepen exchange across the theater community. We want to connect artists with audiences, and inspire cultural dialogue," adds Zhang Peng, deputy director of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.