Sixth Wuzhen Theatre Festival Coming in October

- Event to gather some of the world's most iconic theatrical works from six continents in China's ancient, picturesque water town

WUZHEN, China, Sept. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With an ambitious line-up of diverse, contemporary, cutting-edge international plays, the 2018 Wuzhen Theatre Festival ("the Festival") will run from October 18-28. Offering a feast of plays from every continent except Antarctica, the Festival will also feature a Young Theatre Artists Competition, an Outdoor Carnival, the Wuzhen Dialogues series, and various Theatre Forums which will offer opportunities for attendees to talk with, and to learn from, Chinese and international theatre masters.

Having quickly established itself as the most influential theatrical event in Asia, this year's Festival, under the theme of "Magnanimity," will play host to 109 performances of 29 select plays that will cover a wide range of topics including history, environmental protection, love and artificial intelligence. The medium of expression spans multiple forms including contemporary art, experimental drama, multimedia imagery and pantomime. The festival will open with Tea House, a stage play directed by well-known theatre director Meng Jinghui, art director of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, and starring Wen Zhang and Chen Minghao.

The full line-up and schedule can be seen at: http://www.wuzhenfestival.com/index_en.php

This year's Festival has extended special invitations to four of the world's leading theatre companies, each with a long history and a strong sense of aesthetic expression. Audiences will be treated to remarkable dramas performed by Russia's Moscow Art Theatre, Germany's Thalia Theater, Japan's SCOT and Poland's Nowy Teatr, including performances of 19.14, Dancer in the Dark, Springtime in the North and One Gesture.

Other highlights of the Festival include:

• Young Theatre Artists Competition - Demonstrating its achievements in nurturing the creative efforts of young Chinese dramatists, this year's Festival will again host the Young Theatre Artists Competition, which will feature the six most popular dramas from previous events staged in two parts, "First Love" and "First Kiss," all under one roof.
• The Wuzhen Dialogues - The Festival has invited veteran dramatists from across China and abroad, including Lee Breuer, Tadashi Suzuki, Meng Jinghui, Stan Lai and Jin Shijie, to exchange ideas in a series of roundtables and discussions, creating a different kind of magic against the multicultural backdrop.
• Outdoor Carnival - Attracting hundreds of Chinese and foreign artists every year, the Outdoor Carnival will bring the theme of Magnanimity into full play this year by embracing all forms of performance art including dance, music, modern art and transboundary creativity.
• Drama Tent Camp - Alongside its drama workshops and long street banquet, this year's Festival will launch a Drama Tent Camp, giving anyone who would like to take part a chance to be re-invigorated and enjoy the sense of freedom that is part and parcel of today's outdoor living and lifestyle.

About Wuzhen

Just a 1.5-hour drive from Shanghai and one of the top vacation spots in China, Wuzhen is a water town that is praised for its profound cultural heritage and is recognized as a top meeting and summit destination. In addition to the well-preserved traditional art and landscapes that date back 1,300 years, Wuzhen has hosted more than 10,000 cultural and art exhibitions and events since 2007.

About the Wuzhen Theatre Festival

First held in 2012, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival ("the Festival") is a grand celebration of the art of performance set amidst the inspiring backdrop of China's ancient water city. The annual gathering of theatre lovers features a diverse collection of works that highlight some of the best plays and playwrights from around the world and transforms the 1,300-year-old town into a tantalizing feast of the theatrical arts. Founded by Chen Xianghong, Huang Lei, Stan Lai and Meng Jinghui, and organized by Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd., the Festival also includes an Outdoor Carnival, the Wuzhen Dialogues series, and various Theatre Forums which offer opportunities for attendees to talk with, and to learn from, Chinese and international theatre masters.

For more information, visit http://www.wuzhenfestival.com/index_en.php.

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