A theatre festival that kicked off in southeast China's famous water-town of Wuzhen on Oct 17 is serving as a bridge for global communication by bringing together artists and audience from across the world.
Under the theme of "solidity", which embodies resilience and inspiration, the 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival features 24 plays from 11 countries and regions, with 86 captivating performances staged across various venues over 11 days.
"You can feel the culture so much just in the architecture and the layout. I'm gonna go see Stan Lai's play River Cloud on Sunday night. Chinese theatre was something that was kind of missing in my education. So that's part of the reason why I'm really happy to be here is because if it's like, I need to fill that vacuum," said Simon Garez, an actor and filmmaker.
A lion dance performance at the festival showcases the definition of breaking boundaries, capturing the attention of the audience.
"We never expected to be shortlisted for the festival, so it's a real honor. Our show is based on the true story of Liang Jiali, who founded China's first all-female lion dance team. She broke stereotypes like the belief that women couldn't perform the lion dance due to a lack of strength or their monthly period. The story is driven by the power of women," said Yu Jin, the director of this performance.
The festival has become one of the country's most influential international theatre events since it was first held in 2013.
Wuzhen Theatre Festival serves as bridge for cultural exchanges
