Acting master class

For more than 70 years, Beijing People's Art Theatre has been considered the flag bearer of Chinese drama.

Headquartered in Beijing, which is about 20 minutes walk from the bustling pedestrian shopping street of Wangfujing, the theater is home to many veteran Chinese actors and actresses, who have helped to build its reputation for solid acting techniques and work ethic.

"Now, we have three venues to stage plays, which is a very challenging mission. I want to bring good, high quality theatrical productions to the audience, which is our long tradition, so we need new actors and actresses to join us — that is vital for the future of the theater," says Feng Yuanzheng, president of the company and a veteran actor himself.

The three venues are the Capital Theatre, the home of Beijing People's Art Theatre; Juyin Theatre, also located in the Wangfujing area, which opened in 2015 and is named after Jiao Juyin (1905-75), director and cofounder of Beijing People's Art Theatre; and a new venue, Beijing International Theatre Center, which is located behind the Capital Theatre and houses two auditoriums within its area of 23,000 square meters.

On April 19, Beijing People's Art Theatre announced its latest training program for young actors and actresses, the recruitment for which had started in September. Twelve candidates, with an average age of 28, stood out from hundreds of applicants and will receive a year's training under veteran artists at the theater, such as Feng, Pu Cunxin, Wu Gang and Yue Xiuqing. Director Tang Ye will serve as the head of the program.

The students will also gain acting experience by appearing in the company's theatrical productions.