Final competition of 10th Chinese Theater Award gets underway

The final competition of the 10th Chinese Theater Award - Plum Blossom Performance Award kicked off at Shanghai Grand Theatre, and 17 actors from 11 different types of traditional Chinese folk operas, as well as drama and dance theater shows, are holding performances in the city from May 8 to 18. A total of 15 winners will be selected and announced at the closing ceremony on May 21.

Hailed as the highest honor for Chinese theater performing arts, the award is jointly sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the China Theatre Association and the publicity department of Shanghai. This is the first time the event is being held in Shanghai in the award's 42-year history.

The Peking opera production Taking of the Tiger Mountain, starring Lan Tian of Shanghai Jingju Theatre, was performed on the opening night. The play is one of the most celebrated repertoires of Shanghai Jingju Theatre. Lan, who joined the company in 2008, has presented more than 100 shows of it.

According to Pan Min, deputy head of the publicity department of Shanghai, the competing productions will add to the vitality and diversity of Shanghai's theatrical scene.

Chen Yongquan deputy chairman of the China Theatre Association, said at the opening ceremony that the competition aims at introducing a series of new talents and outstanding productions that successfully reflects the modern social life and brilliance of Chinese culture.