The Little Prince to Be Staged in April

The most-read and most frequently translated book in the French language, The Little Prince, has been adapted to various media over the decades.

Now, China Children’s Art Theater is producing a Chinese adaptation of the story on stage.

“We hope the stage work will be planted as a seed in the children’s hearts and allow them to understand what is told and shown in the play as they grow up,” director Jiao Gang said.

The Little Prince, first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944). Ostensibly a children's book, it makes several profound and idealistic points about life and love. The essence of the book is contained in the famous line uttered by the fox to the little prince: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux", which means, “One sees rightly only with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes.”

Jiao made a few changes to the original work to make it more accessible to the young audience. He also sought to restore original scenes and installed a background screen of stars, which added to the romance and fantasy of the space.

Part of the China Children’s Art Theater goal is to promote the world’s classical fairy tales. Performances are scheduled on the weekends from April 14 to May 27.

By Xu Xinlei