Hopefuls line up to have scripts staged

This year's iteration of the New Era Capital Script Incubation Project, co-initiated by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, was announced on Wednesday. The project's aim is to support and promote scripts and turn them into stage performances and 57 scripts selected for the reserve pool were introduced at the event.

Since its launch in 2022, the project has incubated and presented 24 scripts. Fourteen have gone on to be selected for production.

This year, 300 scriptwriters from 81 cities across the country participated. The 393 submissions included 101 script outlines and 292 full scripts. They span a variety of genres such as drama, opera, children's theater, musicals, and dance drama, and a variety of themes. For instance, the dance drama White Clouds, uses ethnic music and physical expression to convey philosophies of life, and the children's play, Father's Portrait, recounts the heroic stories of martyrs.

Over 50 senior experts from the industry participated in selecting themes, conducting field research, discussing submissions, and reviewing scripts, providing crucial support to the project.

At least 10 scripts will be incubated this year, and the project will also organize discussions and make connections between troupes, production organizations, and scriptwriters to promote the transformation of outstanding scripts into stage performances.