Greek saga powers festival opener

"We are delighted to see many new theater festivals emerging across China in recent years. As an established festival, Wuzhen Theatre Festival has been striving to achieve a higher level of self-growth," says Chen Xianghong, cofounder and chairman of the festival.

"To me, 'Swirling Up' doesn't mean rising from the ground, but steadily advancing to the next level, surpassing oneself and ascending to new heights."

Chen highlights two defining traits of the festival — its professional caliber, with renowned theater experts, and its unique setting in the Wuzhen Xizha scenic area, known for stone-paved alleys, winding waterways, and excellent visitor amenities.

This year brings a major change: development along the Grand Canal within Xizha. Theater markets and live music gigs, once in the Beizha zone, will move closer to the main venues.

"I imagine people watching the sunset, boats drifting by, and then sitting with friends to discuss theater, enjoy music, and sip wine," Chen says. "And there will be surprises — things you won't find in city theaters."

He says the festival continues to nurture rising artists, with an increasing presence of young creators both onstage and behind the scenes. Many alumni of the Emerging Theater Artists' Competition have returned with full productions.

The examples include She Mujie, who was shortlisted in the 2023 edition of the competition. This year, he will bring his adaptation of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's The Lady with the Little Dog, which explores the emotional fatigue beneath outward sophistication.