Kids will love the music and mime of Peter and the
Wolf, the Chinese version of The Prince and the
Pauper, Japanese fairytales and more in the month-long
International Children's Theater Festival opening last Friday.
Summer is most children's favorite season because of the
two-month holiday. Besides watching TV and playing video games,
there are always other ways for them to spend a memorable holiday -
like going to the theater.
An estimated 30,000 young people and their parents will attend
the month-long Shanghai International Children's Theater
Festival.
The fourth annual festival features 11 plays by troupes from
eight countries and regions, including the United States, Denmark,
Bulgaria, Russia, Japan, Serbia and the United Kingdom. About 40
shows, all in their original languages, will be staged around the
city.
Festival Director Gan Qingyuan, president of the Children's Art
Theater of the China Welfare Institute, says the festival this year
will pay more attention to new ideas, cultures and concepts.
"The Shanghai International Children's Theater Festival has
grown steadily in the past three years and established a unique
image and an international reputation," he says. "It has not only
served as a platform for international cultural exchange but also a
window to let the world know more about Shanghai and children's
arts development in China."
Hong Kong's Symphony Orchestra of Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
and America's Magic Circle Mime Company will co-present "Peter and
the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev.
Combining music and mime, the play reinterprets the classical
work through creative art, explaining the concept of "Title Music"
in a vivid way: the assistant to the conductor (Peter) tries hard
to catch that evil wolf who threatens the orchestra and
audience.
With the help of the musicians, justice finally conquers the
evil, and the concert ends with a celebration.
The multimedia puppets play "Genesis" by the Meridiano Theater
of Denmark addresses mankind's eternal question: the origin of
life.
With very little dialogue, the play leads the audience through a
three-dimensional universe, discovering the mysteries and magic of
life.
Then we follow the little ant Angela from the Spectacle Theater
of Wales to an adventure on Insect Island where we will meet bees,
spiders (not actually a six-legged insect but an eight-legged
arachnid), ladybugs, aphids and snails, that are not insects at all
but arthropods.
The distinctive life of insects, adorable costumes and props,
beautiful music and songs and interesting dances will provide a
delightful visual experience. A lively natural science class is
delivered at the same time.
The renowned Children's Theater of Marionettes of Moscow from
Russia will present "Aunt Lusha and Roly-poly Vanjusha" featuring
the most popular character, the lovely little bun.
Other highlights include the colorful, exotic musical fairytale
The Curious Little Elephant by the Sofia Puppet Theater of
Bulgaria, the classical Japanese folk story Taketori
Monogatari of Princess Kaguya, which combines the shadow
puppet and traditional puppet art, as well as the Chinese version
of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper by Fujian
Province People's Art Theater.
Apart from the performances, interactive events, games and
promotions will be organized around the city to reach a larger
audience.
The theatrical troupes will perform short versions of their
plays at the Grand Gateway Plaza and Xujiahui Park, Longhua Square
in Xuhui District, Jing'an Temple Square in Jing'an District and
the Oriental Pearl TV Tower Square in Pudong.
Some of the plays will also tour other cities such as Nanjing
and Suzhou and Shenyang in Liaoning Province.
Chinese girls perform a dance during the
Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in
Shanghai on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and
actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the
festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and
Future.?
African boys perform a dance during the
Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in
Shanghai on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and
actresses from 23 countries and regions participated in the
festival with the theme of Peace, Friendship and Future.
An Indian girl performs a dance during the
Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in
Shanghai, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses
from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the
theme of Peace, Friendship and Future .
Norwegian children players perform during the
Shanghai International Children's Culture and Art Festival in
Shanghai, July 29, 2007. Around 2000 children actors and actresses
from 23 countries and regions participated in the festival with the
theme of Peace, Friendship and Future.?
(CRI.cn July 30, 2007)
