Again, in The Field of Life and Death

"We are strong-willed, because we suffered a lot;

We are mighty, because we endured a great trial;

Day after day,

our nation covered a road from unwisely numbness to hopeful joy,

a long road filled with struggling and fights."

Again, stepping into the field of life and death, audiences witnessed the story of a remote village in Northeast China during the War of Resistance Against Japan, when Japanese soldiers destroyed the tranquillity of the village. And again, the field presented a group of bold and unconstrained local residents who finally became aware of the meaning of their nationality through various changes.

With applause and flowers, the drama The Field of Life and Death rang down its curtain successfully at the Beijing Tianqiao Theatre on August 28.

More than half-century ago, Xiao Hong wrote her most illustrious novel Sheng si chang (The Field of Life and Death) at the age of 24, with a preface written by Lu Xun, one of China's greatest writers. Though her writing career spanned less than a decade, Xiao injected an audacious and radical nature into her writing, and her works have stood as a model for later generations.

Tian Qinxin, the plays director, "travelled through the time and space," in an attempt to communicate with Xiao's spirit so she could try to understand the life and ethos of the excellent novel so it could be adapted. In 1999, when The Field of Life and Death" was first brought to the stage, it got wide attention from academia and audiences.

This time, Tian, with more experience, used lessons learned from the performance five years ago to adjust lines, performances and the play's rhythm. With inspiration from Chinese operas, Tian emphasized stage effects. Famous actors, including Ni Dahong, Han Tongsheng, Ren Chengwei and others, sometimes ran, sometimes roared while going through numerous hardships to express their strong emotions. Body language and unique blocking helped create atmospheres that greatly affected the audiences.

According to the National Theatre Company of China, the new edition of The Field of Life and Death is expected to be its repertoire. In addition it will stand in competition for the supreme reward, the Best Drama of the Third Elaborate Works on Stage of China Projects.

Time: until September 10

Venue: China Children Theater

Admission: 380, 200, 120, 80, 40 yuan

Tel: +86 10 6513 4121

Address: 64 Dong'anmen Dajie, Dongcheng District