Women Take Center Stage In Dramatic Arts Center's New Season

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center has announced six new productions for its 2026 season. These will feature both original works and adaptations of plays from countries including Greece and South Korea.

Among the featured productions is "Lysistrata," an adaptation of the Greek play by playwright Aristophanes. Originally staged in 411 BC, this play emerged during a time of conflict among Greek city-states. Aristophanes crafted the unconventional "Lysistrata" to express his longing for peace.

It pioneered the use of female characters to dominate the narrative and has endured over the years.

The play "The Her We Become," with a female protagonist, is based on the novel "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" by South Korean author Cho Nam-joo.

Kim's growth, characterized by confusion surrounding gender inequality, female development, and verbal violence, is familiar to readers. Despite society's apparent changes, its internal rules and unwritten conventions show that some old practices persist.

This adaptation by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center seeks to convey the hope that the choices and contributions of every ordinary woman are recognized and appreciated.

Another notable play is "The Hard One," which centers on the pet poisoning case in Beijing.

When 13-year-old terrier Papi collapsed next to a piece of poisoned chicken liver, it shattered the world of its owner, Penny. Over the course of more than a thousand days and nine postponed trials, Penny quit her job to study law, faced cyberbullying, and committed herself to seeking justice for her brutally killed pet.

Also, the Dramatic Arts Center plans to showcase five self-produced works in Beijing in 2026. These include "Shang Yang," directed by Chen Xinyi; "The Sky," by the emerging British playwright Lucy Kirkwood; and the Shanghainese version of the stage adaptation of Wang Anyi's novel titled "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow."

For more information and to purchase tickets, those interested can visit the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center's official website at www.china-drama.com.