The world takes the stage in Shanghai at ACT 2025

The 2025 ACT Shanghai Contemporary Theater Festival (ACT Shanghai) is showcasing eight stage productions from Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Indonesia and China.

Four of the eight works are having their Asian debut here, while two are being performed in China for the first time.

The festival will run until October.

Launched in 2005, ACT has become a vital platform for contemporary theater creators to connect with both Chinese and international audiences.

"The core mission of ACT is to encourage originality," the festival's co-chairman, Yu Rongjun, said.

"We firmly believe that the vitality of drama lies not only in perfect stage presentation but also in the stimulation of ideas and the sharing of experiences," he added.

The festival opened with "Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story" from Canada's 2b Theater Company, featuring the genre-bending sensation Ben Caplan, which was staged at the Jasmine Theater in downtown Huangpu District over the weekend.

This humorously dark folktale is interwoven with a high-energy live concert, showcasing a talented four-member band on stage.

The production is centered on the true stories of two Romanian refugees who started a new life in Canada in 1908, exploring themes of love after experiencing the traumas of war. The creators skillfully balance pain, sorrow, tenderness, banter, and emotional fluctuations throughout the performance.

Caplan and director Christian Barry took questions from the audience after the performance.

"My favorite part of ACT is the post-performance talks," said the festival's co-chairwoman, Zhang Huiqing.

"I was deeply immersed in the way our audience 'examined' each performance, using different languages and diverse perspectives. This 'examination' created an intertextual connection with the creators on stage that extended beyond the performance itself," she noted.

Additional recommended performances include the dance theater production "That's All Folks!" by Italy's Bigi/Paoletti FRITZ Company; "The Foe of an Arrow Wound," created in collaboration between China's Paper Tiger Theater Studio and Germany's Humboldt Forum; and "L'addition," featuring British and French artists.

For more information and to purchase tickets, you can follow Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center's official WeChat account "sdac_anfu288."

· That's All Folks!
Dates: September 3-4, 7:30pm

· Jérôme Bel
Dates: September 6-7, 2pm/7:30pm

· The Foe of an Arrow Wound
Dates: September 13-14, 2pm/7:30pm

· Not to Scale
Dates: September 19-21, 2pm/4pm/7pm

· L'addition
Dates: September 26-27, 2pm/7:30pm

· Ocean Cage
Dates: October 7-8, 2:30pm/7:30pm

Tickets: 108-380 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center 上海话剧艺术中心

Address: 288 Anfu Rd 安福路288号