WITH growing audiences and an increasing number of award-winning plays on local stages, live theater productions in Shenzhen have been growing in popularity over the years. However, locally produced plays remain unfamiliar to most theater-lovers.

    Although Shenzhen is home to some locally produced live theater productions, none of them has ever been commercially successful. The Shenzhen comedy “I Wanna Fall in Love” tried to break through by launching its first “commercial tour” at the Huaxia Art Center in Nanshan District in August.

    Even though it had been staged in Luohu District’s Cultural Hall several times, it attracted more than 600 audience members on its first night at the Huaxia Art Center.

    “It was the first time we tried to test our production in the market, and we did break even. That was very encouraging. Next time, we hope to actually make a profit,” said Di Xuran, the person in charge of Telos Culture Co., the operating company behind Shenzhen Drama Troupe.

    Founded in 2006, Di and his team have always had commercial success as a goal. “In the beginning, we received a lot of support from the city’s cultural funds, but we think commercialization is the only way to achieve long-term success,” Di said.

    Since 2012, Shenzhen Drama Troupe has staged more than 100 performances at Luohu District’s Cultural Hall, which has helped them gain a loyal following.

    “Theater producers in Shenzhen need to understand what a Shenzhen audience wants to see. For example, most of the members of our team are from Shenzhen and have rich experience in working and living in the city. Before joining in the team, they used to work in various industries in the city, such as in the military, the legal field, and at museums,” Di said.

    “All of our works are based on real life, like a reflection of the city,” He said. “For example, when I was writing about security guards, I lived with some security guards in order to get to know them. When I wrote about domestic helpers, I built all kinds of channels to communicate with them. We are all grass-roots people, so we can all relate.”

    Because of the “grass-roots” factor, “I Wanna Fall in Love” was a success. “The play was so funny and such an accurate reflection of our lives. Shenzheners can easily relate to the plot,” an audience member said after the show.

    After that first success, the troupe plans to launch more commercial performances across the city, and its second musical, “Evolution,” is also ready to meet the city’s audiences.

    A long history

    The development of Shenzhen’s theater scene can be traced back to 1992, when the Shenzhen Dramatists Association was first founded. That same year, the first Shenzhen-produced drama “Mud Man” debuted. Since then, the association has played an important role in promoting the city’s theater industry.

    In 1995, the Normal College of Shenzhen University established a theater department. Over the next 20 years, the department produced several award-winning plays, including “Seeking for Birds” and “Sword Making.”

    Most significantly, the department also helped create theater professionals for the city. “Many of our graduates have become theater directors and producers in Shenzhen. Our graduates are involved in nearly every Shenzhen-made production,” said Wu Xi, a professor in the department.

    Shenzhen Fat Bird Theater was one of the first private theater organizations in the city. Founded in 2005, the theater has poets, scholars, musicians, dancers, dramatists, and painters. Because of the integration of the different art forms, the organization has produced five plays across the city.

    Wooing commercial success

    Since 2007, thanks to the arrival of award-winning plays such as “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land,” “Tea House” and “Now I Wanna Be Your Dog,” more and more Shenzhen audience members have discovered local theater. “Although the theater market is very hot at the moment, the market is still immature because it does not have its own influential productions yet,” said Zeng Ruoming, general manager of the Poly Theater.

    However, the “immature market” will not stop the city’s artists from pursuing their dreams.

    Founded in 2008, 8cm Theater is one of those that have never given up their dream of success.

    “When we first started the project, nobody thought we would survive. Performance organizations rely on profits, and we could not make a profit in the beginning. However, after all these years, we are still here and are able to produce our own plays,” said Zhao Jia, founder of the theater.

    In 2013, the theater launched the series “City Magic Cube,” and held nearly 50 performances across the city. “Shenzhen is a special city, full of passion and a large migrant population. Because of these factors, theater productions in Shenzhen must meet Shenzhen audience members’ various demands. At present, it seems like Shenzhen theater troupes are still discovering the city’s own unique style,” Zhao said. “‘City Magic Cube’ was made for a local audience. We hoped that it would open the city’s theater market and raise awareness about Shenzhen-based productions,” she said.

    The city’s government is also working to help promote and develop local theater troupes. “The city launched a special fund for local theater productions. For example, if a play is performed 50 times in the city, it can receive 15,000 yuan from the fund for each performance. If it is performed overseas, the fund will pay 20,000 yuan per performance,” said Zhang Jingwen, head of the art department of the city’s cultural bureau. “We will also jointly launch a ‘Drama Sunday’ activity with 8cm Theater to promote local theater among the public.”

    “It takes time for a drama troupe to gain success, but I am very confident about the future of the market in Shenzhen. Shenzheners have good taste. With the growing number of drama troupes and support from the government, there will be more high-quality local plays produced in the near future,” Zhao said.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)