Days Living with the Airline Hostess

It seems that all the theatrical workers in Shanghai - and the audience as well - have been obsessed with "love."

In the past several months, we have witnessed all kinds of different love stories being staged in the city almost every night. Meanwhile, the box-office record for small-theater love plays is climbing higher and higher - perhaps that explains why.

Undoubtedly, they won't miss Valentine's Day, a once-a-year golden timing for anything that concerns love. Tonight, two small-theater productions, "Days Living with the Airline Hostess" and "First Love in Progress," will premiere at the Shanghai Drama Arts Center and the Studio Theater at Shanghai Grand Theater, and both will run through Wednesday, Valentine's Day. Love is in the air.

Adapted from the popular namesake Internet novel, "Days Living with the Airline Hostess," shows the beauty of the complete process of "falling in love."

Although the two characters, attractive airline hostess Ran Jing and handsome IT engineer Lu Fei, share one apartment, they don't find each other attractive at first. Conflicts arise between the two from time to time due to misunderstanding and miscommunication.

Time passes. They gradually get to know each other and fall for each other, but they choose to withhold their feelings until one day when Ran decides to leave the city ...

"There is no dramatic conflict in the play but only some touching, thoughtful details," says young director He Nian who has successfully worked on a series of love hits such as "Lover" and "Love with My Former Wife."

First Love in Progress

"To most people, the pure love narrated in the story is hard to believe. I want to make them believe, however. I want to tell them that pure love, which has nothing to do with sex, still exists," he says.

He says he goes to the theater whenever he is free. Usually he watches a play four or five times, just to observe the reaction from the audience. "I want to learn what kind of play captures their hearts the most," he explains.

And the answer is: anything about love.

The other play, "First Love in Progress," on the contrary, depicts what some consider the typical 21st century love life of a 26-year-old playboy, Du Shaokang, who is dating three women at one time.

The real, predictable headache comes on Valentine's Day, when playful Du is supposed to meet all the three, including Zi Yu, his former schoolmate, Ailing, a successful business woman, and Xue Li, a 19-year-old university student.

Director Gao Lei says he has had similar experiences and puzzled about what a relationship is. Therefore, he has added some of his own interpretations and understanding of love to the play.

The play is the maiden work of a group of aspiring fresh graduates from Shanghai Theater Academy.

"Days Living with the Airline Hostess"

Date: February 9-March 11 (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, February 17-18), 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Drama Arts Center, 288 Anfu Rd
Tickets: 100 yuan
Tel: 021-64730123/64734567

"First Love in Progress"

Date: February 9-14, 7:30pm
Venue: Studio Theater, Shanghai Grand Theater, 200 People's Ave
Tickets: 100 yuan (February 9-13); 150 yuan (February 14)
Tel: 021-62172426