THEATER TREATS IN THE CAPITAL

Three Comedies by Ding Xilin is part of a Beijing theater festival, that will see 20 original Chinese plays performed between Aug 1 and Sept 1, Chen Nan reports.

About two decades ago, when Ban Zan was a student at the Central Academy of Drama, one of his favorite playwrights was Ding Xilin (1893-1974). The renowned playwright's major works were written between 1923 and 1940 and concentrate on comedy.

"I was amused by the humorous dialogue, which is witty and implicit. That unique way of being humorous, I believe, belongs to the Chinese people," says the 40-year-old actor-turned-director Ban, who joined Beijing People's Art Theatre after he graduated in 2003.