Star-studded play to mark Chinese writer's 100th birthday.
( 2003-08-11 16:31) (Agencies)
Dozens of China leading
actors and actresses will stage "Family", a drama adapted from prestigious
writer Ba Jin's classic to celebrate the great master' s 100th birthday in
November.
Director Chen Xinyi said that the drama, which would feature stars like Sun
Daolin, Xu Huanshan, Xi Meijuan and Chen Hong, would make its debut in the
Shanghai Grand Theater from Nov. 9 to 11.
"It's a great challenge though many of the stars have acted different roles
in previous 'Family' dramas or films," she said.
Born into a wealthy family on Nov. 25, 1904, Ba Jin is hailed as an
established man of letters and one of the founders of China' s modern literature
for his prolific output and masterpieces like the trilogy "Family", "Spring" and
"Autumn", a series long believed to be inspired by his own
experiences.
Ba Jin, also an honorary member of the American Institute of
Arts and Letters, is one of the few writers in China who lives not on government
pay, but on royalties from their own works.
His translated works have won him many honors such as the 1982 Dante
International Prize, the title of "Commander of the Legion of Honor" of France
in 1983 and the first Fukuoka Special Asian Culture Prize in 1990.
Other
celebration activities for the writer's centennial birthday are also on the
agenda, including an international seminar on Ba Jin's works in southwestern
city of Chengdu, and symposiums and exhibitions in Shanghai.
Several
documentaries about Ba Jin and a TV series of "Family" are also in
production.
Ba Jin rarely appears in front of the public these days as he
is in hospital in Shanghai and has difficulty speaking.
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