4 June 2014
The finals of 2014 Shanghai University Psychology Sitcom Competition was held at the Shanghai Normal University on the afternoon of 30 May. “Look Up” from the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) won the first prize for best play as well as the best actor award and excellent actress award.
As an important activity of the 2014 Shanghai Educational Institution Psychological Health Education Month initiated by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Student Psychological Health Education and Development Centre, the sitcom competition began in the mid April with the participation of students from 53 universities and colleges across Shanghai. After the preliminary round and semi-finals, the plays from eight universities entered into the finals, including STA, Tongji University and East China Normal University etc.
The scriptwriter, director and cast of “Look Up” were mostly students of the Chinese opera directing major of STA’s Chinese Opera College. The play focused on the “mobile phone addicts” among the university students and, therefore, carried a strong practical significance and addressed a common issue. “Look Up” was the last play to perform during the finals and brought the atmosphere of the theatre to the climax giving rise to much applause time and again as well as much reflection from the student audience.
Psychology sitcom is an effective means in carrying out the educational work for the psychological health of university students. The performers and audience are all students and are present within the same time and space during the play. This allows the students to “see the stories of the others” and “enable their own growth”. The purpose of Shanghai to hold this activity on the occasion of the May 22nd National University Student Psychological Health Day was to promote the concept of “cherish yourself, care about the others, cultivate a harmonious heart and build a harmonious campus”.
Stage photo of “Look Up”
Group photo of “Look Up” creators and cast
Receiving first prize for best play
