16 October 2017
On 12 October, 19 graduates of Shanghai Theatre Academy’s BA Acting Class 1993, namely, Liao Fan, Li Bingbing, Liu Xiaofeng, Fan Zhibo, Ren Quan, Xiao Ying, Hai Yitian, Li Xuetao, Zhang Tong, Huang Hao, Wang Yanan, Liu Xiaohu, Lu Jing, Peng Bo, Sun Qing, Gao Beibei, Cao Yanyan, Zhang Fenghua, and Su Hua returned to their alma mater where the dream began, recalling those green years on campus and renewing the friendship between teachers and students and that among the classmates.
BA Acting Class 1993 is the famous “Star Class” of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, which has produced Best Actress of Golden Horse Award Li Bingbing, Best Actor of Berlin Film Festival Liao Fan, Best Actress of Huabiao Award Fan Zhibo, Best Actor of Changchun International Film Festival, as well as a number of well-known actors and actresses such as Ren Quan, Wang Yanan, Xu Lu, Li Jue and Liu Xiaohu. It was the first reunion after they had graduated for 20 years. As soon as they met, they began chatting and sharing the updates of each other. The friendship and intimacy remained the same as before.
On the day, the male graduates were dressed in black suits and the female graduates were wearing white skirts. They gathered on campus and went together to visit the teaching building, feeling amazed by the change of school. Along the way, they recalled the things happened in the classrooms in those days, jokingly picked on each others and shared the unknown stories of the old days. They took a group picture in front of the Red Building, reproducing the warm and beautiful university time.
When the graduates saw their grey-haired teachers who they had not seen for so many years, they were so excited that they were all in tears. All those moments in the memory were just like yesterday and never went far away.
STA Party Secretary Lou Wei attended this alumni gathering and made a speech. He commended the graduates for their efforts in the society over the past many years, felt proud of their achievements, and hoped that they would come back to visit the alma mater more often. Ren Quan made a speech on behalf of the whole class, encouraging the younger students to be persistent to what they love, because only persistence may lead to the realization of the dream. When asked by a female younger student about the feelings of returning to the alma mater, Li Bingbing replied that it was as if she has never left in the past 20 years.
This alma mater visit coincided with the painting exhibition “Taste” of Mr He Yan who was he head teacher of the BA Acting Class 1993. The graduates came to the STA Library and toured the exhibition. The graduates gathered around the teacher, cheerfully chatting and laughing, as if it was in those years.
