20 November 2017
(Vice President of STA Gong Baorong giving a speech)
(Ms Chenchanna giving a speech)
(Ms Chenchanna presenting donated theatre movie materials to STA)
(Group photo of representatives from both sides)
(Inaugural China screening of "Medea" in progress)
On the afternoon of 16 November 2017, the four-member group led by Ms Chenchanna, Director, Department of International Cooperation, 3sat Television Network of Germany, visited the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), accompanied by Prof Hans-Georg Knopp, Senior Consultant of International Strategic Development at STA. Mr Lou Wei, Chairman of STA, Prof Gong Baorong, Vice President of STA, and the relevant persons from STA’s International Exchange Centre received the visitors from 3sat.
Ms Chenchanna first introduced 3sat, which is a public television network broadcasting cultural programs to programs within Germany and to other countries including Austria and Switzerland. This was 3sat’s first visit to China (Shanghai) and the purposes of the visit were to understand the Chinese traditional opera and donate the CDs of 30 Germany-language theatre movies to STA. During the visit in Shanghai, the 3sat group was warmly received by Ms Gu Haohao, President of Shanghai Chinese Opera Art Centre and Director of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and observed the rehearsal of the artists of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. The group also paid a special visit to STA’s Lianhua Road campus where they observed and acquired an in-depth understanding of the Peking opera teaching process of STA’s Chinese Opera College and affiliated Chinese Opera School.
The ceremony held at STA on this occasion for the donation of 30 theatre movies and the inaugural screening of “Medea” in China will be 3sat’s first step to go beyond the Germany-language area and engage in international cooperation with China. Ms Chenchanna was very grateful for the careful arrangement made by STA and looked forward to further cooperation between the two sides in the future.
Mr Lou Wei, Chairman of STA, thanked the 3sat group for their visit. In the meantime, he introduced the thoughts and considerations that STA has given, in the process of teaching, to the development and innovation of Chinese theatre and traditional opera, and agreed that it is necessary to absorb the essence of tradition and explore experimental works. He expressed the hope for more and broader cooperation between the two sides.
After the meeting, the ceremony for the theatre movie donation by 3sat and inaugural screening of "Medea" in China was held at the Duanjun Theatre of STA. Besides Ms Chenchanna, other 3sat participants to the donation ceremony and inaugural screening were Mr Horn, Ms Schuller and Mr Dillmann, i.e. 3sat’s director of theatre, director of music and producer respectively.
On behalf of STA, Prof Gong Baorong, Vice President of STA and Director of Foreign Theatre Studies Centre, signed the donation agreement with Ms Chenchanna. Prof Gong expressed that the CDs of 30 theatre movies donated by 3sat will be kept at the Foreign Theatre Studies Centre of STA for use by teachers and students of STA as a resource for research and learning. In the meantime, on behalf of STA, Prof Gong expressed the sincere gratitude to 3sat.
"Medea" was selected jointly by both sides as the one for the inaugural screening of theatre movies. The play premiered in Germany in 2012 and was chosen as the opening play of the Berlin Theatre Festival in 2013. After viewing this version of “Medea”, teachers and students generally felt the difference in image processing between German theatre movie and National Theatre Live (NT Live) of the UK which had been more familiar to them, while the greater number of camera positions and scenes used in German theatre movie was bringing a more intense experience. After the screening, many teachers and students engaged with the German production team for discussion on technical questions as well as the relationship between theatre and image.
The overall quality of German theatre is beyond any doubt. Ms Chenchanna introduced that 3sat is extremely picky in the selection of plays and always chooses the very best. Although the minimum production cost for each theater movie is more than EUR100,000, 3sat does not do it for profit given its nature as a public TV network. In order to make this cooperation happen, Prof Hans-Georg Knopp, who is an honorary professor and Senior Consultant of International Strategic Development at STA, has worked on patient and meticulous communication for as long as almost two years.
The event on this occasion was presided over by Prof Tian Mansha of STA’s Chinese Opera College, who is also a famous performing artist. Ms Wei Mei of Foreign Theatre Studies Centre translated the text of the play. Associate Professor Guo Chenzi of Department of Dramatic Literature provided a brilliant appreciation guide to the audiences before the screening.
