The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region hosted the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Southwest Drama Exhibition and the 8th National Excellent Drama Exhibition, which concluded on 23 May in Nanning.
The large-scale original drama "Outpost," co-produced by the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the Shanghai Longhua Martyrs Cemetery (Longhua Martyrs Memorial Hall), and the Shanghai Military Support Foundation, was successfully selected for the Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Southwest Drama Exhibition and the 8th National Excellent Drama Exhibition. It was performed at the Guangxi Culture and Art Centre during the exhibition, achieving an attendance rate of 98% and garnering enthusiastic attention from the audience.
The original drama "Outpost" premiered on 7 February 2021, at the Shanghai Theatre Academy Experimental Theatre, marking the 90th anniversary of the sacrifice of the 24 martyrs of Longhua (including the five martyrs of the "Left League"). Over the past three years, it has been performed at the Shanghai Opera House, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Suzhou Bay Grand Theatre, Ningbo Grand Theatre, Peking University Centennial Memorial Hall, and Fujian Grand Theatre, receiving acclaim from various sectors of society, especially young audiences.
The Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Southwest Drama Exhibition and the 8th National Excellent Drama Exhibition, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, selected 34 large-scale dramas and five small theatre dramas from across the country. The 8th National Excellent Drama Exhibition was held 11 years after the previous one, and the Southwest Drama Exhibition commemoration event was held again after 40 years.
The first Southwest Drama Exhibition was a large-scale drama event held from 15 February to 19 May 1944 in Guilin, Guangxi. The renowned dramatist Xiong Foxi, who later became the first president of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, was one of the initiators of this event. Eighty years later, the original large-scale drama "Outpost," created by teachers, students and alumni of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, participated in the performance. This holds even greater significance, as it is akin to following in the footsteps of President Xiong Foxi and reclaiming the glory and memories left by our predecessors.
"Literature and art are the sparks of the national spirit, and also the guiding lights for the future of the national spirit." "Outpost" aims to promote red culture and carry forward the revolutionary spirit. The return of the Shanghai Theatre Academy on this occasion to the stage of the Southwest Drama Exhibition is a commemoration, a tribute, and a form of inheritance.
