The Acting Department Showcase of Shanghai Theatre Academy is currently being held at the Duanjun Theatre. This is the eighth exhibition since the secondary unit showcases began last March. Notably, the Duanjun Theatre is named after Zhu Duanjun, the founding dean of the Acting Department.
At the opening ceremony, students from the 2022 class of the Acting Department rang the "class bell" donated by elderly alumni at the time when the school was located in the Hengbang Bridge area, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The performance "The Drama of Life, The Life of Drama" incorporated expressive recitations, weaving the "Chinese Dream of Drama" pursued by generations of people at the Acting Department.
This exhibition, guided by high-quality Party building, is organized along a timeline and highlights significant events. It is divided into three sections: "Dream Building", "Dream Realization" and "Dream Pursuit." Through a wealth of precious documents, it reviews the nearly eighty-year journey of the Acting Department, comprehensively showcasing its achievements in Party building, education, talent cultivation, research and creation, international exchange, and social service.
The design inspiration for the exhibition's thematic elements comes from the Acting Department's innovative interpretation of the saying "Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path is formed beneath them"—learning from "peaches and plums" to be sincere and inspiring, and from "not speaking" to be humble and diligent.
Since its establishment in 1945, through the tireless efforts of veteran performing artists such as Xiong Foxi and Zhu Duanjun, the Acting Department has pioneered a drama performance teaching system based on the performance theory of realism and enriched with national characteristics and the essence of various performance schools. Original productions such as "The White Snake," "The Great Coffin Split", "The Black Horse" and "Yun Xiang" have made valuable explorations and innovations in the nationalization of drama. Entering the 21st century, the Acting Department has continuously enriched its teaching content and methods by extensively incorporating excellent domestic and international teaching resources, advancing both teaching and performance, and integrating teaching and research. It has become a leading discipline with comprehensive academic levels, strong faculty, and significant international influence. The Acting Department has also made notable contributions to the training of minority students, cultivating a large number of outstanding minority film and television actors from regions such as Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang.
At the opening ceremony, Xie Wei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, expressed high hopes for the development of the Acting Department. He emphasized that the Acting Department should play a leading role in Shanghai Theatre Academy's quest to become a top art institution. He encouraged active exploration in the new talent cultivation model of "One Lead, Three Integrations", promoting Integration of disciplines, synergy between industry and education, and fusion of science and art, guided by ideological and political education. To further advance the development of the specialized disciplines, efforts should be made, on one hand, to enhance the Chinese discourse based on the "Three Major Systems," using the essence of traditional Chinese performing arts as a rich foundation for talent cultivation, and on the other hand, to looking towards the future and skillfully leverage AI and other new technologies to empower the arts. Additionally, the Acting Department must ensure that the public gains a deeper understanding of its core competences, profound historical heritage, and relentless academic pursuit. Effective and enduring performing arts education and teaching, which have passed down through generations, are the fundamental reasons for the department's enduring success. Only by firmly grasping the construction of core competences, can the Acting Department continuously innovate while maintaining its essence, and shine even more brilliantly.
At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by Xiao Ying, Dean of the Acting Department; Zhu Feng, Deputy Party Secretary; Wang Xueming, former Party Secretary; and Luo Haiqiong, an alumni representative. The ceremony was presided over by Wang Yang, Deputy Dean of the Acting Department.
Leaders of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, heads of various colleges, departments and functional offices, as well as representatives of teachers and students, attended the opening ceremony of the showcase.
