Curtain up for scene of enthusiasm

Theatergoers head to Shanghai to binge-watch plays for spiritual nourishment and to forge friendships

Wang Jiaqi and Zhang Yuyan may come from diverse backgrounds but they have one thing in common: their absolute love and passion for theater which leads them to binge-watch plays.

Two months ago, Wang, 21, a college student, traveled to Shanghai to watch four plays over a weekend. Such a tight schedule has been routine for her, and it is also becoming increasingly common in the lives of many theater lovers.

Her schedule is almost military in its precision. Wang, a clinical medicine student from Xiamen University, Fujian province, usually takes an overnight high-speed train to Shanghai on Friday evening, arrives at a youth hostel near People's Square on Saturday morning, watches one play in the afternoon and another in the evening, and repeats the feat on Sunday. On Monday, she takes an early flight back to Xiamen.