Greek saga powers festival opener

From marathon plays to experimental granary stages, performances in Wuzhen are poised to blend tradition, innovation and international collaboration, Cheng Yuezhu reports in Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival, held annually in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, has long been known for its large-scale stage epics. Each year's opening production is a showpiece, often drawn from world-renowned theater companies.

Now in its 12th year, the festival is set to open with perhaps its most ambitious work yet. For the first time, an entire festival section — City of Humanity — will be devoted to a single production: Anthropolis-Marathon by the German troupe Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg.

Based on five Greek mythological tales — Dionysus, Laius, Oedipus, Jocasta, and Antigone — each run spans three days, totaling around nine hours. The production will be staged twice, giving more Chinese audiences a chance to experience it, while pushing the performers' stamina to the limit.