Taught in the act

"Sometimes, though, novelty thoughts that would never occur in the minds of experienced playwrights, shine on the stages of universities, and therein lies the preciousness of student-made plays," he explains.

Liu Yuqing, 19, a freshman in the same department as Wu, who directs works of drama on campus, found it joyful to work with her peers in a theatrical group.

"I started to watch the plays of theater directors like Meng Jinghui and Lai Shengchuan when I was in high school," Liu reminisces. "I began to direct stage dramas while in college."

As a director and also a leader within the group, which mainly comprises newcomers to the field, she has never been absent for a rehearsal and has witnessed the gradual improvement of the work, as all the members pool ideas.

"Unlike groups in the real world that have a commercial interest, it seems easier for us students to work together, and jointly produce a play," says Liu, adding that they spent nearly 10 hours every day rehearsing during the last two weeks before the final of the drama contest.

For Bian Yi, who claimed the championship in this year's contest final, his team only comprised two members-one acting onstage and the other working backstage.

The physics major performed a one-man show in front of the 2,000 or so audience members in the hall.

His love for acting can be traced back to five years ago when he watched an experimental play in the same hall.

"I imagined how it would feel if I was standing onstage, then my heart raced uncontrollably," recalls Bian.

Last year, the senior turned down a postgraduate recommendation from the School of Physics and decided to take a gap year before graduation, during which he served as a part-timer in a stage drama studio.

Bian says although he has been playing the roles of others, it has actually been more of a process of self-discovery.

"Having to work out what's in the characters' heads, it enables me to better understand others and, at the same time, get to know who I really am," he explains.

Fortunately, Bian is likely to pursue his acting dream after his graduation this summer, and things are looking up on the personal front, too. Zhao Siqi, his backstage partner has since become his girlfriend.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn