Small theater festival takes to a different kind of stage

To Be Continued, which premiered in 2007, is about a young woman's conversation with the God of Death before she dies, and it has been staged nationally about 200 times.

"It's like time travel when I talk about my new play and have my earlier play staged at the same venue on the same day. I feel content that I still retain my passion for theater. I like working in theater with my team. We are like kids playing together," says Huang.

The director's background as a biology graduate also benefits his theater work.

"Working in theater is like doing experiments in a laboratory. I like testing different elements onstage with imagination," says Huang.

According to Yang Qianwu, the secretary-general of the Beijing Theaters Association, Huang is among the most popular Chinese theater directors, and his works are well received by audiences, especially the younger generation.

Speaking about small-budget plays like Huang's that are staged at smaller theaters in the capital, he calls them a unique phenomenon.