Inspiring legal minds

"Why do we study law? What kind of legal professionals do we want to become?" These were the fundamental questions raised by the students of Shanghai's East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) in their classrooms.

In fact, the genesis of these questions began over 80 years ago. In 1937, an important trial took place in Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. Lei Jingtian, who would later become the dean and the first Party Secretary of ECUPL, was then the head of the high court in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border region. He answered the questions posed above through his verdict in a sensational murder case.

This is the story that the play, The Choice, depicts. The drama revolves around the 1937 trial, in which Huang Kegong, a former heroic soldier and Red Army commander, turned into a murderer when he shot and killed a female student named Liu Qian after she rejected his marriage proposal.

Yan'an was then the capital of the Shaan-Gan-Ning border region, the Communist Party of China's base to resist Japanese aggression. At the time of the murder, the region's high court had been operational for only two months, and its legal system was still incomplete.

Faced with the crimes committed by his comrade Huang, Lei found himself in a torturous struggle with his emotions that conflicted with the precepts of law and the issues of guilt, punishment, privilege and justice. He had to make a choice.

The verdict of the trial was the death penalty for Huang. However, while dramatizing how the judicial process unfolded, the play also illustrates how the Communist Party of China transformed traditional concepts of justice into the modern legal principles that now exist in China, which illustrates the guiding force of social development. Lei advocated for a people-centered approach as to how laws should be built. In a draft document that he left, he emphasized fairness and the need to adhere to the rule of law.

Using this document as the creative starting point, ECUPL created a strong production team to deliver the play The Choice.

According to the show's producer Shi Chunxuanzi, the production required more than 300 days of preparation. The creative team collected historical materials, conducted field research in Yan'an, interviewed a 94-year-old professor in Beijing, and invited professional actors from the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and the National Theatre of China.

During this process, over 30 legal experts served as advisers for the play and they held more than 10 seminars to validate the feasibility of the script.

In May 2021, the play premiered under the name Lei Jingtian at the Meiqi Grand Theatre in Shanghai. Now, it has been renamed The Choice and has been performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, running for three consecutive shows from Nov 2 to Nov 4 and achieving success once again.

This play exists not only on the grand theater stages but also within the campus of ECUPL.

Inspired by this production, the university has introduced the course "Lei Jingtian and Legal Culture Education". Students are required to visit venues, conduct practical research, investigate history, engage in discussions, and reflect on the play. They also learn about acting and performance, experience the artistic creative process, and practice teamwork. In the end, the result is a youth version of the Lei Jingtian play.

The course includes a director's unit, a stage supervision group, a props crew, a costume cohort, a lighting and sound team, and a news and photography ensemble, all designed to enable students to discover their roles in the production and to develop their particular comprehensive skills.

Previously, students have created various original cultural works, including poetry recitations like Salute to Lei Jingtian, Always Follow the Party, a musical dance titled Balance, and research reports inspired by the case that led to The Choice.

"It was a great trial. The outstanding patriot Li Gongpu predicted that it would set a good example for the legal system of New China," noted Guo Weilu, ECUPL's Party Secretary.

"This course is, first and foremost, a course of ideological and political education with a strong value orientation. It incorporates Party history, legal history, and the university's history, embodying the principle of the Communist Party of China placing the people first," he added.

Actor Zhang Tong, who plays Huang Kegong in the professional version of The Choice, also appreciated the educational value of the play for young people.

"Philosophy tells you the truth directly, while drama contains the truth within it," he said. "In fact, the students are closer in age to the characters in the play. At that time, Lei Jingtian was in his early 30s, and Huang Kegong was 26. By rehearsing this play, students have organized their knowledge system and reflected on their life choices."

On the school stage, Gen Zers have portrayed vibrant characters and used drama to express their own understanding of the history of China's ongoing legal development.

Lin Zeyu, a student from the university, once played the role of a Red Army soldier during the course. He believes that Lei Jingtian demonstrated the qualities of an excellent Party member and embodied the consciousness that a legal professional should possess during the trial.

He also thinks that Lei was able to unwaveringly stand on the side of the law and be firmly with the people, even in the face of a dilemma that pitted the pull of emotions against the precepts of the law.

To him, these symbolic metaphors in the play may also illustrate how the Communist Party of China can earn the trust and support of the people.

Professional actor He Bin, who portrays Lei Jingtian, visited ECUPL to serve as a mentor for this course.

"It was a mutual learning process. I discussed acting in the play with the students, and the students explained legal knowledge to me. We all shared the same emotions and often had tears in our eyes during this process," he said.

"Good drama and the power of the human spirit can touch everyone, regardless of their age."

Producer Shi agrees. "As the lines in the play narrate, 'Our law grows from the soil', and 'Lift the people and justice above our heads', young people are moved and empathize with the spirit of 'ruling the country by law'. For them, this play is the most illustrative and vivid legal education," she said.