The story that never ends

In 2005, Huang and his friend Wang Cailian, both young aspiring scriptwriters, wandered the hutong near their school, the Central Academy of Drama, unsure of their futures. Wang, preparing for a second attempt at the academy's doctoral entrance exam in scriptwriting, and Huang, working as a teaching intern at the drama academy and the Beijing Film Academy, found themselves asking existential questions.

"When I returned to the dormitory that night, we took a long walk together," Huang remembers. "It was winter, cold and dark. The hutong (alleyways) near Nanluoguxiang were quiet and narrow. We were both in our 20s, thinking about existence, purpose and what makes life meaningful." It was during these conversations that the seed of To Be Continued was planted.

The play tells the story of 28-year-old Molly, who is suddenly confronted by Death. She is told she will die unless she first identifies the single most important thing to take with her; failing to do so would force her to repeatedly relive the last day of her life. Molly embarks on a journey of discovery, grappling with mortality, love and purpose.