To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht's birth, China is organizing a festival in honour of the great German playwright, whose works have been highly recognized and frequently performed throughout the country.

Sponsored by The Foreign Culture Committee, Chinese Writers' Assoc., Chinese Theatre Assoc. and Foreign Studies Department of Social Science Academy, the festival will encompass the following activities:

--Brecht's Centennial Celebration Meeting, to be held May 11, at the Auditorium of Foreign Friendship Assoc.. About 300 people will participate. 20 of them are international scholars on Brecht. Mr. Zhang Li and Mrs. Chen Rong will be chief reporters.

--Seminar on Brecht, to be held in the afternoons of May 11-14, at Xiaotangshan Longmai Hotel. About 60 participants, including 5 international scholars.

--Theatre performance, The Threepenny Opera, by China National Youth Arts Theatre, May 2- June 10, at CNYAT's New Theatre. --Recitations of Brecht's poems and a short play performed by scholars from Hong Kong, at Chao Yang Club.

--Publication of Brecht's works, including a scenario of The Good Woman of Setzuan by Wei Minglun, and Volume 5 of Brecht's Collection, to be published by Anhui Culture and Art Publication House.

For more information, contact Ms. Ye Tingfang, associate director of the Preparatory Committee of Brecht Festival, at Tel&Fax: 86-010-65125094.

--By Wang Ling
China Correspondent