To commemorate the late world-famous Chinese leading playwright Mr.Tsao Yu, Beijing People's Art Theatre will restage his masterpiece Thunderstorm, at the Beijing's Capital Theatre Dec.12-17.

Cao Yu is the most outstanding dramatist and poet in China. His three masterpieces, Thunderstorm, Sunrise and Beijingers have held the stage for more than sixty years. Thunderstorm is widely considered to be the best and a milestone in the history of Chinese Spoken Drama. It is an accomplished example of the Western form of drama in China. The emotional conflicts and stresses are skillfully interwoven and counterpoised in such a way that suspense is sustained throughout the play.

The four-act play is set in the home of a 1920's industrialist, where a family has come together with the inexorable fatality of a Greek drama. It leads the audience to see the disintegration of the fabric of the old society.

Since 1933, Thunderstorm has been performed again and again and has become a repertory of the People's Art Theatre. This time the cast includes those veterans who had performed in 1956, such as Zhu Lin and Zheng Rong, as well as new stars, such as Pu CunXin and Zheng TianWei. Critics who have seen their rehearsals all highly appraised its new changes.

Thunderstorm will run Dec.12-17 at 7:00pm. For tickets call 65250996. --By Wang Ling
China Correspondent