To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, China National Youth Arts Theatre (CNYAT) is going to put on Brecht's representative work The Threepenny Opera(Die Dreigroschenoper) May 2 to June 10.

Written in 1928, The Threepenny Opera was an epic of the social life of 1920s London and a satire of the materialism and capitalism. It is one of the most frequently performed musical dramas of the 20th century, but this is the first time it will be performed on stage in China.

CNYAT has staged several Brecht's plays, including Leben des Galilei(The Life of Galileo), Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (The Good Woman of Setzuan), and The Caucasian Chalk Circle, etc.. CNYAT, being the leading theatre company doing Brecht's works in China, is sparing no expense on the production. Chen Rong, one of China's foremost female directors, who has directed many notable classics including the above-mentioned Brecht plays, will direct The Threepenny Opera. The cast includes stars Zhang Qiuge (winner of Plum Blossom Prize), Liu Xiaoming, Jiang Baoying.

The Threepenny Opera will be at CNYAT's newly converted theatre at Jiaodaokou.

Time: 7 PM May 2-June 10 Tel: 86-010-64013322 ext 5022, 5024.

-- By Wang Ling
China Correspondent