On the evening of May 19, students from the acting major staged their successful graduation drama in the main hall of the Humanities Building, attracting hundreds of spectators and earning wild applause.
Story of a Stairway (Historia de una escalera in Spanish) was adapted from the script written by Antonio Buero Vallejo, the father of modern Spanish drama. It is set against the background of the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s. In a neighborhood community centered around the stairway, romantic love and life’s struggles occur generation after generation. Though they loved each other deeply, desperate circumstances forced hero Fernando and heroine Carmina to marry other people. They face the death of their loved ones and the degeneration of idealists. Up and down the same stairway, the neighbors spend their whole life here, from birth to passionate youngster, from tired middle-aged person to an older person, and eventually all the way to death. What changes is their fashion, but what remains is the same love and hope for the life of tomorrow. The brightest smile will not disappear but transcend to the descendants.
Fernando and his true love Elwira
The family of Elwira and Fernando twenty years later
Conflicts between neighbors on the stairway
Unlike previous graduation shows, this performance incorporated a lot of Spanish dance elements. The dynamic music, the blurred lighting, and the exquisite choreography all combined into an optimum audio-visual enjoyment for the audience. In such a marvelous atmosphere, the student performers conquered the audience, caused laughter with tears, and earned applause throughout the show for their brilliant performance.
Spanish style dance
After the show, guests and teachers took to the stage and spoke highly of the graduation drama. They expressed their reluctance to separate from the graduating students, and in turn wished them everlasting enthusiasm and a bright future, leading to a sweet end of this first graduation drama performance.
Pan Haoming, the hero Fernando in this drama
The actor of the hero Fernando in this drama, Pan Haoming, shared his unique memory about this drama. He said that the true expression of emotion on stage and the release of the heart are the most precious experiences. “Stage art must be performed with vigour, and this is what we actors are meant to do.” In the future, he would keep the fire of his art alive in his heart and continue to try his best on the road of acting.
Group photo after the curtain call
Dean of the School of Art Liu Danli, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Art Wang Liping, the famous TV host Tian Ye, the famous actor Lu Yu and teachers of the School of Art enjoyed the incredible drama. With no empty seat for any of the performances from 19 to 22 May, the graduation drama was an incredible success.
Photo by Zhao Jiaxi, Zheng Zicheng
Edited by Qin Zehao, Wei Yena, Zhang Yilin.
