The Ministry of Culture has already sent out invitations to domestic and foreign art troupes to perform at the National Grand Theater, expected to open to the public in September 2005. But with two-thirds of the main construction complete, the theater is looking ahead to some serious operational problems.

A few weeks ago, the news broke that no operations entity or system has yet been set up for the National Grand Theater. In an interview on February 20, 2004, Zhou Zhiqiang, head of the Administrative Office and the Performance Management Department of the Grand Theater, told reporters that he was quite worried about the situation. He is not the only one who is concerned.

Three obsessions

The largest cultural project during China’s Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-05) period, the National Grand Theater is finally taking shape after nearly half a century of deliberations. Some 2.7 billion yuan (US$324 million) was allocated for construction of the massive 200,000-square-meter egg-shaped structure.

Many theater professionals believe the project marks a milestone in China’s cultural history. Yet they are concerned about the apparent lack of operational preparedness.

“In my opinion, the construction of the software and hardware of the theater should have been started simultaneously in order to function on an international level. In some ways, the importance and difficulty the Grand Theater’s operations present may be greater than its construction,” says Wu Zuqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and director of the Art Committee of the Grand Theater. “We are very worried. Once the theater is put into operation, somebody needs to manage such a large and professional venue, but it seems there is not enough time now.”

Zhou Zhiqiang spoke frankly about what he calls the Three Obsessions:

First, it is still not clear which organization will be responsible for the Grand Theater. “Who will be in charge of the theater? The Ministry of Culture or the Beijing municipal government or who? That is still unknown,” says Zhou. Normal operations cannot begin until this is decided.

Second, the nature of the Grand Theater entity has not yet been determined. No one knows whether it is to be run as an enterprise or government institution, or whether performances there will be staged commercially or as a public service. No preparations can be made, since operations for the two types of performances differ substantially. If the theater is operated as an enterprise, expenses such as advertising and all potential sources of income must be calculated and weighed. If performances are given as a public service, government support will be required and must be considered in the budget.

Moreover, national theaters in other countries generally fall into one of two categories. One is a theater that belongs to a designated troupe or performance organization, such as those in Moscow or Britain’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. These theaters support their affiliated troupes. The other type is a general performance venue, such as Australia’s Sydney Opera House.

Wu Zuqiang is of the opinion that China’s Grand Theater should be a cultural public service facility, “Grand theaters in most countries get 70 percent, or at least 40 to 50 percent, funding from the government. No national theater anywhere operates independently, since it represents the cultural image of the nation.”

Once the nature of the Grand Theater is defined, the third obsession comes into play. As the most prestigious performance venue of the country, and one that is built and run according to the highest international standards, the operating costs of the Grand Theater will be considerable. But if the threshold is set too high, ticket costs will make it inaccessible to the general public.

“Looking at the situations in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the threshold for ordinary viewers to enjoy various artistic performances is already high enough. Frankly, I myself couldn’t afford it if I had to pay for all the concerts I have attended,” says Wu Zuqiang.

What is “first class”?

The main issue creating the third obsession comes from obscurely defined quality standards for Grand Theater performances.

Zhou Zhiqiang has proposed two “first class” principles: Only first-class international troupes and only first-class domestic troupes may perform in the Grand Theater. “However,” he asks, “who will appraise and define ‘first class’?”

Wu Zuqiang believes that because the theater was built by combining strengths throughout the nation after more than 40 years of deliberation, it should serve as a window of exchange and a platform for both domestic and foreign cultures and arts.

Peking Opera, as China’s representative performing art, is naturally closely associated with the Grand Theater. Wu Jiang, head of the China Peking Opera Theater, believes that the Grand Theater should first be a place that appeals to the Chinese people, reflecting their tastes and current trends. At the same time, it should enable and encourage foreigners to fall in love with Chinese culture.

Says Wu Jiang, “Since the preparations for the Grand Theater started, related departments have required us to plan new operas. We have been thinking all the time about what plays will be suited to the stage of the Grand Theater.”

Currently, the Central Opera Theater is prepared to begin rehearsals of an original opera adapted from Du Shiniang by Fen Menglong (a famous compiler of anthologies of popular literature in the Ming Dynasty). It presents Chinese style and content within the medium of Western opera.

Art Committee embarrassment

According to Wu Zuqiang, when construction of the Grand Theater began an Art Committee was set up under the authority of the State Council. Wu himself was named as director of the committee. However, in practical operation of the project, the committee is not really in charge of many practical things.

In fact, he says, although Art Committee comprises heads of various major theaters and troupes, together with art and culture celebrities, it is only a body of consultants concerning decorations, acoustics and stage equipment during the construction period. Once construction is complete, the Art Committee has no say over the theater’s status, performances, or general operations.

Internationally, most comparable theaters have an art committee directly involved in operations. Wu says that the future of China’s National Theater Art Committee has not yet been clearly stated.

Heads of troupes offer suggestions

Chen Weiya, deputy chief of the China National Song and Dance Ensemble and a well-known musical director, thinks that no matter how the Grand Theater is operated, its artistic standards cannot be lowered. The Shanghai Grand Theater provides some examples, such as offering no gift tickets, which closes some financial loopholes. Employees of the theater are all dedicated to their work.

Zhao Ruheng, head of the Central Ballet Troupe, hopes the Grand Theater will play a role in encouraging audiences to attend performances. “We are very concerned about whether the audiences really enjoy our performance and whether they are actually willing to buy the tickets. We hope the government can implement some measures to allow more people to appreciate ballet. For example, the theater in France often provides low-cost and discounted tickets thanks to government support.”

Wu Jiang has already started to plan a performance for next year’s Double Seventh Festival. Falling on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the holiday is a traditional Chinese version of Valentine’s Day. Said Wu, “We can produce a performance describing the great love of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, a beautiful Chinese love story passed down from generation to generation. It could attract lovers from all over the world to spend the day at the Grand Theater. People book tickets a long time in advance to see a Broadway play. With successful operations, some day people may also need to book tickets far in advance if they want to watch performances in the Grand Theater!”

(China Youth Daily, translated by Wang Qian for china.org.cn, March 15, 2004)