Young artists from the Jiangsu Provincial Kunqu Opera Theatre will demonstrate their mastery of a classical opera genre inscribed on the World Intangible Heritage List during the theatre's production of The Peach Blossom Fan at Poly Theatre this weekend (March 17-19).

The three performances will feature two casts.

The first two nights will be performed by the young cast including the 20-year-old Shi Xiaming as Hou and 16-year-old Shan Wen as Li.

It is probably the youngest cast of Kunqu Opera performers in a public show. And the famous Kunqu Opera artists such as Shi Xiaomei, Qian Jinfang and Ke Jun will appear at the final show.

According to Ke Jun, vice-president of the Jiangsu Provincial Kunqu Opera Theatre, the company planned to have the established artists perform the play.

But director Tian strongly suggested letting the young generation have a try after she saw their daily training and rehearsals.

"Since we are working on reserving and developing Kunqu Opera, we'd better bring up more young performers," Ke told China Daily. "So after listening to director Tian's advise, all the veteran artists agreed to let their students join cast A without any hesitation."

Tian's reason is nothing more than having actors and actresses at the same age as the roles they portray.

"I believe audiences would like to see young Li and Hou. They were 16 and 20 when the story happened and now the actress Shan and actor Shi are at the same age.

"The Kunqu Opera artists in their 40s and even 50s have rich performing experience but I don't think they fit teenage roles," she said.

Tian said she was impressed by the gentle manner and sense of artistry when she first saw Shi standing in the shadow of the ancient architecture Chaotiangong, where the company is located.

"He was the Hou in my mind at first sight," Tian said.

But it's really hard for viewers to relate a 20-year-old boy who loves playing PSP games and singing Jay Chou's songs during his spare time to the scholar who falls in love with a pretty courtesan 300 years ago.

Though all the young performers have received strict training of Kunqu Opera for at least six years, the company invited history and literary professors from Nanjing University, playwrights, painters and calligraphist to give them additional classes on the historical background of the story.

(China Daily March 14, 2006)