The inaugural GBA Youth Theatre Festival (GYTF) officially opened on the evening of October 25th with a successful performance of its opening production, "The Homecoming," at Zhongshan Hall on the Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus.

Co-produced by the Art Troupe of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government, "The Homecoming" was co-written by Gong Yingtian and Taiwan theatre director Li Tsung-hsi, who also directed the production. It stars Tang Lihua and Wang Yi, alongside Taiwanese actors Ben Lee and Jones. With a bowl of beef noodles as its narrative thread, the play traces five generations' love for family and country, capturing nearly 70 years of change across the Taiwan Strait through the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Ben Lee, a lead actor from Taiwan, said the play represents a journey in which those far from home cross mountains and seas in search of their roots, and expresses the deep attachment to family and country ingrained in Chinese people. The director uses a double-deck revolving stage to move between more than 30 scenes, while Beijing and Taiwan accents mingle in the dialogue.

A roundtable discussion at the opening ceremony explored how theatre could empower young people in the Greater Bay Area, bringing together Luo Huaizhen, Chen Sisi, Andrew Lau and Zhao Miao for an exchange of perspectives across disciplines. Luo summed up where good stories come from in six Chinese characters, stressing the need to be rooted in local culture, engaged in the here and now, and connected online. He reminded young creators that they all hold a unique trump card—their own birthplace, cultural heritage and local customs.

Chen Sisi noted that the Chinese title of the play, which literally means "in search of flavor," encompasses the taste of beef noodles, the longing for home and, above all, the cultural roots shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Source: PEARL

深圳：首届大湾区校园戏剧季启幕，12部剧目走进10所高校

10月25日晚，中山大学深圳校区中山堂大幕拉开，随着开幕大戏《寻味》成功演出，首届大湾区校园戏剧季（GYTF）正式启幕。

《寻味》由中华全国总工会文工团、北京市文联、北京市台办联合出品，龚应恬与台湾导演李宗熹联合编剧，李宗熹执导，唐丽华、王毅与台湾演员李志希、柴仲思共同演绎，以“一碗牛肉面、五代家国情”为切口，将两岸近七十年的时代变迁浓缩于市井烟火。

台湾主演李志希说，“寻味”是“游子跨越山海的寻根之旅，是中华儿女刻在血脉里的家国眷恋”。导演以双层旋转舞台完成三十余个场景转换，京腔与台湾腔在对话里交错。

开幕式上，“戏剧赋能湾区青年成长”圆桌分享会举行，罗怀臻、陈思思、刘伟强、赵淼四位嘉宾跨界对话。罗怀臻用六个字概括好故事从何而来：“在地、在场、在线。”他提醒青年创作者，每个人手上都有一张王牌——“我独特的出生地、文化传统、族群习惯”。

陈思思则说，《寻味》“寻的是‘味’，是牛肉面的味道，是乡愁的味道，更是两岸同根同源的文化根脉的味道”。

文｜龚卫锋
摄影｜记者 黄城栋 刘畅 张瑞柠 王子桐
译 | 郑奕玲
审 | 肖凯欣