Words from the Artistic Director, Joseph Graves...
Along with producing professional theatre in China, and promoting and facilitating
cultural/artistic exchange between the Chinese theatre communities and those around
the world, I am thrilled to be a part of the efforts as PKU takes the lead in Chinese
higher education in this new field of study. The challenges are enormous, and the
potential nearly unlimited in the use of and the positive effect created by such means of
creative education. Such work not only provides enormous help in guiding students to a
more complete understanding of dramatic literature while at the same time vastly
improving their spoken English skills, but of equal importance, performance oriented
classes foster a kind of creative thinking within students which they will use to great
effect as they move into their professional lives in the wide varieties of their endeavors.
The possibility for performing arts to become regular courses in Mainland universities
is a most exciting one indeed, and, perhaps, a seemingly indispensable one in
developing a fully rounded liberal arts education. And although the current work here of
this nature is not, so far, meant to be a training ground for those interested in going into
the theatre as a profession, but rather, as stated, an educational tool that will impact
students' lives in whatever their chosen field may be, it is interesting to note that a
substantial number of PKU students who participated in its performance oriented
classes, have gone to American universities to pursue MFA's in the theatre arts. Also in
the summer of 2006, a former PKU student, Hu Xiaoqing, an active participant in these
drama in performance programs, directed her own adaptation of The Journey to the
West and The Magic Lotus Lantern at a professional theatre in Texas in the US, and that
three former PKU students, all longtime participants in the above mentioned programs,
toured over 50 American high schools with a new play written and performed by
themselves, The Land of The Dragon (a look at Chinese history) in the fall of 2006. The
Journey to the West and The Magic Lotus Lantern productions and the tour were
arranged by the Institute and were funded by the professional American theatre
companies, The Texas Shakespeare Festival and The Arkansas Repertory Theatre.
Along with producing professional theatre in China, and promoting and facilitating
cultural/artistic exchange between the Chinese theatre communities and those around
the world, I am thrilled to be a part of the efforts as PKU takes the lead in Chinese
higher education in this new field of study. The challenges are enormous, and the
potential nearly unlimited in the use of and the positive effect created by such means of
creative education. Such work not only provides enormous help in guiding students to a
more complete understanding of dramatic literature while at the same time vastly
improving their spoken English skills, but of equal importance, performance oriented
classes foster a kind of creative thinking within students which they will use to great
effect as they move into their professional lives in the wide varieties of their endeavors.
The possibility for performing arts to become regular courses in Mainland universities
is a most exciting one indeed, and, perhaps, a seemingly indispensable one in
developing a fully rounded liberal arts education. And although the current work here of
this nature is not, so far, meant to be a training ground for those interested in going into
the theatre as a profession, but rather, as stated, an educational tool that will impact
students' lives in whatever their chosen field may be, it is interesting to note that a
substantial number of PKU students who participated in its performance oriented
classes, have gone to American universities to pursue MFA's in the theatre arts. Also in
the summer of 2006, a former PKU student, Hu Xiaoqing, an active participant in these
drama in performance programs, directed her own adaptation of The Journey to the
West and The Magic Lotus Lantern at a professional theatre in Texas in the US, and that
three former PKU students, all longtime participants in the above mentioned programs,
toured over 50 American high schools with a new play written and performed by
themselves, The Land of The Dragon (a look at Chinese history) in the fall of 2006. The
Journey to the West and The Magic Lotus Lantern productions and the tour were
arranged by the Institute and were funded by the professional American theatre
companies, The Texas Shakespeare Festival and The Arkansas Repertory Theatre.
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| © Copyright 2009 PKU Institute of World Theatre and Film. All rights reserved. |
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Excerpts from CCTV and BTV interviews with Joseph Graves,
concerning the initial two productions, THE TEMPEST and OUR TOWN,
which inspired the creation of the PKU Institute of World Theatre and
Film.
concerning the initial two productions, THE TEMPEST and OUR TOWN,
which inspired the creation of the PKU Institute of World Theatre and
Film.