Gotcha at the opera

However, apart from the acclaim she has received from younger people, she has also run into flak from older people, some of whom question her loyalty to the old art form.

"When you look at Peking Opera over the past 200 years you can see it's not something that is locked in the past like an exhibit sitting in a museum," Li says. "It keeps changing thanks to the older generation of Peking Opera masters dedicated to keeping it alive and relevant. Different Peking Opera shows are enjoyed by people of different ages. Contemporary young audiences, especially those new to Peking Opera, may be attracted to shows in small theaters."

The Peking Opera actress Suo Mingfang has played leading female roles in Li's productions for small theaters, including in Li's latest production, Hero Wu Song, which premiered in Beijing in August. She will play the leading role of A Love Beyond staged at Star Theater on March 24 and 25.

"I can still recall the first time when I played at small theater," says Suo, 35, who joined the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing in 2006 after graduating from the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts.

"The audiences sat so close to the stage that I could even hear the sound of their breath. Just as with traditional shows in big theaters, Peking Opera shows in small theaters are rooted deeply in the old art form, such as how the actors move and sing on stage, but we try to make the shows more contemporary, such as the way in which the stories are told."

Han Yuechao, a Star Theater producer, says: "I don't think Peking Opera is old-fashioned at all. Putting on Peking Opera in small theaters not only means less space than in big theaters but also allows young directors, scriptwriters and actors to experiment with the old art form. Young people are open to various art forms. They are drawn to fresh ideas relating to this traditional art form and are connected to the stories, which resonate with our daily lives."

Star Theater, founded 10 years ago this year, was the first of its kind in Beijing and has become a magnet for drama aficionados, which is the first of its kind in the capital. It staged more than 600 shows last year, pulling in a more than 100,000 people.