Theater plays key role in dramatic tradition

Born in Beijing and trained at a young age to be a parachutist, Feng started his acting career in the late 1970s. Two applications to join the Beijing Film Academy were rejected because he was considered not to be sufficiently handsome.

He became known through his performances in movies and television dramas, especially the 2001 TV series Don't Talk to Strangers, themed on domestic violence, in which he played a jealous husband.

But to Feng, nothing compares to acting in a theater.

"I grow and change with a role. For example, Wang Mantang, comes alive through me. Every time I play the part, I twist it a little bit to make the role more alive and full of emotion," he said.

Last year, he directed a play for the first time－Du Fu, based on the life of the eponymous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet. Feng and his wife both performed in the production.

Liang, 66, who trained to be an acrobat from a young age and started her acting career during the 1970s, said: "It's very rare for a Chinese play to be staged for decades and performed by different generations of actors. Acting is not all about academic training. We gain experience by working with veteran actors and learn from them."

During Spring Festival in 2017, her father, the playwright Liang Xin, died. However, the classic play Sunrise, by Cao Yu, was being staged at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, in which Liang played two roles.