The Berliner Theatertreffen is one of the biggest theater festivals in the world. It's been an annual fixture in Berlin's art scene for over 50 years. This Saturday marks the Theatertreffen's fourth edition in China. In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut, Wu Promotion, a performing arts promoter in China, brings this year’s event with two noteworthy works from 2018's Berliner Theatertreffen.

Two classics by two young theater directors will make their debut in Beijing.

The opening production of Die Odyssee – to be staged on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tianqiao Arts Performing Center – is a re-imagination of Homer's Greek epic based on the legendary hero Odysseus.

The story focuses on his two sons – Telemachus and Telegonus – as they await their father's return from fighting in the Trojan War.

With elements of pop culture, the production hopes to make the ancient folklore resonate with the younger generation.

Dramaturg Matthias, Gunther with Thalia Theater explained: So we find the solutions in pop music and dance theater and the representation of the body which is very modern there. But I think there's a lot of humor and funny things in the historical text. It's important that we learn to read and to see with a new view of the historical text, so we have a very good communication from today with the past day.

Now on its fourth showcase in China, the Berliner Theatertreffen offers a variety of German works.

The second play, Drums in the Night – adapted from the playwright Bertolt Brecht's work of the same name – is a story about choices. It will debut in China in July.

Yvonne Budenholzer, who helps organizing the event shared with CGTN: Theatertreffen is a festival which invites very year ten very different pieces form different directors from different theaters. The idea is to create a snapshot of contemporary German theater from one season. If we do the selection for China, our question is what will work in China, which piece we can bring to China, and which piece will be interesting for the Chinese society, which piece is understandable.

Aside from stage plays, the Theatertreffen in China will also host talks, workshops and seminars.

It will run until July 15.

(CGTN)