A scene from Lend Me a Tenor Photo: Courtesy of East West Theatre

Shanghai was home to more than 173,000 expats in 2012 and some of these expats have been taking to the stage, organizing and producing a vibrant theater scene that gives city audiences a chance to see a wide range of classical and modern plays from around the world.

This follows a tradition that began with the opening of Shanghai's first Lyceum Theatre in 1867, where enthusiastic British and other European amateurs for the most part staged plays and performances. Today's theater companies are spread more widely and the Global Times has glanced backstage at some of the movers and shakers here to see how things are in and out of the spotlight.

East West Theatre

Proudly advertised as the longest-running amateur expat theater group in Shanghai, East West Theatre is dedicated to producing quality, English-language shows for city residents and expats.

Since its inception in 2006, the group has produced 25 shows ranging from family favorites (A Christmas Carol) to Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and contemporary classics (Life x 3 by the Tony Award-winning French dramatist Yasmina Reza).

Owen Bell is an actor with the company and also handles its press and publicity. He told the Global Times that the company had been very successful with most of its shows. "We are blessed with a loyal following of expats and locals. There are a lot of people in Shanghai who are very passionate about theater and it's a very welcoming and supportive network," Bell said.

"We recently had great success with The Scream, directed by Christy Shapiro. This was our one-night-only show for Shanghai Pride, the annual LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) festival, and the venue was packed! We also had fantastic houses for Lend Me a Tenor, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Hedda Gabler - all very different shows which have proved that we have a hugely varied and fabulous audience. We would be nothing without them!"

Committed to providing a platform for enthusiasm, participation, dedication and friendship among the city's performance art lovers, the theater group has constantly sought fresh blood for cast and crew. Regularly the company invites directors and producers to pitch production ideas. "We like to keep our output as varied and entertaining as possible in terms of picking a play," Bell explained.

"We have open auditions for actors and it's wonderful to see new talent at every audition. We have worked with talented people from all walks of life - doctors, teachers and, of course, professional actors."

East West Theatre is currently auditioning for two new productions for the coming autumn season. The first is the cult musical, The Shanghai Rocky Horror Show by Richard O'Brian, which will be directed by the Shanghai-based Hollywood director and actor Drago Lazetich and is scheduled to open on Halloween, October 31. "I'm sure the show will be immense fun and popular as there is a lot of audience participation involved," Bell said.

The other show, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, or A Poe Within A Poe is based on the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe and will include dance, mime and circus skills. "The forthcoming season is going to be fun, yet spooky! All I can say now is expect the unexpected."

Bell described the city's expat theater scene as "an ever-changing beast of wonder that cannot be tamed!" He thinks highly of the people involved here.

"Every single person involved in the Shanghai scene here is extremely talented, be they director, producer, stage hand or actor. The passion I see during every show that we produce is overwhelming - there is so much dedication. And it's especially wonderful when you know that these individuals generally have full-time jobs, children to care for or are studying. It's a huge commitment for every single person in every show."

Urban Aphrodite International

Urban Aphrodite (UA) International, founded early last year, is unlike some city expat theater groups as it is currently committed to bringing award-winning English-language plays to Shanghai - "Because these works have proven themselves to be well-written, universal, and to be frank, box office draws," Ann James, the company's founding executive director and producer, told the Global Times.

The company's 2012-13 season which ran through the first half of this year included five shows including the one-man Will Eno show Thom Pain (based on nothing), Noel Coward's Hay Fever, and Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The shows played to sold-out houses of expat and Chinese audiences and had rave reviews in the press.

For its 2013-14 season, UA is planning to stage David Mamet's fast-paced verbal knockabout real estate drama Glengarry Glen Ross followed by The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a hilarious, rapid-fire comedy that delivers all of Shakespeare's 39 in 90 minutes with just three actors.

The new season's line-up also includes Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play which questions morality and religious faith in the 1960s, and Five Course Love by Gregg Coffin, a deliciously over-the-top musical comedy about five calamitous dates.

"Although, at this time we do not work on original pieces, in the future we plan to develop a new playwright's division," said James. She noted that the company has been lucky enough to work with some of Shanghai's best actors. Usually the casts rehearse for six to eight weeks, a few nights a week.

After working in professional theater over the past 20 years, James came to Shanghai to teach English more than a year ago. "I didn't expect to see or do much theater in Shanghai, to be quite honest. When I arrived, I did see a few productions and I have to say they were good, but something was lacking."

She also noted that some community theater companies have come and gone. "Shanghai is a transient city, and I have already lost a few excellent actors and tech crew in just my short time of doing theater here. I think that is the most unique challenge theater producers have here - who is staying and who is going.

"I think Shanghai theater is in a good place, but it could definitely grow and expand more. I encourage new theater companies, troupes and groups to throw their hats into the ring," said James.

Apphia Campbell in the musical Black is the Color of My Voice Photo: Courtesy of Play the Spotlight

Play the Spotlight

A newcomer to the city's expat theater scene is Play the Spotlight. This theater company was formed in October 2012 with the aim of inspiring a love of theater by producing creative, musical and quality theater performances. Apphia Campbell, an American actor and singer in Shanghai, founded the theater company with Rami Abunameh, a Shanghai-based actor and agent.

"Two years ago, I staged a play I wrote called Josephina's Holiday for the Blank Page theater company. It was a modern-day Christmas carol musical. It was primarily seen by musicians and theater community people. And late last year I teamed up with Rami, and we changed the name of the theater company to Play the Spotlight, and put on my latest show Black is the Color of My Voice," Campbell told the Global Times.

Inspired by the life of the legendary American singer Nina Simone and featuring the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Simone, Black is the Color of My Voice ran in Shanghai from late May to early June and won acclaim from critics and audiences. "It was well received by the Shanghai audiences. We were sold out for the first weekend, and overbooked for the second weekend. We then took the show to New York City where it was well received in the Midtown International Theatre Festival," she said.

Campbell has an ambition to create and stage more musical performances. "I choose plays that I am passionate about performing, and characters I have always wanted to play. As a singer, I want to make sure the music is going to sound great, and the acting is equally as professional."

The theater's new season will see Black is the Color of My Voice having a return season in Shanghai from the third week of October, as well as the staging of a Christmas musical early in December featuring songs by Mariah Carey, The Jackson 5, Babyface and others.

As a theater professional, Campbell thinks Shanghai's expat theater scene is diverse though small. "I feel a lot of people are willing to give it a try. And it's also great for individuals here to have the freedom to do a show while maintaining a normal working schedule. The great thing about the city's theater scene is that we all support each other. We go to everyone's plays and cast parties, and make sure we help each other." 

A performance of the Tin Foil Hat's show Interview Photo: Courtesy of Michael Beets

Tin Foil Hat Productions

Tin Foil Hat Productions is an independent Shanghai theater group created by Michael Beets, an Australian filmmaker who is interested in the concept of transmedia, telling stories through various platforms to enhance narratives.

His most recent work Interview was staged in Shanghai in November 2012. Set around an interview between Katya, a B-grade celebrity actress and Pierre Peters, a war correspondent, Beets integrated the play with film and live visuals woven into the story line to create a fluid action-packed drama.

As well as the play itself, he created an online platform (a website and Facebook page) in which the audience could participate with the character of Katya in the lead up to the performances.

"What I'm doing now is based on transmedia, a new form of theater which is more modern and accessible for a younger audience. I think it's important to embrace technology into performances, just as I've done with Interview," Beets told the Global Times.

"In terms of the way I created all sorts of things before the show, it's still very new and experimental in Shanghai. For example, I created a Facebook account for the character so audiences could go and become friends with the character before the show. They really enjoyed being involved."

He said it cost him between 20,000 yuan ($3,266) and 30,000 yuan to produce a show - this covered the cost of renting lights and venues, paying actors and making pamphlets and posters. "Profits are very small, but it's nice that I can pay for the actors."

Beets also believes that paying people is a good way to start if expat theater groups in Shanghai want to improve. "Because it makes them more professional, more self-motivated and more responsible. With more people doing theater in Shanghai, the entire scene here is becoming more active and the quality has been improving. What would be nicer for expat groups here would be for somehow to get integrated a bit more."

Beets is currently involved in a major innovative project slated for launch in 2014. It involves an original Chinese play, a film, and social networks. "Embracing technology is a trend. But traditional theater, watching people perform on stage, will always exist and will always be the most important form."