The awarding ceremony for Zebra Awards Photo: Courtesy of Ta Su

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese theater workers are lifting people's spirits and hopes of defeating the deadly virus through stage creations. On Friday, one of China's most renowned theater festivals, the Beijing Fringe Festival, announced the winners for its very first Zebra Awards to reward those creative people for their effort and persistence. 

The biggest winner, with a total of 12 awards, was One Fine Day 2020, whose director Li Jianjun took home the Best Director award. The opening drama for the festival, the play stars 19 ordinary people telling their own stories about their lives. 

According to the judge panel, the power of the stage lies in how it can arouse audience's sympathy, which is exactly was what Li's drama had accomplished: portraying a feeling of warmth for life.  

The director said at Friday's ceremony that receiving the award was a special moment for him. 

Other winners include Gu Lei, who grabbed Best Playwright for The Creek between Mountains, Zhao Yang, who nailed down Best Actor for The Outsider, and Chen Xindi, as Newcomer of the Year for his performance in In parallel-We Will Meet Again.