A scene from stage play The Age of Awakening Photo: Lu Yushuo/Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

As China marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), theaters across the country are staging a series of productions with revolutionary themes. 

Through diverse forms of the performing arts, including plays and dance dramas, these works revisit the Party's history and carry forward its revolutionary spirit.

In Shanghai, the birthplace of the CPC, the stage play The Age of Awakening is scheduled to be performed at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre (SDAC) from Wednesday to Sunday, the SDAC told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

The stage adaptation of The Age of Awakening, based on the acclaimed TV drama of the same name, unfolds a magnificent historical panorama of modern Chinese history spanning the New Culture Movement, the May Fourth Movement and the founding of the CPC. 

It artistically recreates the stirring years a century ago, when progressive intellectuals and passionate young Chinese pursued truth and lofty ideals. Boasting profound historical depth, cultural connotations, incisive ideological enlightenment and innovative aesthetics, the play reveals the historical inevitability of the birth of the CPC and the correctness of the path China has chosen, according to the SDAC.

The New Culture Movement, starting in 1915, provided the ideological and cultural foundation for China's development, Chinese Social Sciences Today reported. 

The May Fourth Movement of 1919, launched by young intellectuals and joined by people from all walks of life, was a patriotic and revolutionary campaign that fought against imperialism and feudalism. 

Different from the TV drama, the stage version delivers a far more intense and breathtaking immersive experience, an audience member named Ling Lansheng said. 

With constantly shifting lights and shadows on stage and crowds bustling restlessly for the nation's dim and uncertain future, the performance powerfully evokes the spirit of that era. 

Watching the characters strive to awaken the whole country, pull the nation out of crisis, and uphold their original aspirations and lofty ideals despite hardships and sacrifices, the audience was deeply moved, said Ling. 

Meanwhile, the drama Red Origin is being staged from Tuesday to Friday at the National Theatre of China in Beijing, taking audiences back to the eve of the founding of the CPC.

The drama is adapted from the full-length non-fiction book of the same name by Ye Yonglie. 

Luo Lan, director of the drama, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the drama breaks away from the linear narrative of the original text and instead selects key "milestones" from the years 1919-21. 

Using a political discourse-style narrative, it clearly depicts the founding of the CPC in Shanghai. The production adopts a blend of history and present-day perspectives, integrating multiple artistic forms such as poetry and documentary-style expression, Luo said. 

At its core, the play adopts the perspective of contemporary youth to faithfully present the monumental events that transformed China a century ago, Luo noted.

"Rather than pursuing superficial resemblance in portraying historical figures, we encourage actors to achieve a profound spiritual and emotional resonance with their prototypes," Luo said. 

"Through this production, we hope contemporary young audiences can feel the power of youth, as well as the inspiration of ideals and faith. Today's youth share the same passion, aspirations and sense of mission as the progressive young generation a century ago. It is this spiritual connection and resonance that we aim to convey to every audience member: The power of ideals and faith is eternal," she said. 

In terms of stage presentation,  Red Origin breaks the stereotypical views many hold toward "revolution-themed dramas." The highly fluid, symbolic stage space integrates multimedia visuals with the live theatrical performance, enabling the production to retain profound historical weight while brimming with youthful vitality and modern aesthetics. 

"We have established a contemporary theatrical style. Minimalist geometric lines, merely a dozen chairs and multimedia screens are deployed to create a freehand, abstract stage environment," Luo added.