"In the past few years, China's original theater scene has made rapid progress, and many new talented performers have emerged," says Xu Zhongping, program director of the festival.

"We can't help but notice the growing number of new original shows, the rise of women theater workers, and quality adaptation of literary works, such as Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan's Red Sorghum, and Metamorphoses by Wang Meng, which will be the opening show of the festival."

Among the many people who are excited to see the return of the festival is Constantine Chiriac, the founding chairman of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival and general manager of the Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu, Romania.