The Making of a Star: Face-to-Face with the Main Examiner from the Shanghai Theatre Academy

Author: Li Xuetong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Students come from various paths to seek apprenticeship in performing arts. In recent years, with the prosperity of film and television dramas, this "examination army" has shown an increasing trend year by year. A significant portion of these candidates, along with their parents, often lack awareness. They do not understand what a "drama college" truly is, what qualifications an actor needs, why the performing arts major must be an undergraduate program, what courses are studied over four years, what the admission exams cover, what preparations students need to make, whether there are career prospects after graduation, the current state of the entertainment industry, and whether their own children are suitable for this path. In the eyes of the public, the performance program of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) is seen as a place that cultivates actors for theater and film, and their lives carry a certain mystique. Every year, tens of thousands of candidates from all over the country take the exam, but only a handful are ultimately admitted, showing the intense competition. How the admission exams for the performance program are conducted, how teachers and students interact in class, and even what their daily lives are like—given that STA's performance program has produced so many artists and celebrities, people are eager to gain a deeper understanding. It is hoped that this book will open a gateway to the of art for candidates and their parents applying to the performance program of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as for the readers who are interested in the development of the program!