FOUNDED in 1962, the Tibet Drama Troupe has performed in Beijing on several occasions. Its first group of players were trained in the Tibetan class of the Shanghai Drama Theatre.

After graduation they took a full-length play to Lhasa, but it was not accepted by the local people who had just won their emancipation and who had never seen a stage play.

To make their plays acceptable, they performed skits and light comedies in the streets reflecting the daily life of the emancipated serfs. They toured from place to place and wherever they went they helped train cultural and art workers and set up local culture and art centres. Their plays were gradually accepted by the local people, and they began to introduce folk tales into their performances. Later, full-length plays were staged.

The Tibet Drama Troupe works wholeheartedly for the audience. Fresh footprints of the players can be found in every part of Tibet. They cross mountains and hills on horseback or on carts. Sometimes they go to remote areas to give special performances for one or two herdsmen's families. Even in adverse weather, the players go on with their performance.

Once they were performing The Twin Sisters Forbidden to Come to the World in an open-air theatre. As part of the play's action, most of the players had to strip to their waists and be barefooted. The weather changed suddenly and it began to snow heavily. The audience pleaded with the troupe to stop the play or at least put on more clothes. Fully acknowledging the people's kindness, the actors went on. When the play came to an end, many members of the audience jumped on to the stage, embracing the players. Afterwards, they invited the players to their families, treating them to hot buttered tea.

The troupe is a united collective, in which every member has a strong sense of performing for the honour of the collective. The players, old and new, never vie with one another for the principal roles. Deyang, who played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Qiangba who played the leading role in Princess Wencheng, both prominent actresses, are playing minor roles in Songtsan Gambo.

At present the troupe has some 100 members, compared with 20 in the early 60s. The troupe has its own scriptwriters, directors and stage artists. All the players are Tibetans who are able to perform in both Han and Tibetan languages.

(This article appears on page 9, No. 27, 1982)