It would be hard to imagine modern life without a cell phone, but sometimes our mobiles bring more trouble than convenience. The treacherous territory of the cell phone was explored in the 2003 film of the same name, which told the story of a man and his mobile love affairs. Now a play being staged in Beijing is probing this sensitive theme once again.

The play Men and Women with Desire revolves around a middle-aged man who marries again after divorcing his first wife. He finds himself trapped by his new wife's suspicion and the complaints of his ex-wife and daughter. All because he one-day deletes all his cell phone messages, for fear his wife might misinterpret them.

Ren Ming, Director of Men and Women with Desire said: "Many of my friends face problems in their love lives. This play mirrors these problems. I want to show what life is like for people today. The play is based on real-life experiences."

The two-act play has only four characters: the husband, wife, ex-wife and daughter. Despite its simple structure, it delves into some of the most sophisticated problems of modern-day marriage.

Gu Zhixin, Actor of Men and Women with Desire said: "We look at some of the typical problems existing in modern-day marriages. I think most people who watch the play will find at least some similarities with their own lives, so they should find it very real-to-life."

The production opened at the Beijing People's Art Theater on Tuesday and will run for two weeks.

(CCTV.com January 17, 2006)