About 170,000 hopefuls nationwide, with 90,000 from Beijing alone, have registered their names for a part in the new TV adaptation of A Dream in Red Mansions. The producers are calling for the public's participation, mirroring to Super Girl or American Idol.

 

About 2,500 young aspiring actors from arts schools and other fields took part in the first day of competition Wednesday at the Grand View Garden, the compound where the novel A Dream of Red Mansions is set.

 

Participants demonstrated their talents and their knowledge of A Dream of Red Mansions to the judges. Although most of them do not know what roles they are for, most say any would be fine. Some are weak on the common points of A Dream of Red Mansions.

 

The organizing committee of the activity said that in the first round, the judges attached more importance to the inherent quality of the participants rather than their professional performance skills. In later rounds, the jury will judge their voices, speech, figures and performance skills.

(CRI November 9, 2006)