Dong has been playing roles in dramas produced by the NCPA since 2018, such as Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream; and The Crossroad, which is based on real-life stories of soldiers serving with the Northwest Field Army, one of the main forces of the People's Liberation Army during China's War of Liberation (1946-49).

Yang Qi, who joined the NCPA Drama Ensemble in 2016 — the same year the ensemble was born — plays the role of Beatrice, one of the masters of Truffaldino, and who disguises herself as a man to look for her lover, Florindo, who is in exile.

Yang says that it is the first time for her to play a man onstage, which is both fun and challenging at the same time. She also adds that she rarely does comedy, which she finds very hard.

"The style and flavor of this 18th century classic is faithfully maintained in a modern rendering," she says. "I am not a humorous person and I barely make any joke in real life. During the rehearsals, I observed other actors like Dong, who is a very funny man, and tried to train myself to form the comic sensibility."