Chinese award-winning writer Liu Zhenyun agrees.

Liu's novels — One Sentence Worth Ten Thousand, I Didn't Kill My Husband, and Laughter and Tears: A Novel — have been adapted into Chinese plays. "The emotional impact that theater brings to people cannot be achieved with novels. The process of a writer creating a novel is also quite different from a director creating a theatrical production. A theater director can also imagine and, with different methods, create a space in the theater where performers and audiences breathe and dream together," says Liu. "Theater brings people together, fostering a sense of community and collective experiences."

First premiering in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Feb 23, Laughter and Tears: A Novel, directed by Ding Yiteng, will be staged at the NCPA from Nov 27 to 30. It follows a woman named Hua Erniang who loves jokes and seeks to learn new ones as a fairy who, for over 3,000 years, has searched for jokes in people's dreams. In her laughter, she also tastes the sadness from people's everyday, messy lives.

"My novels have also been adapted into movies. Unlike movies, theatrical productions can be different with each performance. The performers can improvise and interact with the audience, who give instant feedback," says Liu. "I love the unique connection among people in the theater."