Young directors and actors are breathing new life into traditional Chinese opera forms with creative adaptations and innovative approaches to performance, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

When young director Le Bojuan formed her troupe to attend the Daliangshan International Theater Festival in Xichang, Sichuan province, through Dec 1, she was surprised to find there were six "directors" on her team.

As five of her six actors make their livings as directors, the rehearsal process was extremely slow at first, with everyone having their own opinions about the opera production and often talking all at once.