Sunrise was the first play staged by the Beijing People's Art Theater on Sept 24, 1956. It is about people from all walks of life and their struggles and failures in urban China during the 1930s. A courtesan named Chen Bailu is the story's central figure.
Written by Cao Yu, one of the greatest playwrights of 20th century China, Sunrise was published in 1936.
An adaptation of the classic directed by Feng Yuanzheng is currently being staged at the Cao Yu Theater until March 24.