THE Fourth Contemporary Theater Biennale will be held at various venues in Shenzhen from Friday to Dec. 3, bringing 12 productions. The dramas from China, the U.K., France, the U.S. and Armenia are set to wow audiences with innovative artistic expressions. Shenzhen Grand Theater ‘The Ballad of the Sad Café’ (China) Plot: Renowned drama director Meng Jinghui, who serves as the biennale’s art director, will present his “The Ballad of the Sad Café,” which is based on the 1951 Carson McCullers novel of the same name. The plot revolves around an unusual and enigmatic relationship between three protagonists who see love as medicine yet find themselves sinking deeper into loneliness. Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 2; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 3 Venue: Shenzhen Grand Theater, Luohu District (深圳大劇院) Metro: Line 1 or 2 to Grand Theater Station (大劇院站), Exit C Theater Thematic Hall ‘Juliet & Romeo’ (U.K.) Plot: In Olivier Award-nominated director Ben Duke’s “Juliet & Romeo,” the two lovers in Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” don’t die in a misunderstanding, but live together ever after. Now they are 40-something, feel constantly mocked by their teenage selves and have decided to confront their current struggles. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 24-25; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 26 ‘Don’t Hang Up’ (France) Plot: French director Maud Galet Lalande’s “Don’t Hang Up” depicts communication between people with a humorous touch, showcasing the loneliness of individuals and the lack of authentic relationships in social life. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 29-30 ‘Fictions, Pumps and Lunacies’ (China) Plot: Director Yang Ting’s “Fictions, Pumps and Lunacies” tells an absurd story set in a private clinic, where desires, lies and misunderstandings proliferate. Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 2; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 3 Venue: Futian Culture and Sports Center ? Theater Thematic Hall (福田文體中心?戲劇主題館) Metro: Line 3 to Yitian Station (益田站), Exit B Music Thematic Hall ‘HA-M-LET’ (U.S.) Plot: “HA-M-LET” is a multimedia adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” staged within a projection cube by Peter Mark from the United States. Mark once explained about the play by saying that “Shakespeare’s text can meet whatever you throw at it and that includes GIFs, memes, and the most contemporary images. Just as Hamlet didn’t know how to cope with what was required of him by the ghost — the image — of his father, I wanted to explore that same connection between body and image; how the past, present, and future can all be layered; and how images can beckon us to act beyond ourselves.” Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 1; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 2 ‘Bukowski’ (Armenia) Plot: Directed by Marieta Dovlatbekyan, the Armenian play presents the life story of U.S. writer Charles Bukowski. It is about what shaped Bukowski as a person, about his love for alcohol, about a thousand women and about one Linda, and about Bukowski’s most sincere poems. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 25; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 26 Venue: Futian Culture and Sports Center ? Music Thematic Hall (福田文體中心?音樂主題館) Metro: Line 2 or 9 to Jingtian Station (景田站), Exit E Dream Works ‘Revisiting the Tale of the Peach Blossom Fan’ (China) Plot: Director Xiao Jing’s “Revisiting the Tale of the Peach Blossom Fan” is inspired by Kong Shangren’s classic script in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Set in a contemporary context, the play presents individual choices and questions the direction of life. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 24-25; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 26 ‘Fall and Flow’ (China) Plot: In young Hong Kong director Ata Wong Chun-tat’s mesmerizing physical theater show, “Fall and Flow,” Wong draws inspiration from the distinctive elements of Hong Kong martial art films. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 28-29 ‘A Rose for Emily’ (China) Plot: Director Yu Erge’s “A Rose for Emily” takes inspiration from the eponymous novel by U.S. writer William Faulkner, using magical realism to depict a woman’s growth in a transforming society. Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 2; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 3 Venue: Futian Culture and Sports Center ? Dream Works (福田文體中心?夢工場) Metro: Line 2 to Lianhua West Station (蓮花西站), Exit A Little Comma Theater ‘She & He & It’ (China) Plot: Director Xiao Han’s “She & He & It” portrays a forbidden love story between a human miner and a virtual being in a futuristic universe which is dominated by virtual reality. Humans have lost their survival skills and intelligent machines are the leaders. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 25; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 26 ‘Everett’s Many-World Generator’ (China) Plot: Director Chen Laoju’s “Everett’s Many-World Generator” reveals how the overlooked genius Hugh Everett was destroyed by his own theory. Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 28-29 ‘A Space for One Person’ (China) Plot: Echoing’s “A Space for One Person”creates interwoven imagery that morphs between body and narrative, creating an environment that directly triggers bodily sensations. Time: 8 p.m., Dec. 1-2 Venue: Little Comma Theater, Shenzhen Women and Children Building, Futian District (深圳婦兒大廈三樓小逗號劇場) Metro: Line 2 or 9 to Jingtian Station (景田站), Exit C Booking: WeChat miniprogram “大麥” (Cao Zhen) | 