Treasure

"On this day—on this night, Misha, I swear to you, I will always cherish and maintain the passion for life, the longing for beauty."  

This line from The World in My Hands is where my drama dream began. When the curtain opened for the first time for me three years ago, I didn’t know that the sound of the rolling screen and tracks would start a performance lasting throughout my youth.  

We adapted this play into The Youth and collaborated with the Soaring Drama Club to represent our school in a competition. A senior I deeply respected gave me affirmation that made me believe in my choices for the first time: "After that rehearsal, I really felt you’re an incredibly amazing person... Thank you for being in this troupe." Being recognized by someone I looked up to helped that anxious freshman find a sense of belonging. It turns out the stage never turns away any soul with sincerity.  

I’ve had countless dreams of a grand finale, imaging of a play I directed shining on stages across the school, even the nation. When I realized this dream and, together with my teacher and two co-founders, gave it a resonant name, The West Light, I also completed a personal redemption.

 Our performance of The Hidden Man at the art festival was a "failure" in terms of execution—my ambition to cram an entire movie’s plot into twelve minutes made the narrative fragmented and the impact less than ideal. But ironically, this performance made the entire school aware that our school had a drama club called The West Light. Even more luckily, this exploration brought together more like-minded peers, and the new iteration of The West Light truly took shape at that moment.  

In my second year, after the global exams, I wanted to do something big. This time, I had more confidence and prior experience. For a whole month, I poured my heart into Murder, and the return made me proud—The West Light’s first national first prize representing our school.

We incorporated dance, choreographed and guided by my desk mate, which was undoubtedly an innovation in secondary school theater. The rose petals falling from the sky amazed the audience and left a deep impression—this stage design was meticulously planned. For music, we used original compositions and live accompaniment, a tradition maintained since The West Light’s founding. The classical, emotionally rich piano enhanced the dramatic effect, and the joyful waltz at the end was specially composed to commemorate our hard yet happy rehearsal days. For me, it was a unique experience. As director, scriptwriter, stage designer, and lead actor, I had to oversee every part. This time, the lines were closer to life and focused on inner emotions. I’m deeply grateful to the other members for their advice on my acting and for accompanying me through revisions and practice day and night.  

"We are a newly established club, but we are a troupe that dares to dream, dares to act, and dares to perform."  

From the new step of The World in My Hands to the maturity of Murder, The West Light was rated one of  "The Most Outstanding Clubs" within just a year of its founding. But more precious than awards were the evenings rehearsing until sunset, the screams and tears hugging each other in the rehearsal room after a successful wrap, and the determined looks we exchanged while holding hands during each curtain call.  

The stage is a magical place—it brings to life the ideals we dare not imagine. And the curtain call is a farewell to youth—a toast to fleeting romance and boundless passion, to all of you who have been by my side realizing this dream together!  

Thanks to HFLS, my high school, the one we like to call The Xiaohe Mountain Drama Academy, which provides the stage with fine equipments and great teachers and friends. Still, I am on my way to keep writing scripts and turning them into real performance after application season.

Treasure: spoken to the curtain opened for the first time for me three years ago.