A historic debut for famous play 'Requiem'

In 2013, Levin's play, The Suitcase Packers, a comedy about eight funerals, was staged in the Capital Theater in Beijing to commemorate what would've been his 70th birthday.

In July 2019, a Chinese version of Requiem will premiere in Beijing, marking the first Chinese language adaptation of Levin's plays. Directed by young, award-winning Israeli director Yair Sherman, the play's leading roles will be performed by Chinese actress Sun Li and veteran Chinese actor Ni Dahong.

Sun will play the role of the young mother whose child dies in her arms. As a mother of three children, she says that she was reluctant to play the part but well understands the role's poignancy.

Chinese veteran actor Pu Cunxin compared Levin's works to the plays of Chinese playwright Lao She, saying: "They both write about the common people and their lives under the influence of the country and the history".

Noam Semel, who was the general manager of the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv from 1992 to 2017, says he will never forget the warm reception from the audience in Beijing when Requiem was staged.

"The audience understood the text of the play and identified with it. They hugged our actors and read the text of Requiem and Levin's poems with our actors. It was really a dialogue between China and Israel."