From September 15th-17th, an original SUFE history stage play the Founding of Shanghai College of Commerce was presented at the Student Art Centerat 19:00 for three nights to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of SUFE.
The script was written by an alumnus Zeng Peizhi. More than 20 alumni and students participated in the play. It demonstrated vividly the profound historical heritage of SUFE, and opened the prelude of celebration of the Centennial Anniversary. School leaders Fang Hua, Zhu Mingxiong, thousands of teachers, students and alumni get together to watch the play.
The scriptwriter Zeng Peizhi was touched by the unremitting efforts that the founders of SUFE had made for the development of the country and the rise and fall of the nation,and took the initiative to consult dozens of the historical data. The script had been revised for more than ten times and it took him two years to finish the play. The play tells the story of the founding of the Shanghai College of Commerce(thepredecessor of SUFE ), the first business college of China in 1921. Mr. Guo Bingwen, who received a PhD from Columbia University, returned to China, and is committed to the development of business education.For days and nights, he worked hard to raise fund in education, business and political circles to start Shanghai College of Commerce. In the play, multiple narrative lines present a view of history: during the time when different social strata were seted with difficulties in economy and development ,how do they make a choice in face of raise fund to start a college,which reflecting courage, enthusiasm, responsibility of the first generation of sufers.
When the curtain fell, photos telling 100 years of SUFE history are projected on the screen, the audiences burst into prolonged applause. One of the audiences told us : “The play is based on the historical facts,adding a lot of strong narrative elements, through the ups and downs in the plots.It enabled the audiences to have a better understanding of the school motto and research orientation .”
As an original play, it has experienced repeated rehearsals. Students and alumni sacrificed their summer holiday to rehearse again and again just for the perfect presentation,so as to tribute to SUFE Centennial Anniversary.
The scriptwriter Zeng Peizhi said, “Most people still somewhat have the impression that sufers are‘too pragmatic’,lacking the humanistic spirit . However, from the SUFE History Museum and history books,we find that many of our early scholars, educators, industry practitioners and students not only made outstanding achievements in the financial field, contributed to the development of the modern theory and practice of the Chinese economy, but also had humanistic care and sense of patriotism in turmoils.”
On the evening of September 17th, all seats are occupied at School Art Center, thousands of alumni gathered to watch the play. This time, the casting members included alumni who loved SUFE deeply and were passionate about acting, they are the former members of the SUFE drama troupe , the span of actors in the play when they are enrolled in SUFE was 15 years, fully embodying continuity of SUFE history.
Lin Xulin, the actor of Guo Bingwen in the play who is also an alumni of School of International Business and Management said: When I was enrolled in SUFE I participated in a play designed for SUFE’s 90th anniversary, after seven years of graduation and I’m now back and took part in such an epic masterpiece.Ten years are like a fleeting. Looking back, I suddenly realize that the time that I spent in SUFE, in the drama troupe and on the stage has already become a part of me. Perhaps playing an important role in such a drama, made my youth complete.
At the end of the show, many alumni can no more conceal their emotions , and came up to the stage to take photos with the actors and staff .
