The Mandarin promotion week on April will feature several activities aimed at students at the University of Macau (UM), including a drama called “Me2 VS He2” from J-One Drama which was formed in 2006.

“J-One Drama” is known to many students in UM as a student drama organization under the Mainland China Student Union. The members of the group usually gather and rehearse on the first floor of J-Building in UM, so they called their group “J-One Drama”. By producing and staging one drama in a year, it aims to promote Mandarin and the culture of mainland China on campus. With both successes and failures, J-One is growing stronger.

“The most well received drama was ‘Rhinoceros in Love’ in 2008. It told a story about a young man who is a paranoiac and falls deeply in love with a girl. It drew a lot of attention and positive feedback,” said Guan Shanxing, an ex-director of J-One Drama. “It was the first time that the university helped us promote the show by putting our information on the E-bulletin of the website. Many people outside of the university came to our show including high school students and working people.” After graduating from UM, Guan went to Australia for a graduate degree and still pays great attention to the development of J-One.

Fang Huanzhi was another member in J-One who has already graduated. Having watched a great deal of dramas since childhood in Beijing, he developed great interest in it. “A fabulous drama is supposed to evoke the audiences’ expectation and to leave them abundant elements to digest afterwards,” said Fang. “Every time I play a role on the stage, it feels like reading a book.” According to him, a splendid actor should learn to totally immerse himself in acting.

In terms of a language barrier between Cantonese and Mandarin, Fang considered Macao as a city with a profound culture that is well suited for the development of drama. “When watching local dramas, I think a language barrier should not exist. If the audiences are crazy about drama, the language problem does not count between the drama and the audience.”

However, the obstacle for the growth of J-One lies in the size and flowing nature of a student community. “The new blood is injected to us, and I’m glad that the new members are not only talented but also responsible,” said Xu Ming, who is one of the principal members of J-One. “But we always face the equipment and funding problems. I hope the construction of the new campus could solve these problems.”

Referring to the future of J-One, the members all hold a great deal of confidence. “The difficult experiences can enrich us and we will always remember those days with J-One which leave us a precious memory,” said Xu.