BEIJING, Aug. 15 -- The Chinese stage-version "Revolutionary Road," adapted from American author Richard Yates' famous novel of the same name, premiered at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing Wednesday.

The play, starring Chinese actor Sha Yi and actress Hu Ke, is set in America in the 1950s. It tells the story of a middle-class couple who tries to rid themselves of their dull and hopeless life but end up failing.

Published in 1961, the novel was nominated for an American National Book Award. The movie version of the novel was released in 2008. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the film was nominated for three Oscars.

"As a realistic play, it presents the life the way it is, rather than the way you long for, including disappointments, awkwardness and quarrels in life," said Jiang Tao, a professor at the Central Academy of Drama who directed the play.