"The Gin Game," a play written by Donald L. Coburn, started shows at the Capital Theater in Beijing Saturday, and will run until Aug. 20.

The play is the first production of the Beijing People's Art Theater after it reopened as the COVID-19 epidemic wanes.

"The Gin Game" won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1978, and was first brought to Chinese audience in 1985 by the Beijing People's Art Theater.

Set in the United States, the play tells the story of two lonely old persons, who have gone through ups and downs in their lives and have been abandoned by society and their families. They try to relieve their loneliness by playing cards in a nursing home.

During the shows, the total audience will not exceed 30 percent of the theater capacity. Meanwhile, other epidemic prevention measures including disinfection and sterilization of public areas and setting up a temporary quarantine area will be implemented.