French dramatist Moliere's classic "The Miser" to be restaged in Beijing

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The classic play "The Miser," or "L'Avare," by French playwright Moliere will be restaged at the Beijing People's Art Theater, decades after its last performance by the theater in the 1980s.

The five-act comedy, focused on the miser Harpagon's stinginess, will be performed at the theater's extension Beijing International Theater Center on April 19.

The play was first staged at the theater in 1959 as a celebration for the 10th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, the revisit of the play means not only a new exploration of the classic work, but also an important step in international exchanges, the theater said in a statement.