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Math Drama —“When The Elements Meets The Nine Chapters”

November 28, 2022

At 5 p.m. on November 24th, the original math drama “When The Elements Meets The Nine Chapters” was performed in the Shanghai High School Blackbox Theatre. This was the first time our high school students attempted the genre of “math drama”, where they incorporated mathematical lectures with theatrical performances.

The students’ rendition spoke of ancient tales of geometry, as well as modern stories of math. The play demonstrated the differences between Eastern and Western mathematics, but also how they influenced one another.

This math drama activity was hosted by the Chinese Society of Mathematics Education and organized by the East China Normal University School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Practice, and Shanghai High School International Division. It has attracted a lot of audience on and off the campus, and it was broadcast live to the public through the internet and received a total of over 7k views.

After the performance, Mr. Ma Feng, the high school principal of Shanghai High School International Division, gave high approval to the students and teachers for their meticulous work over the past months, and gave full appreciation to the students for using their unique perspective to present and promote the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese mathematics, hoping that they would continue to maintain their love for mathematics and traditional Chinese culture. Professor Liu Pan from the School of Mathematical Sciences of East China Normal University and Deputy Secretary General of the Mathematical Education Branch of the Chinese Mathematical Society, praised the students for their creative performance, which contributed to the inheritance of mathematical development. Professor Liu also delivered a speech on behalf of Professor Fan Lianghuo, Vice President and Secretary General of the Mathematical Education Branch of the Chinese Mathematical Society, expressing his sincere thanks to all the staff who participated in the performance, all the audience who watched the performance offline and online, and also the teachers and event organizers at our school.

Selected Pictures

Act 1 Scene One An Encounter with Math

Act 2 Scene One A Theorem Shines There

Act 2 Scene Two Listening to the Voices of Liu Hui

Act 2 Scene Three The Dream of Zu Geng

Act 3 Scene One The Infinitesimal Spectre

Act 3 Scene Two The Logic of Mo Zi

Act 4 Scene One New Knowledge from the Old

cast with the visiting guests

Claire as Newton

I have always loved acting, and I can even say that the stage is my second home. I was finally able to overcome the difficulty and finish reciting my lines with emotion. Now I am happy that I continued and had the chance to work with so many amazing people.

Melinda as Liu Hui

I would like to thank the school for providing me this wonderful opportunity. I also want to thank Mr. Eppler and the many drama teachers here for all the guidance and support. This experience has also further evoked my passion of math.

Alyna as Liu Xingshang

Directing the creation of this math drama performance is not only a new experience, but it has also revealed to me the sweats and efforts required behind the stage. In this journey, we made many mistakes, stumbled across countless challenges, and experienced a continuous cycle of stress and fun.

（Written by 11-8 陈怡錡, 11-1 山本凌吾 Pictures by SHSID Media Group Supervised by Yueer Gao Reviewed by Qian Zuo）