A total of 13 Chinese and international plays will be staged during the Lao She International Theater Festival in Beijing from June 7 to July 31.

Jointly organized by Beijing Artists Management Corp (BAMC) and Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, this will be the first international theater festival named after the noted Chinese novelist and playwright Lao She.

As one of the most prominent figures of 20th century Chinese literature, Lao She depicted lives of everyday people and was best known for his novel "Rickshaw Boy" and the play "Teahouse."

"The festival aims to fulfill the audience's increasing demand for theater," said Yang Qianwu, vice chairman of Beijing Theater Association. "It is also responsible for promoting outstanding plays."

As well as "Teahouse" and "Mr. Ma and Son", two classic works by Lao She, renowned foreign plays such as "Camille", "Faust" and "The Miser" will also be staged.

In addition, there will be a theater forum and script reading sessions during the festival, according to the organizer.