History of Chinese and Foreign Drama

Author: Liu Yanjun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-02-01
Features: This series of "Art Classroom" books is compiled for the purpose of art education in universities. Education is not merely about the dissemination of knowledge and the cultivation of skills, but also about fostering the character that marks the progress of human civilization and social advancement, and this is particularly true for university education. Confucius said, "When you enter a country, you can know its education." Confucius meant that through different teaching materials, subjects, and educational models such as poetry, books, music, the I Ching, and rites, the character formation of the people would be influenced differently. Since the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the modern education system has gradually taken shape, greatly enriching the connotation of education. National education has long since moved beyond being limited to a single teaching material or educational model. From the perspective of character formation, an educational model that combines multiple subjects is more suitable for cultivating comprehensive talents needed for social development. However, for China, the introduction of this education system has been too short, far from being mature, and there are inevitably many shortcomings. The severe lag in art education is one of the important manifestations of these shortcomings. Compared to subjects that can more directly cultivate people's practical abilities, especially natural sciences and other practical subjects, the importance of art education, particularly its status in the entire basic education system, has far from been given enough attention. Humans are animals with spiritual lives and need spiritual lives. In the process of character formation, the special significance of art education lies in tempering people's temperament and enriching their souls through poetic means, thereby enriching their spiritual world. In an era where human material desires have surged dramatically, leading to a severe imbalance between material and spiritual pursuits and distorted personalities, art, with its corrective role in promoting healthy personality development, is increasingly highlighting its special significance for human survival and the future. Over two thousand years ago, Confucius already recognized that "gentleness and kindness, that is the teaching of poetry" and that "gentleness and kindness without foolishness, then one is deeply versed in poetry." Indeed, the gentleness and kindness in one's temperament cannot be naturally acquired; they require post-natal education and cultivation. If we accept the character ideals that Confucius advocated, it is not difficult to recognize the value of art and the value of art education. It is true that as more and more knowledgeable individuals begin to advocate for quality-oriented education, the significance of art education has also become a social consensus. Since the mid-1990s of the 20th century, art education in China has begun to heat up rapidly. In addition to the existing art professional colleges and secondary art professional schools being upgraded to become art professional colleges, ordinary comprehensive universities have also established art departments and majors based on their public art teaching and research offices. However, due to the long-term emphasis on technical-level teaching in the field of art professional education, basic research in history and theory has lagged significantly. Across the country, there is a general feeling of lacking suitable teaching materials and reference materials. The need for basic art history and theory textbooks for art departments and majors in ordinary universities, especially qualified teaching materials and reference materials for popularizing basic art knowledge for non-art majors, is particularly urgent. Therefore, organizing experts to compile a series of works on art history and theory to form a relatively complete library of art history and theory is a timely move. With this in mind, we have invited famous experts from various art disciplines in China to compile this series, which includes five major categories: music, fine arts, theater, dance, and film and television. Each category is divided into three volumes: history, theory, and materials. This design allows readers to gain a basic understanding of the overall situation or the basic principles of the art discipline with just one volume in hand, and to master the most important historical documents in the field. The authors of this series are all experts who have immersed themselves in their respective fields for many years, possess expertise, and have sharp minds and insightful views. Therefore, they are able to convey the core knowledge and thought-provoking ideas of each art discipline in a relatively moderate volume. This design aims to make the library more practical and distinctive than similar books on the market, making it more suitable for art departments in non-art professional colleges, for art college teachers and students to study non-major art disciplines, and for cultivating the interest of ordinary university students in encountering and appreciating art. Art has emerged with the birth of human civilization and has continuously evolved with the progress of human civilization; therefore, each nation has developed various categories of art, but the art that emerges in the process of each civilization's development is different. Even within the same art category, different nations may have significant differences in aesthetic orientation and development paths. Art is often national, yet it is also a pursuit of all humanity; how to balance the national and global aspects of art is a great challenge for all the authors of this series. To view art as a common spiritual pursuit of all humanity and to grant art research a global perspective is a new artistic view that this series strives to embody, as well as a special response from many experts in the field of contemporary Chinese art research to the era of globalization. Therefore, during the compilation process, this series has always paid attention to discussing each nation's art as an integral part of the global art whole. To finally achieve this goal, it requires the joint efforts of more experts and scholars; what we have done is only a new attempt. Whether we are already close to the desired goal and to what extent we have achieved it will be tested by readers and peers. We look forward to feedback from readers and peers, hoping that this series can open the door to art for readers and that readers will enjoy it. World and Chinese Drama History is one of the books in the "Art Classroom" series. The entire book contains 250,000 words and 150 illustrations, vividly and concisely explaining the development of world and Chinese drama from ancient Greece and Rome to the present. It is organized primarily by chronological order, taking into account national (continental) differences, emphasizing famous works and authors, and also covering the overall picture. The format is clear, the language is standardized, the annotations are detailed, and the content is precise. It provides separate chapters for traditional Eastern dramas such as Chinese, Japanese, and Indian theater, examines theater styles of various countries and eras in detail, and systematically organizes the various dramatic schools in Europe and America. These are the outstanding strengths of the book. It is suitable for the elective study of drama in universities and also helps a broad readership enter the of dramatic art.