Nanjing University Drama Studies

Author: Institute of Theatre, Film and Television, Nanjing University
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: It is reasonable to integrate the studies of theatre, film, and television into one series. Since the emergence of film and television, there has been a tendency to separate and oppose these new art forms from theatre. Film once declared it wanted a "divorce" from theatre. Those who clung to the theatre's also harbored hostility toward these new arts, viewing them as challengers. In reality, just as a child, despite differing in personality and appearance from the mother, still carries her genes. Whether it is film or television, they cannot be separated from the fundamental elements of "performance" and "observation." At its core, they are merely new variations of the ancient art of theatre under new technological conditions. They cannot completely shed the bloodline and soul of their ancestors. What is theatre? Definitions have varied throughout history, with supporting arguments including the "mimetic theory," "game theory," "will expression theory," and others. Ultimately, humans invented theatre for the purpose of creating a specific, artistic, audible, visible, and perceivable scene of "performance" and "observation." Through this, they can intuitively and vividly rerepresent their own forms of life and living environments, thereby entertaining, appreciating, understanding, critiquing, and elevating themselves, ultimately optimizing and expanding the space of existence.