The Inheritance and Exploration of Modern Drama

Author: Tian Gensheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The book is divided into three main parts: The Rise of the Jing School and the Division between Jing and Hai Schools, The Popularity of Historical Plays and the Flourishing of Current Affairs Plays, and the Transformation of Modern Drama Concepts. The author's perspective encompasses various factors such as the transformation of modern political thought, the spread of Western culture, the rise of new intellectuals, the formation of urban cultural production and consumption markets, and the influence of modern media. Against this backdrop, the author discusses the "transitional" value of modern drama, which both inherits and innovates, providing a well-defined positioning with convincing conclusions.
Taking the Huabu opera, represented by Peking Opera, as an example, it originated in rural areas but by the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, various forms of opera entered cities and were performed in theaters and teahouses, targeting the urban masses. As the audience became more working-class and urbanized, the content of the drama focused on historical realities while also developing a tendency to conform to societal norms. This demonstrated the powerful transformation of drama toward modernization.
The essence of modern drama is popular, and it is precisely this "popularity" that allows it to inherit the tradition of Song and Yuan opera. It is this "popularity" that bridges the gap between traditional opera and the broader audience, expanding the market for opera culture and, to a certain extent, changing the nature of Chinese opera culture.