Chinese drama

Author: Chief Editor: Tian Benxiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-01-01
Features: The hundred-year history of the drama is a witness to the decline of feudal dynasties, a witness to the profound suffering of modern China, a witness to the struggles of China's intellectuals and patriots for national independence and freedom, and also a witness to today's prosperity and development. Over the past century, there have been tremendous changes, countless masterpieces, and a gradual transformation from imported works to distinctive Chinese characteristics. Drama is an active cultural choice of the Chinese people.
Excerpt: Therefore, in the intense clash between Chinese and Western cultures, the form of vernacular drama became a "neither Chinese nor Western, both Chinese and Western, neither new nor old, both new and old, and a hybrid transitional form." In terms of artistic form, it was neither like Western drama nor mixed with the performance of traditional Chinese opera; in terms of content, it often borrowed from both Chinese and Western sources, lacking its own essence. At the same time, it failed to find its own cultural positioning. Although it flourished for a time, it was like a floating duckweed on the water, with no roots yet established.
1. The rise and fall of domestic drama: The vernacular drama, which flourished with the tide of revolution, gradually declined with the failure of the Xinhai Revolution. The fruits of the revolution were seized by warlords, and Chinese society remained as dark, corrupt, impoverished, and weak as ever. Inspired by the revolution, some new drama practitioners, facing the harsh reality, either moved from fervor to apathy; some turned to drama as a means of survival; and others catered to the vulgar tastes of the petty bourgeoisie. Some merchants, seeing the profit in performing vernacular drama, rushed into the field, leading to the rapid rise of numerous new drama troupes and the emergence of various so-called new plays. By 1914, in the Chinese lunar year of Jia Yin, such domestic dramas had become extremely popular, earning them the name "Jia Yin Revival." However, behind this superficial prosperity lay deep crises. While the number of new drama practitioners seemed to increase, the quality of the troupe was mixed, with many unqualified individuals. Focusing solely on profit and catering to popular tastes, the art quality of vernacular drama declined sharply, ultimately losing the audience. Later, domestic dramas began to showcase the ugliness of families, with plays like The She-Tiger, The Lustful Report, and Wives Fighting for Attention being brought to the stage. Soon, the audience grew tired of such plays, and vernacular drama took a self-destructive path.
2. The limitations of the (scriptless performance system) One of the reasons for the decline of vernacular drama was not only its lack of intellectual depth but also its crude performances. Many troupes adopted the (scriptless performance system) for commercial performances. This system involved no script before the performance; the organizers would merely provide a list of characters, their order of appearance, a rough outline of the plot, or key dialogue, leaving the actors to improvise. Sometimes, even necessary rehearsals were skipped, with the story outline drawn as a comic strip or summarized on a slip of paper and posted backstage for actors to glance at before going on stage. As for what happened on stage, it all depended on improvisation. Clearly, this "see you on stage" approach could not guarantee artistic quality, nor could it ensure the coherence of the dramatic plot. Some "lecturing heroes" (actors who delivered impromptu speeches) often went off on tangents, speaking at random, while clown characters relied on slapstick and gimmicks, all in a () of seeking immediate audience attention. One of the advocates of new drama, Ouyang Yuqian, once recalled the performances of that time: During one performance, he was playing a young lady who was confessing her love to a gentleman in a garden. The young lady, heartbroken over her inability to choose her own husband, was crying sorrowfully. Meanwhile, two clowns were acting foolishly on the side, causing the audience to laugh uncontrollably. The young lady and the gentleman's love scene could not proceed, and the actor playing the gentleman waved his (civilization cane) to chase the clowns offstage. The prevalence of the (scriptless performance system) also reflected the weakness of dramatic literature, and the decline of vernacular drama was closely related to the failure to establish a strong foundation in dramatic literature.