Chinese Dramas of the 1990s In The 20th Century

This article contributes to the history of the debate and development of New Era drama and dramaturgy in China in the 1980s and 1990s. The formation of new era drama was influenced primarily by two factors: the experience of the "Seventeen Years" period of 话剧 (huà jù, spoken drama), and the concepts and practices of Western modernist drama. Five major dramatic systems from Europe and America—including Brecht's epic theatre, absurd drama theory, Grotowski's poor theatre, Peter Brook's intense drama, and others—had a significant impact on Chinese dramaturgy. The text highlights the discussions around dramaturgy concepts in the 1980s, focusing on the re-examination of realism, modernism, and classical dramatic models in China. Theories of Gao Xingjian and other dramatists, new dramatic forms, creative explorations, and perspectives on contemporary Western drama are analyzed.Furthermore, the text provides information about new dramaturgical tendencies influenced by social themes, modernist styles, symbolism, expressionism, and absurd drama. It also covers creative discussions among the public and specialists regarding dramaturgy, alongside its theoretical and practical aspects. Through examples of plays by Ma Zhongjun, Gao Xingjian, Yan Haiping, and others, the text outlines the stages of formation and development of new dramaturgy in China. During this period, dramaturgy sought a balance between realism and modernism while striving to express social, cultural, and philosophical issues through artistic means.