“Chinese Theater in the Present Age” Workshop

Modern Chinese theater is a product of the encounters and dialogues among diverse artistic forms from different eras and cultures. The origins of Chinese theatre trace back over a thousand years to the bustling markets of the Song and Yuan dynasties. From the early nanxi Southern Dramas to the chuanqilong plays of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and from the zaju dramas of the Yuan capital to the various regional operatic of our current world, Chinese opera embodies an enduring cultural legacy within Chinese literature and has become a timeless artistic tradition on stage.

In the present age, where economic and cultural exchanges are increasingly global and theatrical arts flourish worldwide, how can Chinese opera make itself anew while preserving its traditional aesthetics to tell unique modern stories? When the “theater” as we know it becomes a phenomenon that transcends cultural, national, and even linguistic boundaries, how will Chinese theatre…