On The Changes Of Theatrical Performance In Cao Yu's Play Creation

Formally Chinese modern drama started mellowing since the release of <Thunderstorm> as it is a play which both can be read and performed. The automatic pursuit of theatrical performance is one of Cao Yu's contributions to China drama area. Hence the study of Cao Yu and his plays shall not be limited into the text plays but the theatrical performance.Being divided into former and latter phases of Cao Yu's plays by the year 1949, this essay is to study on the differences of the theatrical performance of Cao Yu's plays of the former phase and the latter one with theatrical performance research as angle, based on on-stage performance and audience acceptance and combining with the questions and theoretical de(?)ction. ChapterⅠrearrange the forming of Cao Yu's awareness of theatrical performance; ChapterⅡseizes the complicated context of the hidden changes and differences in Cao Yu's plays of the two phases from three aspects of "characters and plot", "imagery and connotation' and "refined and popular tastes"; ChapterⅢinvestigates the reasons of differences of theatrical performance of Cao Yu's plays of the two phases from the mutual relationships among the three elements deciding plays which are play writers, audience and stages and thus analyzes the ways of comprehensive features of certain times functioning on individual arts creation and its specific forms.