汪優游的劇場實踐及其戲劇觀

Wang Youyou's Theatre Practice and Views

Wang Youyou (1888-1937), originally named Wang Xiaozeng, with the courtesy name Zhongxian, was one of the founders of Chinese spoken drama. He was also an actor/playwright/director for modern plays/civilized dramas/spoken dramas/ movies, an advocate for amateur play, and a popular fiction writer. He made significant contributions to commercial theatrical performances, popular films, drama education, drama theory, and newspaper editing. Among the cultural workers in the Chinese literary and artistic field, Wang Youyou had the longest career and held the most diverse roles.
Wang Youyou's journey in drama spanned from modern plays, amateur play, spoken dramas, to civilized dramas. He participated in and witnessed the early development of Chinese spoken drama, performed in Peking Opera and movies, founded the Shanghai People's Drama Club, and established the first drama journal ''Drama'' after the May Fourth Movement. As a remarkable talent, Wang Youyou adeptly navigated, for over thirty years, between the popular and artistic realms of the theater.
By analyzing Wang Youyou numerous drama articles, translations, and scripts published in ''Drama'' and ''Current Affairs News'' in the early 1920s, this paper aims to explore his perspective on ''authentic drama'' and contrast his early works with his contemporaneous script creations and subsequent theatrical practices. Moreover, to understand the decisions and adaptations made by a drama worker from the early 20th century in balancing ideals with the market, and art with populism, the project seeks to delve into his entire theatrical journey from modern plays, amateur play, spoken dramas, Peking Opera to civilized dramas.
To construct a comprehensive history of Wang Youyou's theatrical arts and his dramatic viewpoints, this project will leverage existing research and extensively utilize materials from Chinese newspapers and the ''Drama'' magazine in the first half of the 20th century. Through the case study of Wang Youyou, this paper aims to elucidate complex issues in the history of Chinese spoken drama, such as the definitions of modern plays/civilized dramas/spoken dramas, the amateur vs. professional theatrical paths, the intersections among modern plays/Peking Opera/movies, and the establishment of drama theory.