Ideas and Practice in the Age of "General-drama"

The present article reviews and summarizes the four theoretical discussion on pure-drama and general-drama in the past 50 years, and believes that the whole tendency of the discussions is the call and practice of general-drama ideas. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the history of Chinese drama culture has been progressing toward general-drama and manifests itself in quadruple fuzziness of the artistic characteristics. Since the turn of the century, the progress has been broadened and lifted by means of multi-media drama. Some marginal dramatic forms, such as the Xiqu opera in foreign languages, fans' drama, students' drama, TV serials and Super Girls Show, should be emphasized in a greater sense.