A Study of Thematic Changes in the Performance History of Thunderstorm

Abstract

Thunderstorm is one of the most important theaters in the history of modern Chinese drama. Since its premiere in 1935, the play Thunderstorm has been performed repeatedly. The performance history of Thunderstorm is rich in content because there have been as many as a dozen different versions so far. The theme of Thunderstorm performances has changed with time. The Thunderstorm performances during Republican China and the period of reform and opening up have similar development trends. This paper mainly compares the performance of Thunderstorm in the period of Republican China and reform and opening up and grasps the theme change of the performance history of Thunderstorm from a holistic perspective. The Thunderstorm performances during these two periods both exhibit a popular entertainment trend and pay attention to pursuing human nature liberation. However, they also have differences. During the Republic of China Period, Thunderstorm performances were adapted into social problem dramas that focused on anti-feudalism. Nevertheless, the realism principle in Thunderstorm performances has been challenged after the reform and opening up, and attention is paid to the themes of life and destiny in Thunderstorm. The study of the thematic changes in Thunderstorm is of great significance for investigating the canonization and acceptance history of Thunderstorm performances.