One of the remarkable achievements made by May Fourth New Drama lies in the establishment of drama literature based on western models. Tian Han (1898-1968) is one of the excellent representatives in this regard. As a pioneer of poetic realism of modern Chinese drama, he explored multiple themes and techniques in his drama production. The Southern China Society headed by him played an important role in promoting drama performances in the southern part of China.
In 1924 Tian Han and his wife founded the semimonthlySouthern Chinain Shanghai. Two years later the Southern China Movie Troupe was set up, which was later changed into the Southern China Society.
In 1927, Tian Han taught at the Department of Literature of Shanghai Art University. There he cultivated a profound friendship with Ouyang Yuqian, Tang Huaiqiu and Gao Baisui, together with whom he organized dramatic performances. In Tian Han's opinion, such people as Ouyang Yuqian could be called "dragons" as they had achieved illustrious results in art, while university students were only inexperienced "fish". Therefore, they were called members of the "Dragon and Fish Society" as they often performed plays together.
Due to limited conditions, the "Dragon and Fish Society" had to use a living room as a theater, which could only accommodate an audience of fifty or sixty. The plays staged were mostly written and directed by Tian Han. Among other things, they included some one-act plays such asThe Night Talk of Suzhou,Life's Will, A Minor Scene in a Riverside Villageand some multi-act plays likeDeath of a Noted Actor.The society performed these plays in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and other places, producing wide influence. Some critics thought that the emergence of the Southern China Society injected some vitality to the new drama.
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