After the First Revolutionary Civil War, the progressive artistic camp started a controversy on the proletarian revolutionary literature. Xia Yan, the great proletarian dramatist, for the first time put forward the slogan proletarian drama.
At the end of 1930 (or January 1931), the League of Chinese Left-Wing Dramatists was founded inShanghai. Under the support and guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the league launched a large-scale dramatic movement in association with the main dramatic organizations and progressive dramatists.
It was during this period that Stanislavski (Russian dramatist) Theory of dramatic performing was introduced into China by some revolutionary works. It was later called the Stani System. Based on Stanislavski's theory, Chinese dramatists began their own construction of dramatic theory.
China's directors of the first generation were all influenced by the theories of Stanislavski. For instance, Zhang Min, director ofNala,once pointed out: On the stage there is no machine-made formula, types of facial make-up and classification of characters. On the contrary, performers should think, wish and act just as the true personality in the true life situation. This is the first timeChina's drama circle used the Stani System to direct and practise.
Zhang Pengchun (1892-1957), one of the founding fathers of the director system for modern Chinese drama, visitedRussiatwice and learned a lot from Stanislavski in performing theory.
After the founding of New China in 1949, many Soviet dramatists were invited to give lectures inChina. The Stani System not only established the scientific base for Chinese realistic drama, but also became the frame of reference for Chinese dramatists to set up their own dramatic performing system.
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