Northeastern Chinese Playwrights: A Study on the Evolution of Artistic Styles in Historical Context

Abstract

As a significant component of modern and contemporary Chinese drama, Northeastern Chinese theater has developed in close connection with the regional culture and social transformations of Northeast China. This paper focuses on the community of playwrights in Northeastern Chinese theater, systematically examining the evolution of their artistic styles over a century, divided into four historical stages: the Revolutionary Period (1919–1949), the “Seventeen Years” Period (1949–1966), the Reform and Opening-Up Period (1978–2012), and the New Era (2012–2024). By analyzing representative playwrights and their works across these stages, this study reveals how these playwrights, nurtured by the culture of the black soil region, integrated realist spirit with regional aesthetic characteristics to form an artistic style characterized by “bold vigor, earthy humor, vivid vitality, and deep-rooted realism,” while continuously evolving and innovating within different historical contexts.