中国话剧在天津发端

·1926年南开新剧团演出易卜生的《人民公敌》

戏剧门类的碰撞，不单是中国民族戏剧的碰撞，还有中西方戏剧艺术的碰撞，这种碰撞所导致的相互吸收、渗透和融合，也孕育出了新的表演艺术的胚胎，这就是中国的话剧。
我国的话剧是从外国移植过来的，所以称“新剧” ,也称“文明戏” 。它的引入渠道主要有两条，这两条渠道都是由天津人搭设起来的。
一条渠道，是以上海为中心流行南方的话剧，通过李叔同创立的 “春柳社” ,从日本间接移植到中国。光绪三十二年(1906),考入东京美术学校西画科的李叔同，也到附近音乐学校听课，兼学钢琴与作曲。这年底，由李叔同、曾孝谷发起，成立了戏剧团体“春柳社” 。并在光绪三十三年(1907)公历2月13日，中国农历春节，首次上演了小仲马的名剧《茶花女》,李叔同在剧中扮演主人公茶花女玛格丽特。由此，“中国放了新剧最初的烽火” 。随后，李叔同与欧阳予倩等，参加话剧《黑奴吁天录》的演出，李叔同仍男扮女装，出演爱美柳夫人。时在东京的鲁迅，慕名特意前去观看了演出。
“春柳社”的成员陆续回国后，成为上海戏剧界的领袖人物，推动了我国早期话剧运动的发展。光绪三十四年(1908)冬，王钟声从上海率团来到京津，和天津“移民乐会”共同研究戏剧改革，创立了一流剧场大观新舞台文明戏园 (后来的大观楼，旧址在北马路天津电影院),并在一个月中演出《缘外缘》等7种剧目；还在下天仙戏院(人民剧场),演出《秋瑾》等多种爱国戏。王钟声不仅是就义于天津的辛亥革命烈士，而且为南北两派话剧艺术的融合，起到很大作用。
另一条渠道，是以天津为中心流行北方的话剧，通过南开新剧团从欧美直接移植到中国。南开学校的新剧，曾经风姿照人地影响着天津的话剧舞台。光绪三十四年(1908),南开校长张伯苓赴欧美考察归来后，就着手编写新剧。宣统元年(1909),在南开学校成立5周年纪念会上，演出了张校长编导的新剧《用非所学》,张校长并饰演主要角色。
此后，每逢周年校庆，南开都要编演新剧目，天津的大中学校和专业剧团，纷纷效法。鲁迅对此十分重视，1912年6月，他亲来天津考察；11日晚，在广和戏楼看了新剧《江北水灾记》,给予中肯的评价和鼓励。
1913年，周恩来考入南开学校后，便积极投身南开的话剧运动； 转年3月，在其组织成立的“敬业乐群会”下，设立了 “演剧团”。演出了独幕话剧《五更钟》,并在《校风》上，发表了《吾校新剧观》一文。“不仅奠定了南开新剧发展的理论基础，也是中国现代话剧理论的开篇之作” (夏家善等《南开话剧运动史料》 )。
1914年11月，南开新剧团正式成立，周恩来为布景部副部长。1916年，张伯苓胞弟张彭春担任新剧团副团长，并直接、系统地把西方戏剧理论和编导艺术介绍过来，使南开新剧团独具特色。这年底，他还指导排演了其在美国创作的写实剧《醒》,比中国现代文学史上所谓“第一部话剧剧本” 《终生大事》 (胡适1919年发表),早了3年。
当时的南开，成了天津话剧活动的中心，其影响涉及到华北、东北，既推动了中国北方的话剧运动，又推进了南北话剧的互相汇合，而南北话剧的交会、融合，形成了中国早期的话剧艺术。
南开话剧活动，还促成了天津最早的戏剧月报《春柳》的创刊。南开新剧引起了广大观众的欢迎和文化名流的关注，一些重要报刊纷纷加以报道和评论。如《益世报》就进行了多次长篇报道。
1927年夏，南开师生排演了《压迫》、《获虎之夜》、《可怜的斐迦》等独幕剧，主要演员有万家宝(曹禺)等。虽然万家宝男扮女装，其演剧天才却被公认。1928年秋，南开学校同其他学校学生组织了“虹社” 。1929年南开学校建校25周年纪念，演出了改译的话剧《争强》,万家宝饰演铁矿董事长。特别是，由此开始，南开新剧团有了女演员，如张英元、王守瑗、沈希咏、张家印等。并且动用灯光技术增强戏剧效果，从此南开剧团成为现代化剧团。
1930年，组织现代剧社的陶子权，演出了《群鬼》,尽管成绩欠佳，却是天津话剧的第一次正式公演。从此，南开新剧团冲出了学校的范围，登上了社会的舞台。到1934年，天津的剧团有： 孤松剧团、晓露剧社、矛盾社(分文艺、戏剧两部分) 、春草剧社、鹦鹉剧社、微沫、南开新剧团、化外剧团等等。话剧艺术成为天津戏剧舞台崭新的奇葩。
随着戏剧运动的发展，天津戏曲教育组织也相继成立。1913年3月27日，改良戏曲练习所举行开学典礼，教育司长蔡儒楷、戏曲练习所所长汪笑侬出席并讲演； 课程有喉音练习、词令、戏曲讲义、剧文、说白、体操等； 5月25日，天津艺曲改良社成立，以改善旧词曲，创编新戏曲为宗旨； 6月15日，天津艺人联合组织的正乐育化会，在李公祠举行成立会，汪笑侬任会长，办事处设在东南角大悲庵内。
戏剧舞台的变迁，戏剧文化的发展，充分显示了天津历史文化多元化的特征，与时俱进的品格，以及江南文化与北国文化融合、高雅文化与民俗文化互补、传统文化与现代文化交会、民族文化与外来文化兼容的灿烂辉煌。
The operas of China and overseas absorbing from eachother created a new style of arts: Chinese Drama.
Drama in China was transplanted from foreigncountries,which was called New Opera or CivilizedDrama. It was introduced to Tianjin by two channels.
Firstly,drama popular in south China centered inShanghai was transplanted from Japan by Li Shutong`s"Chunliu Drama Association". In July,1906,Li becamea major in western oil painting in Tokyo Painting Schoolas the top student of all the oversea students of paintingfrom China. Meanwhile,he went to attend lectures at amusic school and learned piano and music composition.At the end of 1906,he and Zeng Xiaogu created ChunliuDrama Association. On February 13,the spring festival,Chunliu Drama Association performed Camille byDumas A. Li Shutong acted as Magret,the protagonist.It achieved great success. Students from China andoverseas were active to join in the Association,includingOuyang Yuqian. Li Shutong played Ms Amelia in thedrama of Uncle Tom`s Cabin. Lu Xun went to watch theperformance in Tokyo.
The members of Chunliu Drama Associationreturned to China as the leaders of Shanghai dramacircle,which promoted the early drama in China. Inthe winter of 1908,Wang Zhongsheng led his teamfrom Shanghai to Beijing and Tianjin. They discusseddrama reform with Tianjin Immigrant Association,builtWenming Theater of Daguan (now Daguan Building,thesite of Tianjin Cinema at Beimalu),performed 7 dramasincluding Luck Beyond Luck in a month,and playedsome patriotic dramas including Qiu Jin at XiatianxianTheater. Wang Zhongsheng,the martyr of XinhaiRevolution in Tianjin,played an important role for themerger of south and north dramas.
Secondly,the drama popular in north Chinacentered Tianjin was transplanted from Europe andAmerica by Nankai New Drama Troupe. The new dramaby Nankai School exerted great influence on Tianjindrama. In 1908,Zhang Boling returned after inspectionof Europe and America and began to compile newdramas. In 1909,his drama Not Using What Learnedwas performed at the fifth anniversary of Nankai School.Principal Zhang acted as one of the protagonists.
On each anniversary,Nankai School played newdramas. The schools and troupes followed suit. Lu Xunthought much of Tianjin drama. In June,1912,he wentto Tianjin for investigation. In the evening of 11,hewatched The Flood of North River at Guanghe Theaterand praised the performance.
In 1913,Zhou Enlai was enrolled in Nankai Schooland devoted himself to Nankai drama. He set up DramaBranch in Jingyelequn Association and performed one-actdrama Knock of Fifth Jing. In School Spirit,he publishedMy View on New Drama in Nankai School,which was"not only the theoretical basis of Nankai`s drama,but alsothe breakthrough of drama theory in China". (The Historyof Nankai Drama by Xia Jiashan,etc.)
In November,1914,Nankai New Drama Troupewas set up. Zhou Enlai was the deputy director of thescene department. In 1916,Zhang Pengchun,ZhangBoling`s brother,was the vice president of the troupe,who introduced western drama theory and directing artto Tianjin. At the end of 1916,he rehearsed Wakeningwritten in America,three years earlier than Hu Shi`sLifetime Event in 1919,the so-called "first drama play".
Nankai,as the center of Tianjin drama,exertedinfluence on north China and north-east China,whichpromoted the popularity of drama and the fusing ofdramas of north and south China. This was the creationof early drama in China.
Nankai started the publication of Chunliu Journal,thefirst monthly drama journal in Tianjin. Nankai dramas werepopular among the audience including elites of culture.Many newspapers reported and commented on them. YishiNewspaper wrote many long articles on them.
In the summer of 1927,Nankai rehearsedOppression,The Night of Catching Tiger,Poor Kennan,and other one-act dramas. Wan Jiabao (Cao Yu),theleading male cast,played female roles and was praisedby all. In the spring of 1928,Nankai Shool set upRainbow Association with other schools. On the 25thanniversary of Nankai School in 1929,Nankai Troupeplayed the translated drama Competition. Wan Jiabaoacted as the chairman of an Iron Ore Company. Thefemale characters were played by actresses such asZhang Yingyuan,Wang Shouyuan,Shen Xiyong,ZhangJiayin,etc. Light techniques were used to reinforce thestage effects. Nankai Troupe became a modem one.
In 1930,Ghost Group by Tao Ziquan of ModernTroupe,the first public drama in Tianjin,did not achievesuccess. Nankai troupes began to play drama for thesociety instead of for the school.by 1934,troupes inTianjin were: Gusong Troupe,Xiaolu Troupe,MaoduTroupe (literature and drama),Chuncao Troupe,YingwuTroupe,Weimo,Nankai Troupe,Huawai Troupe,etc.Drama became a new flower on Tianjin stage.
The history and development of drama reflected thesplendid Tianjin cultures,which advanced with time toassociate with the cultures of north and south,elegantand folk,traditional and modem,domestic and overseas.
Tianjin drama education organization was set upwith the development of drama activities. On March 27,1913,Reformed Opera School conducted the openingceremony with the present of Cai Rucai (Minister ofEducation Department) and Wang Xiaonong (Presidentof Opera School). It provided courses of tone practice,poetry,opera compiling,speech and gymnastics. OnMay 25,Tianjin Opera Reform Association was set up.Its major tasks were adapting old rhythm of opera andcompiling new ones. On June 15,Zhengyue CultivationAssociation was set up by Tianjin actors at Ligongci.Wang Xiaonong was the president. The office waslocated at Dabei Temple at Dongnanjiao.

·演出新戏