Freedom and Transcendence：The Existential Aesthetics of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony：What Kind of Olympics Do We Need in the Post-Pandemic Era

GAN Lihao

（School of Communication， East China Normal University， Shanghai 200241）

Abstract： This paper explores the aesthetic innovations of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremonyand its value to humanity from the perspective of existentialism. Compared to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics，which displayed a tragic aesthetic through mono no aware， the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremonyemphasized the existentialist ideas of freedom and transcendence， marking a breakthrough and transcendenceof modern Olympic opening ceremonies. Scenes from the opening ceremony， including the city as a theater，romantic relationships， drag queen shows， parkour， and the innovative display of artworks， all convey Sartre'sexistentialism and humanism. The ceremony not only delved into the meaning of human existence in the postpandemicera and reflected on and condemned warfare， but also showcased humanity's courage and creativityin absurd situations and highlighted the pursuit of freedom and diversity. Furthermore， incorporating traditionalChinese philosophy， such as Confucian and Taoist concepts of freedom， into the discussion could enrich theunderstanding of existential aesthetics and provide new perspectives on balancing freedom and discipline. Thispoints to a developmental path for the Olympic opening ceremonies that considers both individual freedom andsocial harmony.

Keywords： Paris 2024 Olympics; opening ceremony; existentialism; aesthetics; Sartre

Crossing Boundaries and Changing Faces：The Past and Present of Radical Thoughts： A Discussion

LIU Kang1， SHAN Xiaoxi2， LIU Xin2

（1. Asian & Middle Eastern Studies， Duke University， Durham 27708;2. School of Humanities， Hangzhou Normal University， Hangzhou 311121）

Abstract： Radical thoughts share an inseparable connection with art. From the French Revolution and theRussian Revolution to the Chinese Revolution， art and politics have been intertwined. The global radicalmovements in the 1960s not only gave rise to figures like Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones but also propelledthinkers like Foucault， Deleuze， ?i?ek， Badiou， and Byung-Chul Han. Radical thoughts continuously crossboundaries and change faces， exploiting the convenience of the Internet to ride the global wave of nationalismpopulismand virus-spreading ideological rhetoric. This process of deterritorialization has led to tribalization，adding anxiety and division to an uncertain world. Focusing on "post-”， the evolution of radical thoughts over thepast half-century， particularly its Americanization and Sinicization， brings reflections on the imbalance betweenemotional upheaval （or affect） and rational practice， which is a responsibility of intellectuals.

Keywords： radical thought; Americanization; Sinicization; affect; ?i?ek; Byung-Chul Han

From Idioms to Plays：Prototype Situations and Creative Models

SUN Huizhu

（Institute of Theatre Arts， The Central Academy of Drama， Beijing 100710;Shanghai Theatre Academy， Institute of Theatre Studies， Shanghai 200040）

Abstract： Idiom plays， based on conventional Chinese idioms， are a form of educational theatre that can beutilized in popular theatre classes. Drawing on prototype theory， these plays develop prototype situations foundin literary classics to express contemporary thoughts and emotions through ancient scenarios. Since idioms areoften simple， playwrights must expand the number and depth of characters while compressing the story's spaceand time. This creates meaningful conflicts involving at least two distinct characters. Ten-minute performancesthat are fun， interesting， and philosophically rich serve not only as a vehicle for learning traditional culture butalso as a means to promote theatre in society.

Keywords： idiom plays; prototype situations; construction models; popular theatre class

Celebration Ceremony and Cultural Memory：The 80th Anniversary of the First Southwest Drama Exhibition

HU Zhiyi

（College of Media and International Culture， Zhejiang University， Hangzhou 310030）

Abstract： In 1944， The First Southwest Drama Exhibition was held in Guilin， advocated by Ouyang Yuqian， TianHan， Xiong Foxi， Qu Baiyin， and others. The event saw participation from 28 organizations and 895 performersfrom eight southwestern provinces， attracting over a thousand attendees. The performances included 23 plays， 1opera， 29 Pingju， 8 Guiju， among others， totaling 170 shows with an audience exceeding one hundred thousand.The Exhibition embodies the three elements of celebration identified by Victor Turner： honorary spokespersons，works by the founders of the festival， and the memory of the festive scenes. From the perspective of Pierre Nora's"places of memory"， this paper examines the exhibition from four perspectives： celebration ceremony， workpresentation， cultural memory， and significance. It has been recorded in the history of modern Chinese drama as acelebration ceremony and a cultural memory.

Keywords： celebration ceremony; cultural memory; the First Southwest Drama Exhibition; Guilin

How Drama Becomes an Event：On Schechner's Theory of Environmental Theatre

CHEN Jianjun

（School of Literature and Journalism， Hanshan Normal University， Chaozhou， Guangdong 521041）

Abstract： The most striking aspect of Schechner's environmental theatre is its exploration and redefinition ofthe foundations of drama， shifting from drama as imitation to what he describes as "theatrical transactions". Heargues that drama， like games， rituals， and sports， is a fundamental human activity that occurs among performers，among the audience， between performers and audiences， among the various components of a performance，between performance components and performers， between performance components and the audience， andbetween the entire performance and the venue. This activity is governed by a set of explicit or implicit rules toensure its execution. Schechner further posits that drama， as a real-world activity， plays a role in human societyby bridging the real natural world with emotional， aspirational， illusory， and dreamlike impulses. By creating a"transitional object"， it addresses various dilemmas in human society， such as gender and violence， in a realisticmanner.

Keywords： environmental theatre; event; game; transitional object; Richard Schechner

The Reproductive Mechanism and Historical Significance of Venus：from the Perspective of Lotman's Cultural Semiotics

LYU Chunmei， WANG Xintong

（School of English Studies， Dalian University of Foreign Languages， Dalian， Liaoning 116044）

Abstract： Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus is a play based on true historical events. It uses rich cultural symbols torecreate the life of Baartman， a South African indigenous woman， and to reinterpret historical texts. From theperspective of Lotman's cultural semiotics， a cross-contextual interpretation of the unique symbol system inVenus reveals the importance of a dynamic view of texts， helping to understand the mechanism of the play'shistorical significance. The interaction between the creative and memorizing functions of the dramatic textexcavates historical significance， while innovative communication modes effectively revise history during thetransmission and creation of information. The spatial simulation reproduces the dual predicament of AfricanAmericans as marginalized people. Venus not only inspires readers' and audiences' historical responsibility andsocial awareness， but also encourages people to examine and reflect on history， thereby achieving a deeper levelof historical writing.

Keywords： Venus; Suzan-Lori Parks; historical significance; reproductive mechanism

Seeing with Different Eyes：Chinese Dramatists' Views on Theater Audiences in the 1930s and 1940s according to Discussions in Newspapers and Magazines

LYU Shuxin， DONG Feng

（College of Creative Studies， Shanghai Theatre Academy， Shanghai 200040）

Abstract： In the 21st century， dramatic socio-cultural changes have led theater practice to cater to the public'ssensory enjoyment and entertainment needs， resulting in the marginalization of theatrical literature. Consequently，audiences' theatric taste have become flatter and more superficial. By examining the views of Chinese dramatistsin the 1930-40s on theater audiences as presented in newspapers and magazines， we can reconstruct the dynamicrelationship between audiences and theater at that time. Dramatists then generally agreed on the notion that"without an audience， there is no theater". They paid significant attention to the habits， motivations， and methodsof audience engagement， which displayed characteristics of complexity， diversity， and development. In terms oftheatrical creation， there were two main goals： catering to or cultivating the audience. Xiong Foxi proposed acomprehensive strategy， emphasizing that theatrical creators should focus on both market and art to establish ahealthy interaction between them. Exploring these historical perspectives and their contexts provides valuablereferences for re-examining contemporary theater production and performance management.

Keywords： theater audience; 20th-century China; audience motivation; audience taste; audience cultivation.

Transformation of Benefits and Industrial Empowerment of Micro-series in the Context of Cultural and Tourism Integration

HE Tianping1， 2， LI Hang2

（1. Research Center of Journalism and Social Development， Renmin University of China，Beijing 100872; 2. School of Journalism and Communication， Renmin University of China， Beijing 100872）

Abstract： In the context of cultural and tourism integration， micro-series， as a new form of digital culture， haveenormous potential to drive local cultural and tourism consumption. The combination of the micro-series industrywith the cultural and tourism industry showcases a unique path that merges aesthetics with economic and socialbenefits. The "micro-series + cultural tourism" model has developed three main strategies in practice： co-creatingmeaningful spaces to recreate city images， developing local resources by integrating agricultural， cultural， andtourism industries， and revitalizing historical and cultural heritage through innovation. Although this model hasachieved significant results and demonstrated great potential， further efforts are needed to enhance its quality andrealize the mutual empowerment of micro-series and cultural tourism. This requires a multifaceted approach，including creation， operation， and the cultivation of new quality productivity to build a high-quality ecosystemfor the "micro-series +" industry.

Keywords： micro-series; cultural and tourism integration; benefit transformation; industrial empowerment

Dance with My Dream：An Analysis of the Performance of Chinese Generation Z Musical Fans

HAN Lele

（Department of Dramatic Literature， Shanghai Theatre Academy， Shanghai 200040）

Abstract： The song and dance performances of Chinese Generation Z musical fans stand between socialperformance and artistic expression. For teenagers in a transitional state， musicals serve as a popular tool for selfexploration.These performances help them transcend limitations in performance and creativity， facilitating atransformation of their inner world through song and dance， and even enabling transitions to new identities andsocial realities. Within the framework of individual monologues and troupe collaborations， fans are driven byeros to perform musical excerpts that embody idealism and comradeship. In doing so， they pursue and shape theirideal identities while fulfilling the roles expected by society.

Keywords： musical; fans; Generation Z; performativity

The Anthropology of Performance in Urban Guozhuang Dance：Taking the Shanghai Century Park Guozhuang Dance Team as an Example

LIU Yingying

（Department of Dramatic Literature， Shanghai Theatre Academy， Shanghai 200040）

Abstract： Guozhuang dance is a distinctive and popular Tibetan folk dance with a long history， mainly popularin Tibetan areas of China. In recent years， it has spread to non-Tibetan areas， bringing fitness， cultural， andemotional value to people through its joyful movements and rich cultural connotations. In Shanghai， aninternational metropolis， this grassroots Tibetan dance has gradually taken root and won the favor of more andmore people. The Shanghai Century Park Guozhuang Dance Team has been established for more than a decade.Its methods of popularizing community dance， management strategies， and cross-cultural communication areworth exploring.

Keywords： Guozhuang dance; Shanghai Century Park Guozhuang Dance Team; community dance; cross-culturalperformance

The "3Inter-" Teaching Model for Drama Popularization in Universities：A Case Study of the Aesthetic Education in University of International Business and Economics

YANG Jueman

（Department of Art Education， University of International Business and Economics， Beijing 100029）

Abstract： The popularization of drama in universities is a crucial part of aesthetic education in today's China，with the primary challenge being students' participation in drama practice. Drama combines literature and theatre，and its popularization should focus on stage practice. Under the teaching philosophy of cultivating progressivedrama thinking， the "3Inter-" teaching model—interaction， integration， interlock—integrates educational playsinto university drama classes. This approach effectively enhances students' self-learning abilities and meets theirindividual learning needs.

Keywords： "3Inter-" teaching model; drama popularization; educational plays; campus drama; aestheticeducation

The Core and Challenges of Popularizing Drama Education

SU Yuxin

（Department of Dramatic Literature， Shanghai Theatre Academy， Shanghai 200040）

Abstract： In music learning， music scores have held an authoritative position throughout history and acrosscultures. Whether in ancient rituals or modern musicals， learning is based on imitating models. The education ofdance emphasizes either technique or emotion， yet it is always based on imitation before transitioning to artisticexpression and emotional release. Popularizing drama to the public presents a significant challenge， especiallyin areas such as textbooks， techniques， and teaching. This study combines theory and practice， comparing theteaching of music and dance， and reflects on how models can be better utilized in drama education.

Keywords： drama education; model; drama popularization in colleges

The Sense of the Past and the Writing of History：Stephen Bann in Conversation with Karen Lang

Written by Stephen Bann1， Karen Lang， translated by CHEN Shuhuan2

（1. University of Bristol， Bristol BS8 1QU; 2. College of Arts and Media， Tongji University， Shanghai 200086）

Abstract： How did the sense of the past emerge and develop in art history？ How could Nietzsche's "take a fewsteps back" serve as a principle for examining 20th-century art？ Are there truly "short breaks" between modernismand postmodernism？ Nietzsche proposed three possible positions in relation to history： the antiquarian， themonumental， and the critical; none of these is entirely good or bad. Giambattista Vico sees ricorso as one ofthe fundamental motivating factors of history. If we think of it in terms of space， this kind of history concernsnot only points or places in time but also spaces. These spaces can embody different temporalities. Therefore，we should think of spatial representation， invoking the past as a process of the boustrophedon， consideringwhat happens to humanity in the face of the apparatus， and viewing "curiosity" as a relation that enables thingsof the world to look back—not only as a historical concept but also as a motivating way of seeing. We shouldalso consider what it means to be a "media-critical antiquarian" and why the writing of history could becomehistorical poetics.

Keywords： Stephen Bann; sense of the past; writing of history; spatial representation; curiosity; historicalpoetics; art history