All new Changjiang Theater opens after renovation
The newly renovated Changjiang Theater opened its doors again on October 15.
The theater, located on 35 Huanghe Road, is now positioned as an avant-garde, experimental and innovative theater. It will offer a series of performances of traditional opera and contemporary theater.
The new Changjiang Theater, covering a construction area of 3,000 square meters, has two spaces, the Red Auditorium and the Black Auditorium — one traditional and the other modern.
Officials said that the new theater will fill the void for innovative and experimental small theater spaces in the city. They will provide a wide platform for young artists to create more original works.
The theater also released a list of the performances for its opening performing season.
In the following three months, audiences will be offered Kunqu Opera classic “The Peony Pavilion,” interactive Peking Opera play “Rediscovering Peking Opera” and pingtan performance “Blossoms.” A crosstalk show, jazz theater and a concert combining guqin (a seven-stringed Chinese musical instrument) with electronic music will also hit the stage.
The history of Changjiang Theater
Formerly called Carlton Theater, the theater was designed by celebrated Hungarian-Slovak architect Laszlo Hudec, who is behind some of the most notable pieces of architecture in Shanghai. It was officially opened on February 9, 1923.
Changjiang Theater was called “the No. 1 theater in Shanghai” and “the home base of Chinese drama.” It was also the first theater that had live music accompanying silent movies in Shanghai. Classic dramas such as “The Savage Land” premiered there.
Additionally, the theater has witnessed important historical events in the city. For instance, the Shanghai Dramatic Circles National Salvation Association was founded at the theater in 1937.
In 1951, Carlton Theater was renamed to Changjiang Theater. In April 1993, the theater was closed for renovation.
