茶园的出现,标志着天津近代艺术大舞台的发端。所谓茶园,是具有营业性质的戏曲演出场所,它是将舞台与观众统一在一个建筑体内的室内剧场。舞台是三面敞开的伸出式方台,观众围桌而坐,随聚随散,一边喝茶,一边看戏。有些商贾还在这里谈生意。茶园对入园者,只收茶资,不收看戏钱,因为看戏钱已经包括在茶费之内,只不过名目为茶资而已。
        天津茶园出现于19世纪初期,清道光年间,就有“戏园七处赛京城”的诗句。近代以后,天津的茶园迅速发展,到光绪年间就有四大名园:庆芳茶园、金声茶园、协盛茶园、袭胜茶园。
        茶园的兴起,促进了天津戏曲活动的繁荣,而戏曲名角在茶园的演出,反过来又激发了茶园的兴盛。此后相继在商业发达的河北大街、侯家后、东北角一带,兴建、改建了一批茶园,如绘芳茶园、天桂茶园、大观茶园、天升茶园、三德轩等。
        庚子事变,使北大关、侯家后、估衣街一带遭到焚毁,商业区向城南转移,南市逐渐形成,由于它地处老城和租界之间,俗称“三不管” ,歌楼酒肆,丛错其间。除了走江湖的“撂地” 、“布棚”进行说、唱、耍、演之外,也建起了一些茶园。如南市荣业大街的华乐茶园。
        此外,天津的外国租界成为天津商贸、金融、文化等新的繁华区,茶园也纷纷在租界建立。如天福茶园、福仙茶园、聚兴茶园、天会茶园、松凤阁、富春茶社等。据记载,当时天津的茶园多达113处。而且天津的茶园前后延续时间,长达30多年之久。

        

·天仙茶园

        戏园的出现,成为从茶园到近代剧场的过渡舞台。清末民初,随着现代建筑、房地产、电灯等业的发展,随着租界内新商业区的进一步繁荣,特别是伴随着天津戏曲舞台的兴盛,茶园已不适应戏曲演出的需要,于是,改建和新建的娱乐演出场所戏园应运而生。戏园舞台,取消了茶座,将原始设备更换为新的设施,如花楼、月台、排椅,楼上的包厢,有的还增设了灯光布景设置。著名的戏园有:
        下天仙舞台、天仙舞台、第一舞台、升平舞台、大舞台、上平安。
        另据旧志和史料记载,当时的戏园还有: 天天大舞台、中原妙舞台、庆云大舞台、群英大舞台、广和楼戏园、北天仙舞台、新欣舞台、中央舞台、新声舞台等。
        特别是劝业场还有“八大天” : 天宫、天乐、天纬、天露、天华景、天会轩、天升、天外天。这“八大天” ,有戏园、茶社、弹子房、球社等,可以看戏,可以听曲,可以打球,可以休闲。是聚商业、戏曲、娱乐、休闲于一体的场所。
        天津现代戏剧大舞台变化的划时代标志,是大戏院的落成开业。
        1927年,春和大戏院落成。投资者为高春和,遂取名春和,坐落在滨江道福厚里,规模较大,设备完善,特别是建有对外播放实况的音响设备,管理制度进行了改革,取消了抛“手巾把” 、卖小吃的旧俗,采取了预先售票、对号入座措施。杨小楼和“四大名旦”都曾在该戏院演出; 1935年后,先后改名国泰戏院、光华戏院,主要放映电影; 1943年3月,由日本人经营,更名大名电影院; 1945年5月,后台发生火灾停业; 解放后,纺织工会接管修复,更名劳动剧场,1957年3月,更名工人剧场。
        1936年,中国大戏院落成。位于哈尔滨道,是中、法结合式建筑,混凝土结构,共5层楼,1、2、3楼设观众席,可容纳1800多人; 剧场内没有柱子,各个角度的视线都不受影响,声响效果很好; 前台与后台之间,设有防火的铁幕。开业时,天津市长张自忠出席,马连良剪彩、讲话并演出。当时,它不仅是天津剧场之冠,而且也是全国少有的一流剧场。1955年,更名中国戏院。
        此外,1930年出版的《天津志略》记载: 仅戏院、电影院、评书馆、杂耍场等,天津就有56处:计戏院14处,电影院16处,评书馆22处,杂耍场5处。以每日演2场,平均每场有500人,则一日间,观众就有5万多人。
        还有演出过戏曲的 “游艺场” ,如天外天、天祥商场内的小广寒、日租界的张园、德租界的陶园等6处; 演出过戏曲的俱乐部,如英租界海关、法租界天同等5处; 主要演出京剧的票房,如开滦、南开等6处; 演出过戏曲的坤书馆,如日租界的中华、南市的权乐等5处。天津戏曲场所数量之多、规模之大、设备之优,在当时的中国,仅次于上海。

        The appearance of tea houses in Tianjin signaled thebeginning of Tianjin modern art. Tea houses werecommercial sites for opera performance which gatheredstages and spectators inside a chamber theater of abuilding. A stage was a protruding square platform withthree open sides. Spectators sat around it drinking whilewatching opera. Business could also be done there. Teahouses just charged tea and not for drama,the expensesof which was in the tea expenses and appeared in thename of tea expenses.
        Tea houses in Tianjin showed up in the early1800s. There was already the line of "Seven Tea Housesin Tianjin Surpass Those of the Capital" in Daoguangreign. When time came to the modern era,tea houses inTianjin saw a rapid development. Four famed tea housesexisted in Daoguang reign which were Qingfang TeaHouse,Jinsheng Tea House,Xiesheng Tea House andXisheng Tea House.
        The spring-up of tea houses promoted thepopularity of opera in Tianjin. On the other hand,theopera stars` performance at tea houses made them moreprosperous. Many tea houses were built in Hebei Street,Houjiahou,and Dongbeijiao,such as Huifang Tea House(in the north of Beimengdong;Yang Xiaolou performedhere in 1902),Tiangui Tea House (in Xinmalu,laterShiqiaobei of Hebei Street),Daguan Tea House (inGongyin of Beimalu; named Daguan New Theater in1909; later changed to Tianjin Cinema),Tiansheng TeaHouse (at Dongbeijiao,once named Dongsheng TeaAssociation,Tiansheng Theater,and Tiankai cinema).
        After the Gengzi Event,a fire destroyed areas ofBeidaguang,Houjiahou and Guyijie. The downtownmoved to the north and Nanshi came into being. It wascalled "Nobody Governs" because it was located inbetween the old city and the concessions. There weremany restaurants and entertainment places. Besides folkart sites,there were new tea houses. Huayue Tea Houseat Rongye Street was renovated from a story-tellinghouse at the end of Qing Dynasty.
        Tea houses also developed with the foreignconcessions when they were becoming the new prosperousplaces of trade,finance and culture. Tianjin Summarydescribed that there were Tianfu Tea House in Zizhulin,Fuxian Tea House in Haidadao. There were also Juxing TeaHouse,Tianhui Tea House,Songfengge,and Fuchun TeaHouse. According to Tianjin Volume,China Opera Record,there were 113 tea houses in Tianjin. Some tea houseslasted even more than 30 years.
        Opera theaters were the transition from tea housesto modern theaters. At the end of Qing Dynasty and atthe beginning of the Republic of China,tea houses werenot suitable for opera performance with the developmentof modern architecture,light,business in concessionsand the prosperity of Tianjin opera. New or renovatedtheaters came into being with stages and new facilitiesof balconies,platforms,rowed chairs,and lighting. Thefamous theaters were as follows:
        Xiatianxian Theater Tianxian Theater,TheFirst Theater,Shengping Arena,The Great Theater,Shangping`an Theater.
        According to annals and history,other theaterswere Tiantian Theater,Zhongyuanmiao Theater,Qingyun Theater,Qunying Theater,Guanhelou Theater,Beitianxian Theater,Xinxin Theater,Central Theaterand Xinsheng Theater.
        The building of Great Theater marked thebeginning of modern Tianjin Theater. In 1920s and1930s,social life in Tianjin changed a lot with thedevelopment of new-culture revolution and thepopularity of new ideas. Modern theaters appeared inTianjin because of Tianjin`s opening up,its importanceas a financial center,the building of the city,the absorbof local culture,the set-up of Tianjin as a special city,the capital moving to the south and the investment intheaters in the concessions.
        In 1927,Chunhe Theater was built. It wasinvested by Gao Chunhe and located in Guhouli ofBinjiang Road. It was spacious with advanced facilities,especially audio machines for broadcasting foroutsiders. It also reformed management by cancellingthe selling of fast food and selling tickets in advancefor checking numbers. Yang Xiaolou and the "Top FourFemale Actresses" all performed here. It changed nameto Guotai Theater and Guanghua Theater for playingfilms in around 1935. In March,1943,it changed nameto Darning Cinema and managed by the Japanese. InMay,1945,the theater stopped business because of fireon back stage. After the liberation,Textile Labor Uniontook over and repaired it. Its name changed to LaborTheater. In March,1957,it was called Worker`s Theater.
        In 1936,Great Theater was built at Ha`erbin Street.It was a Chinese-French style building in cement of5 floors. The first,second and third floor were 1800seats for audience. It had no pillars,so it did not hindersight or voice. There was an iron curtain of fire proofbetween the front and back stages. Zhang Zizhong(Tianjin Mayor) and Ma Lianliang attended the openingceremony and made speeches. It was the best theater inTianjin and one of the best in China. In 1955,it changedname to China`s Theater.
        Tianjin Annals published in 1930 wrote that therewere 57 entertainment places in Tianjin: 14 theaters,16cinemas,22 Ping story-telling places,and 5 sideshowplaces. If every place performed twice one day and 500persons watched each performance,there would be50,000 audience in one day.
        There were also other places for opera performancesuch as the 6 entertainment places named Tianwaitian,Guanghangong at Tianxiang marketplace,ZhangGarden in the Japanese concession,Tao Garden inthe Germany concession,to name a few.; 5 clubs foropera performance such as the Customs of the Britainconcession and Tiantong in the French concession,etc.;6 ticket shops for Peking opera such as Kailuan andNankai; 5 Kun Story-telling places such as Zhonghuain the Japanese concession and Quanyue at Nanshi. Thenumber,size and facilities of theaters in Tianjin wereonly next to Shanghai in China.

        

·1939年被水淹的中国大戏院