CREATIVE COGNITION OF DREAM IMAGERY AMONG PRACTITIONERS OF CONTEMPORARY CHINESE DRAMA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i5.820Keywords:
contemporary Chinese drama, creative cognition, nonlinear narrative, audience receptionAbstract
This paper focuses on the creative cognition and practical application of dream imagery in contemporary Chinese drama. Based on semi-structured interviews, it deeply explores how directors, playwrights, and stage designers understand and employ dream imagery. The study begins by delineating the concept of dream imagery and its multidimensional roles in dramatic narrative, aesthetic function, and expressive techniques, highlighting that current research tends to emphasize text analysis and audience reception while neglecting creators’ subjective perspectives. Adopting a qualitative research paradigm informed by symbolic interactionism and cognitive psychology, this study systematically analyzes how creators construct dream imagery in script conception and stage presentation, and addresses challenges such as cultural gaps, technical constraints, and audience comprehension difficulties. The findings reveal that dream imagery serves not only as a carrier of psychological and social symbols but also reflects contemporary drama’s break from traditional structures and aesthetic innovation. This paper emphasizes a three-dimensional interaction model among creators, texts, and audiences, enriching theoretical perspectives on dream imagery and offering experiential references for theatrical creation and cross-media dissemination. Finally, the study proposes theoretical and practical pathways for developing a distinctive Chinese paradigm of dream imagery creation, promoting the sustained development of dream narrative in contemporary Chinese drama.
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