Abstract: As a public space, on one hand, theater can represent social culture; on the other hand, theater has the function of reconstructing the social culture. The transformation from traditional tea house to modern play house reveals various changes in many aspects of social strata including gender relationships. The performance of New Stage was also altering. It emphasized sensationalism, which reflected the corresponding shift of the citizens’ mental life with the process of urbanization. Being fascinated by the vivid image is a cultural symptom of the mass epoch.

Key words: Theater, urban, sensationalism, modernization