Many new theaters have been built up in cities around China in recent years, but nationwide most theaters’incomes are declining.
The Sichuan Opera Theater, situated at the center of a bustling commercial district of Chengdu, was built by the Sichuan Opera Troupe three years ago, to help them save on the cost of renting a performing location.
Every Sunday afternoon, the troupe treats fans to classical Sichuan opera shows. A Sunday show is the staple performance of the theater. The tickets are sold for between 40 and 120 yuan, to keep loyal fans coming. But with the rising cost of running the facility and its employees, the theater is struggling to make ends meet.
Barely half of the troupe's performances each year are now held at the theater. Most are in other cities, either as part of a festival or in a competition. The troupe prefers these touring shows, because most are sponsored by the government, and troupe members say that their income from them is far higher than when performing at home.
The 106 theaters in Beijing, which has a vibrant theater scene, are also under pressure; some theaters lay idle for more than half a year.
Second and third tier cities only saw 58 performances last year on average, and total ticket sales dropped 2.9 percent compared to the previous year.
Experts also say that the main reason is that many theaters have been built during urbanization, but the shows’ quality does not match the number and speed of their construction.