Abstract: Tianchan Theater used to be the most famous performance place in Shanghai during the 1930s. This paper takes the attendance rate and the turnover of Tianchan theater as a case study, which helps to understand the fact that Shanghai drama performance market has been facing tough conditions of depression since "the period of isolated island", and the interaction of various internal and external factors also further speed up the shrinking of theater performance market.

Key words: attendance rate, market environment, Shanghai, theater