本文將中國古劇場的演變，按照戲曲史的發展分為五個時期，並將各期的演劇場所下標題，以醒眉目：一、先秦時代－以大自然的平垻及平野為舞臺的時期；二、漢魏時期－以廣場、廳堂要屋宇殿為表演場所的時期；三、隋唐時期－以戲臺、廟前廣場、看棚為表演場所的時期；四、宋金元時期－以瓦舍勾欄、露臺與神廟戲臺為表演場所的時期；五、明清時期－以堂會、戲園、神廟戲臺、清宮戲臺、臨時戲臺、水畔戲臺、會館祠堂戲臺為表演場所的時期。各期之下又配合當時戲曲史之發展特色而作更進一步之論述。

This article is to classify the ancient Chinese theatre evolvement into five periods each attached with a subtitle showing the locations and types of stages according the Chinese drama history : 1)pre-Qin times-a period of the Ping-Bei (the open ground in the foot of a mountain crag) and Ping-Ye (the field) 2)Han and Wei Dynasties-a period of Guang-Chang (the plaza), Ting-Tang (the hall) and Wu-Yu-Dian-Ting (the courtyard of wealthy homes or palace). 3)Sui and Tang Dynasties-a period of Xi-Chang (a performance place of urban), Miao-Qian-Quang-Chang (the spuare in front of the temple), Kan-Peng (a temporary structure for plays). 4)Song-Jin-Yuan period-a period of Wa-She-Gou-Lan (the amusement center and performance arena of urban center), Lu-Tai (a flat raised surface such as a terrace or platform, usually located in the temple), and When-Miao-Xi-Tai (the temple-stage). 5)Ming and Qing dynasties-a period of Tang-Hui (a temporary hall-stage), Xi-Yuan (the pleasure park), Shen-Miao-Xi-Tai, Qin-Gong-Xi-Tai (the court-stage of Qing dynasty), Lin-Shi-Xi-Tai (a temporary stage built for the occasion), Shui-Pan-Xi-Tai (the waterside-stage), Hui-Guan-Xi-Tai (the guildhall-stage) and Ci-Tang-Xi-Tai (the ancestral temple-stage). To give more clear features of ancient Chinese theatre evolvement, each period would be described in detail linking with the characteristics of drama evolvement at the time.