The Huagu Opera , developed from the Hunan Song and Dance Ensemble's Huagu Opera group, was founded in May 1953. As Huagu Opera's representative performing group, the theater boasts a galaxy of stars that are fervently loved by Huagu Opera fans. It had undergone several reorganizations until 1980 when it was reestablished.

The theater's "Story of a Cousin" obtained the Wenhua Award at the 7th China Arts Festival in September 2004, making it the first time for a Huagu Opera play to win this highest artwork national award.

The theater mainly performsChangshaHuagu Opera, but also borrows from Huagu Opera in other areas of Hunan Province including Shaoyang, Hengyang,Yueyangand Lingling.

The theater's repertoire includes Catching a Bird, Begging Tuition Fees, Seeing My Cousin Off, Picking Vegetables, Spring Outing, Iron Casting, Kite Flying, Catching Butterflies, Crazy Bride and Pan Hua.

The theater's play adaptions from other operas include Xiju Opera's Pushing Grindstone,Huangmei Opera's WatchingLanterns, Baling Opera's Jiuzi Whi, Hanju Opera's Memorial to Kerchief, Qiju Opera's LadyWang ZhaojunandKunquOpera's Shi Wu Guan.

The theater also created a number of modern plays such as Story of a Cousin, Delivering Grain, Sanliwan Bend, Beating Bronze Gong, Repairing the Pot, Bakery Smell, Shajiabang, Islet of Wild Ducks, Two Maps, On the Road of Delivering Goods, Niu Duoxi Sitting in a Sedan, Petty Official, Peach Blossom Flood, Sheep Horn and Paging Machine and Country Police. Among them, Peach Blossom Flood won the 5th Wenhua Award, earning the theater the designation of being one of eight theaters with outstanding achievement in contemporary operas.