二十一世紀初臺灣佛教歌仔戲演出現象與發展演變探析：以現代劇場歌仔戲為觀察對象

The Phenomenon and Development of Buddhist Dramas in Taiwanese Opera in the Early 21st Century: An Observation of Modern Theatre Taiwanese Opera

近年臺灣歌仔戲界吹起一股佛教歌仔戲風，在短短十幾年內，數個知名劇團陸續推出佛教歌仔戲作為年度大戲演出，彼此觀摩，蔚為風尚。據統計自二○○七年至二○一九年十三年間共計有五個劇團推出十八齣佛教大戲，幾乎年年都有佛教歌仔戲演出，此一當代歌仔戲現象實在不可不被關注。但佛教歌仔戲演出常出現兩極評論，因其關涉宗教與戲劇結合的衝突矛盾，此矛盾廣泛涉及藝術表演形態、表演場域、表演目的及觀眾信仰等等複雜的問題，若能從臺灣佛教及戲劇發展史角度切入，觀察兩者結合的脈絡與發展軌跡，應能更全面理解與分析此一複雜現象。故本文擬從兩大面向進行探討：首先，從臺灣歌仔戲與佛教的發展史出發，探究兩者在理念或表演藝術上契合的融通點，以及合作的契機。其次，探究佛教歌仔戲演出題材、主題及表演形式的發展演變及劇團演出特色，藉此釐析臺灣佛教歌仔戲近十幾年來演出現象及在臺灣歌仔戲發展史上的意義。

"In recent years, Taiwanese opera has seen an emergence of Buddhist dramas; in just a little more than ten years, several renowned troupes have rolled out Buddhist dramas for their annual drama production and have thus been able to learn from one another. Statistics show that during the 13 years from 2007 to 2019, there were 18 Buddhist dramas from five Taiwanese opera troupes; there were Buddhist drama performances almost every year. This phenomenon in the realm of contemporary Taiwanese opera deserves more attention. However, Buddhist drama performances are often met with polarized critiques on account of contradictions regarding the combination of religion and drama; these contradictions reflect complex issues of performance forms, milieus, and objectives, the audience's religious beliefs, and so on. These issues can be analyzed in depth and then understood comprehensively if the history of Buddhism and drama in Taiwan can be investigated as a way to observe the context and development trajectory of these two fields. This research accordingly aims to explore relevant issues in two dimensions: first, the history of Taiwanese opera and Buddhism in Taiwan is expected to shed light on their common ideals that have made possible Buddhist dramas and the opportunities of cooperation between Buddhism and performing arts. Second, the development in the themes and forms of Taiwanese opera, as well as the performance characteristics of different troupes, will be examined to analyze the phenomenon of Buddhist dramas in Taiwan and its significance in the history of Taiwanese opera."