戰後初期中國劇作在臺演出實踐探析

An Exploration of the Chinese Plays in Taiwan during the Early Post World War II Period

一九四五年至一九四九年的戰後四年間，臺灣的戲劇演出活動相對熱絡，除了文藝／社會批判取向的本省知識分子演劇因劇本審查制及「二二八事件」的影響，而受到嚴重的挫折與打擊之外，無論是娛樂取向的民間職業新劇演出、中國話劇團的旅臺演出、軍中演劇隊的演出，以及民間業餘劇社及校園演劇等相關活動，皆呈現出一種戰後新生的蓬勃氣氛。為了使甫脫離日本殖民統治的臺灣人能儘早認識祖國文化、學習國語，話劇於是成為彼時國府在臺文化施政「去日本化」與「再中國化」之文化重建的一環與利器。透過來臺的中國職業話劇團、軍中演劇隊、外省業餘劇人及教師、學生，當時超過四十位中國知名劇作家的六十個劇作在戰後四年間集中壓縮於臺灣演出，這些自五四以降至抗戰勝利間的名劇，包含歷史劇、抗戰劇、改譯劇、喜劇及嚴肅寫實劇等多元類型，在介紹祖國文化、推行國語運動、溝通軍民感情等功利性目的下，實則忽略了臺灣觀眾在語言、文化上的適應力及尚有相當隔閡的現實性，以致造成與「此時此地」的背逆現象。「時間壓縮」與「時局變化」是影響中國劇作在當時臺灣演出實踐至為關鍵且相互作用的兩個因素，而「壓縮的文化重建」與「話劇的工具化」又是臺灣人缺乏觀賞中國劇作意願的主因。彼時中國劇作的演出，雖則反應出時空錯置的荒謬性，但對之後臺灣的話劇發展卻有潛在、深遠的影響。

Between 1945 and 1949, right after World War II, Chinese dramatic plays in Taiwan were overwhelmingly popular. Except for local intellectuals who were oriented towards social criticism and who were affected due to the script review system and the “February 28 Incident,” almost all drama activities, including entertainment oriented new folk plays, Chinese drama round tours troupes, military drama shows, amateur folk drama troupes and campus drama troupes, were vigorously booming. In order to expedite learning of both Chinese culture and language on the part of Taiwanese residents, who were newly detached from the Japanese colonial government, dramatic plays became a means of cultural reconstruction by the Chinese government, for they could help the residents to “de-Japanize” and “re-Chinese culturalize.” Through Chinese drama troupes, military drama troupes, mainland amateur dramatists, and students and teachers, there were more than 40 well-known Chinese dramatists, responsible for having written 60 dramas performed in Taiwan during the four year post-World War II period. These dramatic plays, including historic drama, dramas concerning the War of Resistance to the Japanese, western drama, comedies, and realist drama, introduced Chinese culture, advocated Chinese language, and soothed relationships between the military and the citizens. But in reality, this overlooked the adaptability of both the language and culture of these Taiwanese drama viewers and created a large gap of estrangement from reality. The resulting circumstance was a backlash against these forms in preference for indigenous cultural expressions. “Time compression” and “situation change” are two key factors that affected Chinese drama practiced in Taiwan. And “compressed cultural deconstruction” and “instrumentalization of drama” are two main reasons that Taiwanese viewers lacked the will to watch Chinese plays. However, while those plays appeared to be preposterous under the circumstances of the “here and now,” they affected the development of the Taiwanese drama plays profoundly in the long run.