從外江到國劇：論臺灣民間京劇傳統的形成與失落

徐亞湘。〈從外江到國劇：論臺灣民間京劇傳統的形成與失落〉。《民俗曲藝》170 (2010.12): 143-76。

Hsü Ya-hsiang. “From 'Waijiang' to “National Opera”: Study of Traditional Taiwanese Folk Style Peking Opera.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 170 (2010.12): 143-76.

Abstract

京劇傳入臺灣已歷百年，自日治初期不斷來臺巡演的上海京班帶來南派京劇以來，臺灣民間受其風潮影響，諸如本土京班、京調票房相繼成立、地方戲班開始加演京劇、藝妲學習京調、京調唱片的發行等現象，皆可視為被民間習稱為「外江」的京劇，在日本殖民地臺灣已經完成「本地化」的明證，成為「在來」的劇種。

此依附着商業劇場興盛的戲曲生態背景，有着劇種藝術位階相對較高特色的臺灣民間京劇傳統，在戰後初期依然延續其旺盛的生命力。唯國府遷臺後的戲曲政策，尊京劇而貶臺灣地方戲曲，而其尊之京劇又專指大陸京朝派之京劇而非海派京劇，更遑論受海派京劇影響下的臺灣民間京劇傳統。受此影響，臺灣民間京劇傳統在面對政治力、商業競爭及生態變化等多重不利因素的作用下，開始逐漸消解，而此原屬常民的集體文化記憶，亦被黨國論述強力催眠下的「國劇」、「外省」、「軍中劇團」等概念所取代，京劇形象長期的狹窄化、刻板化，加上整體文娛環境的丕變，終使臺灣民間京劇傳統走向消亡。

本文擬從臺灣民間對京劇稱呼從「外江」到「國劇」的形象轉換切入，試圖釐清其對臺灣京劇發展及民眾對其認知造成了何種影響？臺灣民間對京劇藝術的「接受╱選擇╱適應」歷程為何？臺灣民間京劇發展與階層、族群、國家之間的互動關係？最後，並延伸至臺灣京劇當代處境的思考。

Since Peking Opera was introduced into Taiwan, it has been over a hundred years. Since early Japanese Colonial years, the Shanghai School of Peking Opera had frequently toured Taiwan. Under its influence, local opera troupes and amateur Peking Opera clubs were widely established. Local troupe began to add Peking opera to their repertoire. Taiwanese geishas learned to sing the new tunes. Music albums of Peking Opera were released. All the above-mentioned phenomena indicate that the performance art then called “waijiang” had completed its localization process in Japanese colonized Taiwan and became a local operatic genre.

This commercially successful Taiwanese folk-style Peking Opera tradi­tion occupied a prestigious status. Its vitality still prevailed during the early post-WWII years. However, since the Nationalist Government’s flight to Taiwan, its policy towards traditional theater was to overlook Taiwanese folk opera and promoted solely the Peking Opera. The “Peking Opera” in this case refers to the Peking School, not the Shanghai School of Peking Opera nor the Taiwanese folk-style Peking Opera influenced by the latter. With multiple unfavorable factors such as changes in political power, commercial competition and environment, the popularity of folk-style Peking Opera in Taiwan gradually dissolved. This collective cultural memory of ordinary people was replaced by the highly propagandized party/nationalist notion of “national opera,” “waisheng,” and “military theatrical troupes.” The long-term stereotyping of the concept of Peking Opera and the general shift in the entertainment industry finally resulted in the dying out of Taiwanese folk-style Peking Opera.

In this study, I will start by investigating the change of local terminol­ogy for “Traditional Taiwanese Folk-style Peking Opera” from waijiang to “national opera.” I intend to deal with the following issues; the influence of the change over the development as well as ordinary people’s cognition of Taiwanese Peking Opera, how the Taiwanese populace received, preferred, and eventually acclimatized to the artistry of Peking Opera, the interaction between Taiwanese folk-style Peking Opera with social classes, ethnic groups, and nationalism. Finally, the status of Peking Opera in contemporary Taiwan will also be discussed.