越界與漫遊：尋覓現代觀眾的「鐘聲新劇」

本文以個人閱讀清末多種報刊雜誌所得的廣告、公啟、劇評……等資料為根據，試圖重建王鐘聲新劇創作的面貌。文章旨在考察王鐘聲的藝術成就，以多齣劇作為例，分析其作品風格、形式和表演特質，並討論他之於中國現代劇場的開創性地位。王鐘聲編演的劇目，絕大多數無關政治革命。在當時的社會環境裏，他所進行的各項實驗堪稱前衛。「鐘聲新劇」只說不唱的表演方式和分幕換景的西式作風，為傳統戲園注入許多新鮮元素，一時之間，觀者趨之若鶩。只是時間久了之後，習於戲曲美典的一般觀眾依舊難以持續對他的關注與興趣。在鐘聲新劇四處尋找觀眾的過程中，中國劇場也持續了晚清以來多種走向現代的變革。

關鍵字

王鐘聲；早期話劇；迦茵小傳；張汶祥刺馬；孽海花

並列摘要

Wang Zhongsheng's theatre entrepreneurship has long been noticed in the history of modern Chinese theatre. This paper further analyses some of his most representative works by using materials from contemporary newspapers such as advertisements, announcements and reviews. The contextualization of Wang's creative works helps to reveal the social network of the two organizations which he was vividly involved with: the Spring Sun Society and the Tongjian Drama School. On the basis of this network and the repertoire established during this period, Wang began his career as a new kind of dramatist in late Qing commercial theatre.The avant-garde style of Wang Zhongsheng's New Drama preferred dialogues to singing, as it would be the case of traditional ”operas”. The other marks of his work were the scene changes with curtain and backdrops in the way of Western theatre. His pioneering works were temporarily attractive to normal theatergoers. During Wang's search of appreciations for his untraditional form of plays, many innovations were carried out and milestones of modern Chinese theatre were laid.