在文建會尚未成立之前,「舉辦地方戲劇比賽」一直是政府對待台灣的地方戲劇的主要、也是唯一的政策。自民國41年(1952)舉辦第一屆地方戲劇比賽起,直到民國88年(1999)停辦為止,總共辦理了將近五十個年頭。在民國82年(1993)參賽辦法解禁前,幾乎所有立案的台灣戲劇團體都必須依規定參加,最高記錄曾有六百多團參加各縣市舉辦的初賽,盛況空前,應該可以成為一項民間戲曲的嘉年華會,也該是一場大型的藝術競技,受到各界的矚目與重視,但事實不然,長久以來,比賽缺乏權威性,地方戲劇團體的不樂衷,使這項比賽成為一年一度的例行公事,僅提供各劇團是否辦理登記、是否繳納會費、人事異動等檢閱資料。雖然比賽的實質意義未能發揮作用,但是在形式上,也為「衝州撞府」、倍受政府忽視的地方戲劇團及工作人員,留下一份可資參考的「官方記錄」。另外,本文將透過對於比賽規定的觀察與解讀,爬梳出與台灣戲劇發展興衰的呼應,期望能填補上台灣戲劇史上的一處空白。
Before the Council for Cultural Affairs(文化建設委員會) have established, "To hold traditional theater competition "(地方戲劇比賽) has been the main and only policy which was run by the government to traditional theater in Taiwan. From1952, the first time traditional theater competition launched, to the end in 1999 , the competitions have been held nearly 50 years. Before the deregulation of competitons rules in1993 , almost all registered Taiwanese traditional theater groups must attend by the rules. The highest record was more than 600 drama troupes attending the first competitons in different counties and reached the unprecedented grand occasion which should be deemed as a carnivals of traditional theater or a large art tournament and paid much attention and put emphasis by the public. But on the otherwise, for a long time, the competiton lacks of authority, and those traditional theater groups were not active to join, that made this competiton become annual routine business and only provide each drama troupe whether to carry out registry, whether to pay membership dues, and personnel change...etc.for data review. Although the substantial meaning of competiton can not be brought into effect , nominally, by way of those competitons leave a valuable and referable "authorities record" to those「mobile troupes」 and their staff members who were strongly ignored by the government. Besides, this research will observe and interpret the competiton rules and describe the rise and fall of Taiwanese drama development. Hope to fill out the blank of the history of Taiwan drama.