北宋《目连救母》杂剧的表演形态刍议

仪式戏剧这一具有驱邪逐疫、祈福、超度亡灵等宗教功能的仪式性演剧形式，不仅包括故事性不强的仪式短剧，也包括故事情节复杂、长度可观的大型仪式剧目；通常结构松散，可以插演其他内容；在表演形式上是戏中有仪，仪中裹戏。通过对留存下来的文献记载和后世此剧目的演出情景的分析，可以认定北宋《目连救母》杂剧并非一般宋金杂剧的表演形态，而是一部由勾肆乐人搬演的大型仪式戏剧。

The Northern Song Tsa-chu "Mulian Saving His Mother" Is A Ritual Play

Ritual theatre can be regarded as the unique concept that can cover the various Chinese non-entertainment theatrical forms. It functions as eliminating evils and epidemic disease, praying for blessing, releasing souls from purgatory. In plot and content, it includes simple and short plays as well as complicated long plays. In performance style, its structure is usually loose in which other items can be inserted. Its form in performance is a mixture of ritual content and theatrical performance. The Northern Song Tsa-chu ＂Mulian Saving His Mother＂, judged from the document and present folklore ritual theatre performance, is not a mere puppet play, but a complicated long ritual play performed by monks.