「野台」指的是在露天搭建的戲棚，而野台戲就是在這種露天戲棚中演出的戲劇，演出的戲劇多為傳統戲曲，像是歌仔戲或布袋戲，野台戲的演出多半是為了酬神，在早期的農村社會，不管是家中婚喪喜慶要請客，或是宮廟普渡、替神明慶生，或是有信眾要還願、謝神，人們都流行請一台戲，在野台戲的黃金年代時，同時會有多家野台戲戲班在拚場，而在早期那個娛樂匱乏的年代，看野台戲是市井小民們，工作完後的少有娛樂活動，只要有一方戲台，幾張板凳，人神同歡。
在我小時候，大眾娛樂已經很普及了，所以我其實沒有印象有看過野台戲，但是我知道在中南部，野台戲還是存在的，某年，我在南部旅行時，就有在路邊看見野台戲的情況，老老少少拿著板凳，坐在舞台前看戲，台上演的內容是甚麼，我已經忘了，不過，大概是表演那些忠孝仁愛的劇碼，如六郎告御狀或目連救母等，小時候，電視歌仔戲正當紅時，我幾乎每天都會看，看著看著，連閩南語都可以從完全不知道，到聽得懂七七八八了，興趣真是學語言的最佳動力。
這次剛好碰到的野台戲，應該也是為了酬神，而舞台前的觀眾還蠻多的，比我想像中多了很多，大概有上百人，不過，大多是上了年紀的長輩，還好找的場地是片可容納千人的廣場，但是當野台戲的正式演出後，生動的歌仔戲唱腔及出色舞台特效，大家的目光就在台上演員的表演上了，其實不但野台戲在北部很少看到，就連電視歌仔戲現在也看不到了，算是很難得可以看到現場演出的歌仔戲，很多野台戲演員，都知道時代不在他們這邊，因為看野台戲觀眾越來越少，觀眾大多是長輩們，很少看到年輕人，演員們都是憑著熱情在支撐，就算台下無人觀看，但還有神明在看。
“Outdoor stages” refer to open-air theaters set up outdoors, and Yeh Tai Xi (outdoor stage opera) is the kind of traditional drama performed on these stages. The performances are often traditional operas, such as Gezai Xi (Taiwanese opera) or glove puppetry. These shows are typically held as offerings to the gods. In early rural societies, whether it was for a family’s wedding or funeral, temple festivals, birthday celebrations for deities, or fulfilling vows to the gods, it was common to hire a troupe to perform. During the golden age of Yeh Tai Xi, multiple troupes would often compete against each other in the same area. Back then, when entertainment options were scarce, watching Yeh Tai Xi was one of the few leisure activities for ordinary people after a hard day’s work. All it took was a stage, a few wooden benches, and the whole community—humans and deities alike—would join in the festivities.
When I was a kid, mainstream entertainment was already widely available, so I don’t have any personal memories of watching Yeh Tai Xi. However, I know it’s still alive in southern Taiwan. Once, while traveling in the south, I happened to stumble across a Yeh Tai Xi performance by the roadside. There were people of all ages bringing their own benches to sit and watch in front of the stage. As for what was being performed, I can’t recall anymore. It was probably one of those moral tales about loyalty and filial piety, like Yang Liu Lang’s Petition or Mu Lian Rescues His Mother. When I was a child, Taiwanese opera on TV was incredibly popular, and I used to watch it almost every day. Over time, I went from not understanding a word of Taiwanese to being able to follow most of it. Interest really is the best motivator for learning a language!
The Yeh Tai Xi I stumbled upon this time seemed to be a religious offering as well, and to my surprise, the audience was much larger than I expected—probably over a hundred people. Most of them were older folks. Fortunately, the performance was held in a spacious plaza that could accommodate thousands, so it didn’t feel too crowded. When the actual performance began, the vibrant singing style of Gezai Xi and the impressive stage effects immediately captured everyone’s attention. These days, it’s rare to see Yeh Tai Xi in northern Taiwan, and even televised Taiwanese opera has disappeared. It felt like a special opportunity to witness a live Gezai Xi performance. Many outdoor opera performers know that the times are not on their side. Audiences are shrinking, and most of those who still attend are seniors. It’s rare to see younger people. Yet, these performers continue out of passion, holding on to their craft. Even if no one is watching from the crowd, they believe the gods are still watching.
For the best experience view this post on Liketu
我们 小时候 也是看这种戏😀😀 不过这个名字 野台 挺特别的 ~
哈，地方特色，可能大同小異 😁
Congratulations @diochen! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 2750 replies.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOP