本文首先說明，凡「演故事者謂之戲劇」，凡「合歌舞以代言演故事者謂之戲曲小戲」﹔在此前提下，考述先秦文獻，可知構成戲劇、戲曲為有機體之諸要素逐漸結合的情形：由〈葛天氏之樂〉見其原始歌舞之結合；由《周禮》〈大司樂〉，見樂舞合用；「瞽矇」見歌樂合用；「六樂」，見其祭享合用歌舞樂；而八蜡既為「戲禮」，似已具演故事而為「戲劇」之端倪；而儺中之方相氏就其扮相與職務觀之，當已具「戲劇」之條件矣；而周初《大武》之樂，演出武王伐紂故事，更為實質之「戲劇」，其年代距今三千一百餘年；至於戲曲雛型之小戲，則《九歌》諸篇，尤以〈山鬼〉，蓋可宣佈中國雛型小戲於此成立，其年代，距今二千五百餘年。 從兩漢魏晉南北朝與戲劇、戲曲相關文獻中，可考得：《總會仙倡》、《烏獲扛鼎》、《巴渝舞》、《古掾曹》、《鄭叔晉婦》、《文康樂》、《天台山伎》、《慈潛忿爭》等八個戲劇劇目。和《東海黃公》、《歌戲》、《遼東妖婦》等三個戲曲小戲劇目。 唐代除本文所考述的戲劇《蘭陵王》、《蘇莫遮》、《弄孔子》、《""頭》、《樊噲排君難》等五個劇目和《西涼伎》、《鳳歸雲》、《義陽主》、《旱稅忤權奸》、《麥秀兩歧》等五個戲曲小戲劇目外，尚有由優人所演出的宮廷小戲「參軍戲」和由庶民百姓搬演的鄉土小戲《踏謠娘》，另有兩漢以後傀儡百戲所演化而來的唐傀儡戲，對此筆者已有〈參軍戲演化之探討〉、〈唐戲《踏謠娘》及其相關的問題〉、〈中國偶戲考述〉三文詳論之，這裡不再贅述。或問：中國戲劇既已見諸周初〈大武〉，乃至更早之儺戲〈方相氏〉，中國戲曲小戲既已見諸戰國時代之《九歌》，何以遲至宋金之南戲北劇才能完成而為大戲，其間何以要歷經千五百年乃至兩千五百年呢？若論其故，個人認為：誠如本文「前言」所云，中國戲曲大戲是「綜合文學和藝術」，由故事、詩歌、音樂、舞蹈、雜技、講唱文學、俳優妝扮、代言體、狹隘劇場等九個構成元素所融合而成的「有機體」，其九項元素中除與小戲重複者之藝術層面與內涵，自然要比小戲提升和擴大許多外，其新注入之「講唱文學」則必須屬於有如宋金諸宮調和覆賺那樣的大型說唱，而非像鼓子詞、傳踏那樣的小型曲藝。也就是說提供戲曲最重要的故事題材和歌唱音樂，必須等到宋金時代才發展完成，才能作為「大戲」的主體基礎；而其九種因素，也必須有像宋金瓦舍勾欄那樣「百藝競陳」孕育薈萃的場所，必須有像宋金書會才人那樣「落拓書生」中的傑出人才，鎔鑄創作，才能水到渠成的生發為戲曲大戲；這就好像人類文明曙光乍現之後，到今日科技昌明、突飛猛進，其間也必須經歷漫長的蘊蓄積漸的歲月一般。尤其中國戲曲是綜合文學和藝術的「有機體」，更非如此不可。而這些條件在宋金之前不是沒有就是尚且未完備，所以必須等到宋金條件成就後才生發得來「南戲北劇」那樣的「大戲」，也因此本文就只能在兩宋之前，考察得到「戲劇」和「戲曲小戲」那樣作為大戲「雛型」的一些劇目；而若論「大戲」，自然無法從先秦至唐五代這漫長的歲月中去無中 生有了。

　　　　　 This article first asserts that "Drama means stories being played out", and "Every small play of Chinese traditional opera means singing, dancing with speaking for others to playing stories." By this precondition, the auther researched Chin's literal literature and found out the process that elememts gradually composed together. In "The Song of Ge-Tian-Shi"（葛天氏之樂）, there is the fusion of primitive song and dance; "Da-Si Music"（大司樂）of 《Zhou-Li 》（周禮）included music and dance performance together; "Gu-Meng"（瞽矇）included song and music performing together; in "Liou-Yue"（六樂）there is the fusion of religious rite with music, song and dance. But not until the "Drama Ceremony" （戲禮）, and "Ba-Zha" （八蜡）, do we see the essence of stories being played; the character "Fang-Xiang-Shi"（方相氏）in "Nuo Drama"（儺）, which make-up and incumbency have qualification to be a drama. In B.C. 1100 the Zhou dynasty, the story line of"Da-Wu" （大武）is King Wu attacking Zhou （武王伐紂）, it is already a complete drama. Futhermore, the miniature of Chinese traditional opera, Small Play, "Shian-Guei" （山鬼）of 《Jiou-Ge 》（九歌）, announced the Chinese small play established in B.C. 500. In the literature from Han to South and North Dynasties, the auther finds eight dramas including "Zueng-Huei-Xian-Chang"（總會仙倡）, Wu-Huo-Kang-Ding" （烏獲扛鼎）etc., and three small plays of Chinese opera including "Dueng-Hai-Huang-Gueng"（東海黃公）, "Ge-Xi"（歌戲）. In Tang dynasty, also has five more dramas including "Lan-Lin-Wang"（蘭陵王）, "Su-Mo-Zhe"（蘇莫遮）etc., and five small play of Chinese opera including "Xi-Liang-Ji"（西涼伎）, "Feng-Guei-Yun" （鳳歸雲）. Besides, there is also the courts small play "Can-Jun-Xi", and the folk small play "Ta-Iao-Niang"（踏謠娘）. The grand play is a complicated organism, this article is specially focus on the miniature of Chienese traditional opera, drama and small play before Southern and Northern Sueng.