研究相聲發現一個有趣、也很重要的現象，就是相聲與戲劇有著前世今生糾結的關聯，「相聲」這門藝術雖然誕生於清代，至今才一百多年，但它絕非從天而降，追其淵源，吸取了唐代「參軍戲」及明代「隔壁戲」的養分；傳統相聲的演員為什麼經常以古典戲劇（戲曲）為素材，既能唱又能演？京劇中的丑角對話，為什麼看起來和相聲有類似的語言諧趣？現代的「相聲劇」、「小品」，運用了大量戲劇表演元素，到底是相聲？還是戲劇？本文視相聲為一有機體，將之擬人化，從戲劇觀點切入，除了追溯相聲在成型前－「前世」的戲曲元素，並分析相聲「今生」發展中的戲曲素材，以及向戲曲靠攏的表演形式，更從「相聲」與「戲曲」兩者相互影響的關聯中，剖析相聲藝術，對相聲作一現象分析，除了對相聲的「前世」作深入探源之外，更期望相聲的今生、來世都活得精采。

Research of Xiangsheng shows it is closely connected to traditional Chinese drama in many ways. Though the performing art form of Xiangsheng only dates back to the Qing dynasty, approximately a hundred years from now, its origin can be traced back to the Canjunxi in the Tang dynasty and the Gebixi in the Ming dynasty. Traditional Xiangsheng patter borrows a lot from traditional Chinese drama in forms and skills. Xiangsheng artists not only have to talk, but also have to sing and act. In addition, Xiangsheng performers speak in a way very similar to the role type chou (the clown) in Beijing Opera. What's more, in modern "Xiangsheng plays" and "skits," many traditional theatrical elements are included, making it difficult to tell which category these works fall into. In this essay, Xiangsheng is regarded as a living organism that evolves through time. By looking for the theatrical elements in Xiangsheng, this paper intends to find out Xiangsheng's similarities to traditional Chinese drama in its "previous life," that is, in the past. It also discusses how the traditional Chinese drama works have inspired the performance of Xiangsheng these days (in its "present life"). Through the study of the interrelationship between the two, this paper aims to bring about a deeper understanding of Xiangsheng and prepares it for a richer and fuller life in the future.