Below the stage stand a crowd of older people, chewing on betel nuts. These patrons of puppet theatre are joined by the four puppet troupes left in Taiwan, who abandon their traditional competitive stance to come together and view the play. Professors and others concerned about the future of folk art as well as reporters and photographers with flash cameras are on the scene.
戲台下，站著的是嚼檳榔、戴斗笠，看了幾十年老戲的阿公阿婆；全國五個古典布袋戲班班主到了四個，各自丟棄了平日互不相見的「拼台」傳統，一起來捧場；關心劇運的大學教授、喜愛民俗的藝文界人士、手持閃光燈的記者，也紛紛趕到。