十五貫 Fifteen Strings of Cash
十五貫
《十五貫》原劇為明末清初劇作家朱素臣所作，一九五0年代經改編，由傳字輩崑曲大師周傳瑛、王傳淞等主演，表演細膩生動，人物塑造鮮明，因該戲引發了對崑曲藝術的重視，被譽為是“一齣戲救活一個劇種”的崑曲名劇。
屠夫尤葫蘆因資金短少，停業多日，後向亡妻之姐借到了十五貫錢，作為買賣的本錢，心中歡喜，喝得大醉。回到家中，繼女蘇戌娟問起十五貫錢的來源，尤葫蘆戲稱是將蘇賣為丫鬟所得的錢，並說第二天一早就要把蘇送走。蘇信以為真，慌忙逃走，意欲投奔住在臯橋的姨母。
由於蘇走時未熄燈、未關門，賭棍婁阿鼠趁機闖入，瞥見尤葫蘆的十五貫錢，頓起歹心。尤葫蘆被驚醒，掙紮中，尤被婁用肉斧殺死。
次日清晨，鄰居們發現尤葫蘆被人殺死，十五貫錢和繼女蘇戌娟都不見蹤影，立即報官。
客商陶復朱的夥計熊友蘭，攜帶十五貫錢去常州辦貨，路遇迷途的蘇戌娟，因將路過臯橋，故結伴同行，不想被鄰居和官差追上，懷疑二人為兇手，被押送無錫縣衙門。
無錫知縣過於執，主觀臆斷，又聽信婁阿鼠的謊言，將蘇、熊二人以通姦謀殺罪判成死刑。蘇州知府況鐘奉命監斬，審訊時發現疑點，不肯枉殺無辜，深夜求見都督周忱，為民請命，並求得令箭，親至無錫兇案現場查勘，又假扮測字先生，往蘇州尋訪真兇，以智謀套得婁阿鼠口供，終於將殺人兇手捕獲，使案情大白，蘇熊二人得以洗脫罪名，免做刀下冤魂。
折子戲: 訪測
〈訪測〉一折描寫況鐘假扮成測字先生，往蘇州尋訪真兇，在城隍廟前巧遇婁阿鼠，藉測字取得婁阿鼠的信任，並套出口供，假言有小船可供他逃難，兩人同行而去。
Fifteen Strings of Cash
Written by Sucheng Zhu in the seventeenth century, the original script was adapted in the 1950s and performed with the lead roles played by kunqu masters Chuanying Zhou and Chuansong Wang who brought life and depth to the characters. This adaptation and production triggered much interest in the kunqu art and became famed as “the play that revived the whole theatre genre of kunqu.”
You Hulu, a bibulous butcher, returns home one night very drunk and carries fifteen strings of cash loaned to him by a women relative to help re-build his bankrupt butcher shop. Before stumbling into bed, he jokingly tells his pretty stepdaughter Su Xujuan that the money was from selling her as a slave girl. Believing in his words, the terrified Su flees promptly to seek safety with an aunt in a distant town. After Su’s flight, Lou the Rat—rogue, gambler, and petty thief—sees lights in the butcher shop and the door ajar. Lou enters to find the butcher snoring on his bed and his half-concealed money visible beneath the pillow. In trying to make off with it, Lou awakens You, a struggle ensues, and You is killed by Lou using You’s meat cleaver.
The next morning the neighbors discover You’s dead body, and Lou, who is among the crowd, directs suspicion toward You’s runaway stepdaughter Su. The watches are called out, and the neighbors join in the search. Su is discovered, in the company of Xiong Youlan, a merchant’s apprentice Su chance encountered on her flight who is sent to purchase goods for his master. Unfortunate for Xiong, the purchase money he carries totals exactly fifteen strings of cash. Su and Xiong are thrown into jail and condemned to death by Guo Youzhi, a self-righteous judge who requires no other proof than the circumstantial evidence available. In despair, Su and Xiong appeal to Kuang Zhong, a local prefect who is to supervise the execution and known for his fair-mindedness. After listening to their accounts, Kuang obtains permission to conduct further investigation on the case. Disguised as a fortune-teller, he tracks down Lou at the City Temple and obtain crucial clues to solve the case. Lou is eventually arrested, and Su and Xiong are set free.
Scene: An Investigation in Disguise
An Investigation in Disguise depicts Kuang Zhong who disguises himself as a fortune teller to visit Suzhou and seek the murderer. By chance, he encounters Lou at the City Temple. Through the process of telling Lou’s fortune, Kuang Zhong earns Lou’s trust and obtains critical clues about the murder. In the end he convinces Lou that he has a boat that will take Lou out of danger and they depart together, with Kuang secretly planning to bring him to justice.
