王覺一是清末末候一著教的創始者，也是近代一貫道的開山祖師，藉著對其著作<<理數合解>>的研究，可以對清代民間宗教的信仰核心與教義思想略做了解，本研究的撰述方向如下： 第一章緒論說明研究的動機、目的、方法及預期目標。 第二章，王覺一生平其及其教案析探。想要了解一個人的思想，必須先對此人的人生經歷做一番認識。因此本研究將王覺一的生平考述列為本論首章。這一章係借助故宮<<月摺檔>>的資料，對於其教派的成立與發展做合理的推測，以及他如何成為一方之領導者。並且對於光緒九年王氏領導的教派所發生的教案始末，作一較詳細的釐析，並由此一分析中重新檢視王覺一的角色定位。 第三章，王覺一對「理」觀念的承襲與轉化。本章乃追溯王氏思想的啟蒙根源，探討他對於「理」觀念的承襲，並且解析他對「理」的詮釋與所賦予的意義，為下一章的主題作引子。 第四章理天析探本章乃承上一章的敘述觀念，探討王氏理論的核心主旨，撰述理天在他思想體系中的重要性，以及他如何傳承理學思想，轉化思想家思考範疇中「理」的觀念，並且由此而開展的宇宙論與心性論。身為民間宗教的傳道者，如何來看待這些問題，如何由此問題觀攝宇宙的整體與主宰，本章擬由此探討王覺一的理天思維。 第五章，理天在宗教上的意義。如何呈現理天在修道上的意義，才是王覺一思想的關鍵所在。他如何在整體思想中展現人生的終極目的，強調宗教修煉的意義，亦即討論宗教人修道的最後目標與正鵠，尋探回歸人的根源處，本章擬就扣緊宗教意義以探討理天主體的核心。 第六章結論將本論文所作的研究結果，作一綜合性的討論，並敘述王覺一思想對一貫道教義的影響，以及以王覺一做為主題所開演的研究展望，總結王覺一在民間宗教史的價值與意義。

Aristotle stated in his Poetics that theatre’s dual purpose was to educate and entertain. Centuries later the Roman Horace and Indian Bharata echoed his same sentiments. I intend to realize all three theorist’s ideas on the theatre by creating an original educational and entertaining work and bringing it to performance. The audience will retain information without being aware of learning if it is presented in a pleasurable way. The most important geopolitical relationship of this century will be between China and America. In order to educate the American public about the culture of The Middle Kingdom, I propose to write and direct my own play, condensing all three thousand years of Chinese literature into a one hundred and ten minute performance. I will benefit from the personal nature of this thesis by experiencing every stage of a play’s production: from idea to page to performance. My thesis will be made of three major parts: conceiving and writing the play, a journal of directing the debut production, and a third section made of choices, influences, and reflection on the entire experience. In this manner, the ideas swirling in my head may be made clear to others reading this thesis. The play itself will be a comical distillation of ten selected works of Chinese literature. Four non-gender specific American actors will seem to make up the show as it performs in a tongue-in-cheek way. Taking my stated goal of entertaining and educating the audience to heart, the overarching plot of the play will center on the four actors teaching the audience about the literature and culture of China by acting out scenes and telling stories. The information in the scenes will be targeted to a normal American citizen’s educational level with liberal doses of humor added. The four actors will be playing fictionalized versions of themselves and at times iv breaking character by explaining and setting up the theatricality of the piece to the audience. Part of the fun of the show will be seeing how these actors explain a subject as obtuse as Chinese literature to Americans. Perhaps a cooking metaphor is the best way to think of the play: I will chop up raw Chinese literature, the actors will boil it onstage, the theatregoer will consume the mix, and exit the theatre full of entertaining intellectual nourishment. My experiences directing and producing the finished play will be recorded in a journal as a resource for future directors. I imagine directing the play will be the most challenging aspect of this thesis. How is the play changed when other people interact with it? How will the audience receive it? In addition, Committee Chair Mark Routhier and my thesis Committee Members, Mark Brotherton and Tan Huaixiang, will also give written responses to the play’s performances. The play will be performed October 10-13, 2013 in the University of Central Florida’s Performing Arts Complex Studio 2 classroom. In the final section I will write a reflection on the entire process. This will serve the dual purpose of giving me a place to collect my thoughts and giving others a special insight to the growth they might experience when producing this play. Foremost among my influences in writing a play with this subject matter are the style and tone of The Reduced Shakespeare Company