Programs

Korea Series presents six contemporary Korean plays, all award-winning works that have received significant recognition in the recent Korean theatre scene, demonstrating the broad spectrum of themes and styles in contemporary Korean playwriting. These works range from reflections on historical memory and the trauma of war to explorations of power structures in contemporary society, family relationships, and the lived conditions of socially marginalized individuals, revealing Korean playwrights’ profound and multilayered observations of the real world.

The six Korean plays are A Crazy Play by Choi Chieon, which uses metafictional narrative to explore the boundary between creation and reality; A Woman from Afar by Pai Sam-shik, which portrays historical trauma and memory through poetic language; But That’s Not It by Lee Mee-kyung, which exposes institutional and linguistic violence through absurdity and dark humor; Texas Aunt by Yun Mi-hyun, which focuses on transnational marriage and the lives of those at the lower margins of society; The Story of Wang Seo-Gae by Kim Do-young, which revisits memories of war and the dilemma of revenge; and Cherry Blossom Theatre 1937 by Mun Ui-young, which combines historical and technological narratives.

All six Korean plays will be presented by Taiwanese theatre companies, including approaching theatre, La Cie MaxMind, The Double Theatre, The Gluttons Assemblage, Rafaz Performance Lab, and Blend,. Co. Through the interpretations of Taiwanese directors and actors, these Korean texts will be reread, experienced, and understood within a different cultural context, making play reading an important site of cross-cultural exchange.

Taiwan Contemporary features four plays with unique perspectives and distinctive styles. Together, they demonstrate how Taiwanese playwrights respond to the social and cultural realities around through markedly different creative approaches. Approaching their subject matters from different angles, these plays portray the layered complexity of Taiwanese society, touching on themes such as diaspora, the human condition in wartime, school bullying, and intergenerational conflict.

Last year, Between Classes by Lee Cheng-chun and Long Live the Mango Tree by Lin Kuan-ting were selected for the Chungju International New Play Reading Festival and the RE:BOUND Festival at Seoul Arts Center, where they were performed by the Chungbuk Theatre Company, opening up new possibilities for international collaboration between Taiwan and Korea. The other two featured works are The Thousand-Year Itch by Chen Chiao-jung , the winning play of the 2025 Taiwan Literature Award for Playwriting, and Air Raid Siren, a new work by Wei Yu-chia , who was also a winner of the Taiwan Literature Award for Playwriting. These two works will be interpreted by faculty and students from the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts, one of Korea’s leading performing arts institutions.

Through the encounter of different creative backgrounds and performance languages, Taiwanese plays will be reread and reimagined through another linguistic and cultural perspective, making play reading an important site for theatre exchange between Taiwan and Korea.

Formosa Classics presents playwright Lin Tuan-chiu’s two representative works, Takasago Inn and What If This Happened?, to look back on an important chapter in the history of Taiwanese theatre. Lin worked across film and stage during the Japanese colonial period. Known for his keen social observation and distinctive dramatic structures, he occupies a pivotal place in Taiwanese theatre history, bridging earlier traditions and later developments. As this year marks the 70th anniversary of Taiwanese-language cinema, the staged readings of his works at this moment carry particular historical significance.

Both Takasago Inn and What If This Happened? were works from the early postwar period. Through vivid dramatic situations, they reflect the class divisions and diverse human realities of the time, while also capturing the complex state of mind of Taiwanese society amid a moment of historical transition. 

Formosa Classics is especially designed around a cross-cultural mode of interpretation: Takasago Inn will be performed by faculty and students from the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts, while What If This Happened? will be directed by Kim Chen of Taipei Theatre Lab. This design allows works by the same playwright to open up for interpretations perspectives through different cultural lenses.

Presenting Lin Tuan-chiu on this platform of international exchange not only allows Taiwanese audiences to rediscover this important playwright, but also brings his historical significance and artistic value to international attention.