Performance

The "Korea Series" presents six contemporary Korean plays, all award-winning works that have received significant recognition in recent years in the Korean theatre scene, demonstrating the broad spectrum of themes and narrative approaches in contemporary Korean playwriting. Spanning different generations and creative styles, 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 selected works in this section include A Crazy Play by Choi Chieon, which uses metafictional narrative to explore the boundary between creation and reality; The 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 Auntie 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 Theater 1937 by Mun Ui-young , which combines historical and technological narratives.

All six Korean plays in this section 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.
 

The Taiwan Contemporary section focuses on contemporary Taiwanese playwriting, featuring four works distinguished by strong creative perspectives and distinctive textual styles. Together, they demonstrate how Taiwanese playwrights respond to the social and cultural realities around them through markedly different narrative approaches. Approaching their subjects from different angles, these scripts portray the layered complexity of Taiwanese society, touching on themes such as national displacement, the human condition in wartime, school bullying, and intergenerational conflict.

Last year, Between Classes by Li Cheng-chun and Long Live the Mango Tree by Lin Kuan-ting were invited to the Korea International New Script Reading Festival and the Seoul Arts Center, where they were performed by the Chungbuk Theatre Company , opening up new possibilities for theatre collaboration between Taiwan and Korea. The other two featured works include The Thousand-Year Itch by Chen Chiao-jung , which won the top prize at last year’s Taiwan Literature Awards for Books , and Air Raid Siren , a new work by Wei Yu-chia , who has also previously received the top prize at the Taiwan Literature Awards for Books . These two works will be interpreted by faculty and students from the Directing 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 scripts will be reread and reimagined through another linguistic and cultural perspective, making play reading an important site for theatre exchange between Taiwan and Korea.
 

The Formosa Classics section looks back on an important chapter in the history of Taiwanese theatre, presenting two representative works by playwright Lin Po-chiu from the Japanese colonial period: Takasago Inn and What If This Happened? Lin Po-chiu was an important pioneer of modern Taiwanese theatre. Working across both film and drama, he was known for his keen social observation and distinctive dramatic structures, and 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 presentation of Lin Po-chiu’s works at this moment carries particular historical significance.

Both Takasago Inn and What If This Happened? were completed in 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. This section is especially designed around a cross-cultural mode of interpretation: Takasago Inn will be performed by faculty and students from the Directing Department of K-Arts team, while What If This Happened? will be directed by Kim of  Taipei Theatre Lab, allowing works by the same playwright to reveal different interpretive perspectives through stagings shaped by different cultural backgrounds.

Presenting Lin Po-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.