TPAC Campus Dramaturgy Course Spring 2025

【Course 1】My Artistic Director Experience:  Examining Journey through Hell, Meng Xiaodong, & Jing Wei: Feathers Against the Tides

 

“The Drama Enthusiast is my only identity.” From a young age, influenced by her mother, Professor Wang An-Chi became an avid fan of Peking opera. At the age of ten, she noticed the aging audience of traditional Chinese opera and resolved to dedicate herself to its modernization. After writing scripts for esteemed performers such as Guo Xiao-Zhuang, Chu Lu-Hao, and Wu Hsing-Kuo, her 2002 collaboration with GuoGuang Opera Company on Journey Through Hell won wide acclaim. Following its success, she assumed the role of theater artistic director, producing a series of critically acclaimed works including Mr. Goodman Dumps His Wife, Three People, Two Lamps and The Golden Cangue, effectively attracting younger audiences to Peking opera.

 

In this five-session course, Professor Wang will share her decades of creative experience, taking participants on a journey through her landmark works. She will reveal her creative philosophies and planning processes, covering everything from adapting traditional operas and forging cross-disciplinary collaborations to reimagining classical pieces for contemporary audiences. This rare opportunity invites you to explore the enchanting world of traditional Chinese opera through the eyes of one of its most innovative voices.

 

March 18 (TUE.) How Was Journey Through Hell Adapted?

In 2002, Professor Wang’s first collaboration with GuoGuang Opera Company,  Journey Through Hell, received an overwhelmingly positive reception. It won the Traditional Drama Award at the 2002 Golden Bell Awards and was named one of the Top Ten Performances of the newly established Taishin Arts Award in 2003. Since its premiere, the production has been restaged many times and remains beloved by audiences. In this session, Professor Wang will guide you through the creative core of the piece, explaining how she skillfully adapted dramatist Chen Ya-Xian’s original work and how the production evolved over the years with each restaging.

 

April 1 (TUE.) Elevating Stars to the Pinnacle—Wang Shi-Fong, The Golden Cangue, and Meng Xiaodong

Professor Wang created a series of iconic roles for Peking opera diva Wei Hai-Min, bringing a fresh perspective to the traditionally male-dominated art form. Through a distinctly female lens, Wang’s scripts transformed traditional characters into deeply nuanced roles. Li Feng-Jie’s fiery wit in Wang Shi-Fong, Cao Qi-Qiao’s stubbornness in The Golden Cangue, and the legendary life of Peking opera’s “Winter Empress” Meng Xiaodong all come vividly alive through Wei Hai-Min’s exquisite performances. In this session, Professor Wang will share how she broke away from conventional depictions of Qingyi (dark robes, i.e. virtuous female roles) and infused her characters with new complexity and depth.

 

April 15 (TUE.) Why and How to Cross Boundaries—Jing Wei and The Dream of an Embroidered Robe

Contemporary art thrives on innovation and cultural interplay. For Professor Wang, “breaking boundaries is not about creating divisions; it’s about exploring whether integration and new possibilities can emerge.” The 2018 production The Dream of an Embroidered Robe was a collaboration between GuoGuang Opera Company and Japan’s Yokohama Noh Theater. It embraced the spirit of “Mugen Noh” crafting a new Kunqu excerpt paired with traditional Japanese shamisen accompaniment—an unprecedented blend of Kunqu and Noh artistry. Looking ahead to 2025, the upcoming collaboration Jing Wei with Hung Dance will explore the intersection of Peking opera and contemporary dance, centering on the controversial modern historical figure Wang Jingwei. In this session, Professor Wang will discuss the challenges and rewards of crossing artistic boundaries, and how she navigates the interplay between tradition and modernity, East and West, to uncover endless creative possibilities.

 

April 29 (TUE.) How to Celebrate a Troupe’s Anniversary—Three People, Two Lamps and The Painting of 18 Lohans

 

In 2005, GuoGuang Opera Company marked its 10th anniversary with Three People, Two Lamps, transforming a Tang dynasty concubine lament from Benshi shi (Poems in Their Actual Occasions) into a nuanced exploration of the emotional complexities faced by three imperial consorts. Praised for “grounding itself in tradition while breaking new ground,” the production earned a Jury's Special Award at the Taishin Arts Award that year. In 2015, GuoGuang’s 20th-anniversary production, The Painting of 18 Lohans, used the authenticity of a painting as a lens to delve into aesthetics and the essence of emotion, all within an imagined time and space. Drawing from these two milestone productions, Professor Wang An-Chi will share how she collaborated with young playwrights Zhao Xue-Jun and Liu Jian-Guo to shape GuoGuang’s “new Peking opera aesthetics” over each decade.

 

May 13 (TUE.) Restoration of Tradition—the Banned and the Mystic

 

In addition to new creations of Peking opera, countless treasures within the traditional repertoire still hold immense appeal for contemporary audiences. Professor Wang An-Chi‘s “Banned” series revived once-prohibited classics, with hosts providing rich historical and cultural context that allowed audiences to fully appreciate these works. The “Mystic” series explored themes of life, death, and the spiritual realm, showcasing the breathtaking martial artistry of Peking opera. In this session, Professor Wang will discuss her approach to curating these productions, bringing traditional masterpieces back into the modern cultural spotlight.

 

【Course 2】Dramaturgy 101

 

This course introduces the fundamental concepts and developmental history of dramaturgy. Through concrete case studies and discussions, participants will be guided to think about creation and conception “through the lens of dramaturgy.” The sessions are suitable for performing arts professionals, individuals with backgrounds in literature, history, philosophy, or art, and anyone curious about the creative process behind dramaturgy. Together, we will open the door to the creative world of dramaturgy.

 

April 22 (TUE.) The Concepts and Foundations of Dramaturgy

This session will cover the historical development, basic principles, and conceptual frameworks of dramaturgy. Through selected video case studies, we will explore how to use dramaturgical methods to analyze and interpret texts, transforming ideas into stage expressions in collaboration with creators.

 

May 6 (TUE.) Applying Dramaturgy in Practice

This session delves into the various roles and working methods of dramaturgs in different projects and venues. It will share firsthand experiences as a creative consultant, discuss potential applications, and introduce the work of Prologue Center for New Plays.

 

To ensure continuity, we recommend registering both sessions.

 

【Course 3】Classic Chinese Novels & the Fraudster’s Rhetoric

 

Classic Chinese novels, rich with captivating narratives, have long served as inspiration for various theatrical adaptations. This course, led by Professor Hu Siao-Chen—an expert in classical Chinese literature—examines three classic Chinese novels centered on themes of love and marriage. Through a female-centric lens, participants will explore how these timeless stories unfold.

 

May 27 (TUE.) The Young Wife Lured by Love—The Pearl Shirt and The Plum in the Golden Vase

The Pearl Shirt, drawn from Feng Menglong’s Ming dynasty short story collection Stories Old and New, tells the tale of Jiao Xingge, whose wife San Qiao’er succumbs to an affair with Chen Dalang under the persuasion of Xue Po. After twists of fate and emotional trials, the couple eventually reunites. But does marital betrayal always stem from love’s disappearance? By comparing it with the social-realism novel The Plum in the Golden Vase, we will delve into Ming authors’ explorations of human nature and the complex calculations that often lie behind romantic entanglements.

 

June 10 (TUE.) The Heroine Bargained into Marriage—A Tale of Lovers and Heroes

In this Qing novel, the fearless Thirteenth Sister seeks vengeance for her father and roams the martial world. She rescues both a noble young man, An Ji, and a farmer’s daughter, Zhang Jinfeng, arranging a cross-class marriage between them. Grateful for her aid, An’s aristocratic parents propose marrying Thirteenth Sister to An Ji as well. How can such an unconventional marriage be justified within the bounds of morality and social expectation? The novel demonstrates how classical literature employs intricate rhetorical maneuvers to persuade even a heroic woman into a familial role, illustrating the sophisticated narrative strategies of the time.

 

【Course 4】How to: Literary Criticism - Practices and Applications of Dramaturgy

 

The course’s lead mentor, Wang Chun-Yen will guide participants through a critical examination of the classical and contemporary, universal, and specific elements embedded in the theories and case studies presented by three distinguished speakers. By addressing how a text’s aesthetic, contextual, and audience-oriented dimensions are revealed through dramaturgy, participants will learn to approach their role as dramaturgs with a focused sense of inquiry. They will consider the necessity, feasibility, and constraints of creative content and explore how dramaturgy defines the theatricality of contemporary productions and works.

 

June 16 (MON.) Knowledge of Theater and Aesthetic History in Dramaturgy

Dramaturgs assist in uncovering the richness of a text, while the aesthetic insights of theater history reveal how seemingly identical narrative elements can manifest vastly different theatrical effects. This session will explore how the accumulated knowledge of theater and aesthetic history sharpens the dramaturg’s ability to interpret and shape a text.

 

June 17 (TUE.) Theater is Not Neutral: Classical Roots and Theatricality in Dramaturgy

What resources can dramaturgs offer in text analysis? How do we define the "classical"—is it tied to a specific era? Is it neutral? The classical encompasses a wide range of character archetypes and aesthetic styles. This session will discuss the allure and dangers of employing the classical, questioning its assumed neutrality and examining how dramaturgs can effectively use it.

 

June 18 (WED.) Theater is Not Standardized: Specialization and Contemporary Judgment in Dramaturgy

How does a dramaturg assess the alignment between a text’s form and content? What does it mean to “customize” a single work for various creators? Can (or should) dramaturgs shape productions of Shakespeare, Peking Opera, Greek tragedy, or Butterfly Lovers? This session explores how dramaturgs guide creators to innovate beyond the constraints of the original work while preserving authenticity.

 

June 19 (THU.) Theater is Not Free: Critique and Emotional Politics in Dramaturgy

How should dramaturgs address questions of moral and ethical correctness? Is political correctness a concern in theater? How do issues of race, gender, class, and cultural identity inspire imaginative approaches to character and narrative, allowing theater to open up new, uncharted experiences for audiences? This session delves into the critical role of dramaturgy in challenging conventional values and emotions.

 

June 20 (FRI.) What Makes Theater Contemporary: The Audience Revolution in Dramaturgy

Ultimately, theater seeks to engage “audiences” through meaningful exchanges—both emotional and economic. Each audience member arrives with unique expectations, shaping an array of theatrical aesthetics. Texts guide audiences, and dramaturgs serve not only the text but also the audience. This session investigates how contemporary theater and curatorial practices inspire a revolutionary engagement with audiences, activating individual microcosms and influencing the larger world stage.

 

【Speakers Introduction】