Director Wang Rongyu, recipient of the National Arts Award and founder of the Golden Bough Theatre Company, known in the theater community as "Big Brother," was born into a family deeply rooted in the performing arts. His mother, Xie Yuexia, was a renowned performer of Taiwanese opera. From his childhood spent at the feet of the stage, to his adolescence wandering as a "hooligan," and later working as a high-earning computer engineer, Wang's life took an unexpected turn at the age of thirty. It was then that, due to a "misunderstanding" about his mother's theatrical life, he stepped into modern theater, ultimately finding himself on the very stage he had once desperately wanted to leave, embarking on what seemed to be a destined path in the world of drama.
Always claiming to have "grown up on the food of the gods (theater)," Wang Rongyu shares his journey of rebellion, recounting how art enlightened and transformed his life. He also explores how he infused elements from his mother's Taiwanese opera background to create a unique aesthetic for the Golden Bough Theatre Company, making it the most "Taiwanese" modern theater troupe. This journey includes the creation story of "The Loser of Legend," a work he had been nurturing for over 20 years.
Wang Rong-yu
Founder and Artistic Director of Golden Bough Theatre, and awardee of the 22th National Awards for Arts of Taiwan, Wang Rong-Yu was born into a family of Taiwanese opera performers. His works, incorporating the dramatic styles of the traditional and the modern and the East and West, showcase rich Taiwanese culture, while his unique aesthetics has made him an influential figure in the Taiwanese drama world. They include Matinee in the Rain, The Con Game, Happiness series, Troy, Troy...Taiwan, and She is So Lovely, etc. He was nominated for Best Director at the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music in 2021.
Yu Hui-fen
Yu watched her first stage play during high school and fell for drama ever since. Her entering the U-Theatre in 1990 was a threshold of enlightenment. Co-established the Golden Bough Theatre with Wang Rong-Yu in 1993, Yu Hui-Fen also serves the roles of Executive Director, Producer, and Playwright. Yu is also a four-time Chief Director for the Citizen’s Environmental Theater in the New Taipei City Tamsui Environmental Arts Festival. Yu has published 23 works so far, including As You Like It, Troy, Troy… Taiwan, Happiness series, Pirates and Formosa, She Is So Lovely, etc.
Mickey Mi
Director of the Advantech Foundation. Former Chef Director of the Eslite Cultural and Arts Foundation and Director of Business Promotion at Eslite Life Exhibition and Marketing Department. Holds an EMBA in Non-Profit Organization Management from National Chengchi University.
Since 1988, involved in theater work as a producer, program director, and stage manager for numerous large-scale events. Co-founded the Wind Dance Theatre with renowned dancer Wu I-Fang in 2002. Joined the Eslite Cultural and Arts Foundation in 2010, driving various development projects.
In 2021, joined the Advantech Foundation, focusing on strategic planning in social investment and arts and education philanthropy. Goals include creating high-quality arts experiences, enhancing employees' interest and literacy in the arts, fostering domestic arts industry development, and promoting sustainable education through PBL to achieve the SDGs.
