Creating a Brutal Prophecy: Tora Hsu on the Birth of The Sun

Text/ linlinpupu

The Sun, directed by 4 CHAIRS THEATRE’s Artistic Director Tora Hsu, premiered in 2024. It not only received critical acclaim but also nods for Best Director and Best Video Design at the inaugural Taipei Theatre Awards in 2025. In 2026, it was chosen for the Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts in Singapore. In October of this year, it returns to the Taipei Performing Arts Center's Globe Playhouse, inviting audiences to once again engage in a debate about the future.

Many audience members have been reluctant to put the story of The Sun behind them. They have extended the themes presented on stage to their own lives, political stances, and even moral judgments. The high level of creativity is evident from the script to the performances and stage and video design. Hsu says that he did not expect audiences to continue enthusiastic discussions of this work.

“People have not only been talking about technique and mise-en-scène but have also been debating plot points. At the time, I thought The Sun would be like the other many works of 4 CHAIRS THEATRE. It would be performed well and then it would be over. I never thought that it would spark so much discussion.”

Thinking back to the year 2023, when he first read the script for The Sun, what surprised Hsu the most was the handling of the science fiction theme. He says, “In Taiwan, theater productions based on science fiction are rare.  Many people equate science fiction with a high budget. So, this genre is not common. After reading the script, I found that The Sun is less science fiction and more allegory. To a certain extent, all science fiction stories are allegories.”

The fascination with prophecy lies not in whether it comes true or not. As Hsu considered how to throw questions back to the audience, his first thought was not the characters, but the space.

“During stage design meetings, I clearly stated that a massive space was needed. Based on budget constraints and further talks, this ultimately evolved into a giant wall. In terms of video design, I considered that, for Taiwanese audiences, the connection to science fiction stories is mostly from films. The opening video serves to immerse audiences in the world of The Sun, similar to watching a David Fincher film that incorporates the split-comping technique. Real-time images are added to amplify the inner conflicts and feelings of the characters, which are projected onto the giant wall, providing audiences with a more intense sensory experience, because for the following 30 to 40 minutes the actors enter a relatively quiet state in which there is much dialogue. The overall design is based on pragmatic considerations.”

Through seamless collaborations in stage, lighting, and video design, a barren, cold, alienated world is created in which the characters’opposing stances, postures, and values are highlighted to lead audiences through a set of twists and turns. However, science fiction is not a genre all actors can handle well. For the major roles, there was little hesitation on Hsu's part. He turned to several actors he had worked with for a long time. “David Chu is very well suited to the role he plays. In my mind, the character Ceng Zhi is someone who pushes the sanctimonious members of the social elite to the extreme. Lin Zi-Heng and Tsai Yi-Ling are actors of 'the flesh and blood school.' They are adept at expressing emotion and I rarely need to give them extra guidance. As for Yang Chia-En, in addition to outstanding acting skills, he is quite good at evoking empathy for the character he is portraying. The character Ouyang Sen-Fan requires a certain level of audience appeal. I believe that the audience is willing to spend time understanding him.”

In Hsu's opinion, casting is to a certain extent an exercise of permutation and combination. The actors'personal attributes are important. But what is even more important is that they complement one another, and as they interact in the same world, they do not appear out of place.

In contrast, it took more time to fill other roles. “After deciding to produce The Sun, I spent several months observing young actors. I noticed Li Wei-Cih and Rico Wei. I felt that they had the qualities best suited to their respective roles. Once we began rehearsals, their performances were in no way inferior to those of the veteran actors. They showed no signs of stage fright or hesitation in front of those more senior than them. They presented a level of maturity and stability beyond their years.”

In the past, discussions of The Sun focused on the futuristic landscape constructed based on stage, video, and overall design. However, Hsu has always believed that without the support of the actors, even the best design is no more than an empty shell. 

“I think the actors are the ones who help me the most, every single one of them. I have often thought of the role of director as being special. It is more like a creative manager than a creator. The director is the only member of the creative team who doesn’t execute creative ideas. My job is to get the ball rolling. I convey needs and expectations to the actors and see what they respond to me with.”

Faced with an unfamiliar science fiction text, the actors rely on their years of experience to bring the characters to life and express their warmth. As such, The Sun is not just an allegory that reflects reality, but also a believable world.