2026 TIPRF- Blend,. Co: But That’s Not It

Synopsis

Following the escape of five elephants from a zoo, a political and social firestorm erupts, leaving their trainer as the sole target of public ire. In an interrogation room, he is picked apart by figures of authority: a detective convinced of a political conspiracy, a doctor obsessed with diagnosing the trainer’s "sexual repression," and an overprotective mother who smothers him with misguided care. Each refuses to listen, forcibly projecting their own logic onto him. Amidst his futile protests, the trainer’s seemingly nonsensical plea—"the elephants are actually human"—becomes the most lucid cry in an absurd world.

Playwright Lee Mee-kyung utilizes dark humor and the absurd to dissect systemic oppression and human hypocrisy. But That’s Not It offers a piercing insight into the power of language and how society "defines" individuals until they are forced to transform into something else entirely. This production won the Best Play Award at the Dong-A Theatre Awards and the Grand Prize at the Korea Theatre Awards in 2012.

Lee Mee-kyung, Playwright

Lee Mee-yung is a playwright known for her sharp dialogue and narratives that explore emotional conflicts in contemporary society. She debuted through the Chosun Ilbo Spring Literary Contest in 2013. Her writing has been recognized with numerous honors, including the New Play Award from the Korean Playwright Association (2011, 2015) and the Gold Prize at the Wonju Cultural Foundation Creative Playwriting Contest (2016). She has also won the Best Play award at the Dong-A Theatre Awards (2012) and the Grand Prize at the Korea Theatre Awards. Her representative works include But That’s Not It, Unfreezing the Mammoth, Be Furious, and The Truth Will Set You Free.

Blend,. Co 

Blend,. Co is dedicated to tracing threads of order within chaos, embracing the profound power of diversity and integration. By excavating hidden meaning and value from beneath the surface of disorder, we create unique, purposeful works that bridge the present and the future.

“There was something undifferentiated and complete, born before Heaven and Earth.”— —Dao De Jing

Core Expertise:
Performing Arts  |  Integrated Design  |  Arts Curation  | Sustainable Practice

"Hun" (混) symbolizes Primordial Chaos—representing the unknown and the catalyst for transformation, signaling the onset of profound change.

"Jiang" (將) embodies the convergence of diverse forces and leadership. Like a vibrant canvas, these elements intertwine to shape the future. 

Within this state of flux, "Jiang" within chaos: holding time in disorder; perceiving the present, signaling the future.

Core Members:
Lin Ping-Hsin  |  Peng Jiou-Fang  |  Zhuang Jing-Wei 

About the 2026 Taiwan International Play Reading Festival

The Taiwan International Play Reading Festival (TIPRF) is curated by the Prologue Center for New Plays and jointly organized with the Taipei Performing Arts Center, aiming to establish an international excahnge platform centered on playwrights and plays. Each year, the festival focuses on a specific country or cultural region, exploring the differences and resonances among theatrical traditions and textual aesthetics through staged readings and cross-cultural interpretation.

Here, plays are not only the starting point of theatrical creation, but also a medium for cultural exchange through which diverse social experiences and creative perspectives are reflected, opening up a space for cross-cultural dialogue.

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