Synopsis
Triggered by a single incident of bullying, Between Classes unravels the intricate power dynamics of a high school classroom through the raw, unfiltered dialogue of 39 students. Set against the suffocating pressure of mock exams and a relentless rumor mill, the play exposes a darker undercurrent of sexual harassment, romantic betrayal, and domestic violence. Like a series of rapid-fire "campus snapshots," the narrative illustrates how individuals are labeled by society and how they ultimately spiral within the collective mediocrity of malice.
By pairing minimalist staging with high-density dialogue, the work captures the fragmented, chaotic nature of teenage communication to dissect the structural roots of violence. Playwright Cheng-Chun Lee has written the play with ultimate flexibility: its 38 scenes can be performed by anywhere from 2 to 39 actors. With two-person dialogue that snaps back and forth like a high-speed game of catch, this precisely structured work earned second prize at the 2024 Taipei Literature Awards.
Lee Cheng-Chun, Writer
Cheng-Chun Lee is a playwright-director whose artistic practice investigates the intersections of local history, geopolitics, and the nuances of the urban experience in Taiwan. He is also Co-founder and Director of The Double Theatre.
His play The Way Back (Taipei Children’s Arts Festival, 2022) was shortlisted for the 21st Taishin Arts Award. Between Classes received second prize at the 2024 Taipei Literature Awards, while The King of Happiness won first prize in the Playwriting Contest for Children's Theatre at the 2024 Taipei Children’s Arts Festival. In 2025, How I Learn to Dance received the Annual Selection Award from Guling Street Avant-Garde Theatre.
Credits
Writer: Cheng-Chun Lee
Director: Kim Naghyung
Cast: Kim Taekyun, Nam Taegwan, Park Sunhye, Yoo Hyebin, Lee Kibok, Lee Dahae, Ju Eunju, Choi Wonjae, Kim Jaeyong, Kim Haemin, Noh Eunsol, Park Yungyu, Park Jinhun, Choi Garam
Assistant Director: Lee Hwanjun
Producer: Shon Shinhyoung
Play Translator: Oh Sookyung
Subtitle Translator: Cheryl Wang
Subtitle Translation Editor: Johan Amatsakio
Chungbuk Theatre Company
Chungbuk Theatre Company was established in 2024, through years of effort from Chungbuk’s citizens and the local theatre artists. It aims to enhance the competitiveness of performing arts creation in Chungbuk and to provide its residents with diverse and high-quality cultural enjoyment. It is the 4th provincial theatre company established in the country, acting as a creative performing arts platform that encompasses artistic creation, enjoyment, and distribution. The Chungbuk Theatre Company will strive to create a local theatrical ecosystem, promote art in Chungbuk residents’ daily lives, and pursue the identity of Chungbuk and contemporary art under the slogan, "One United Heartbeat of Chungbuk Through Art." Together with its community, it pursues arts on stage that everyone in Chungbuk can enjoy together.
About the 2026 Taiwan International Play Reading Festival
The 2026 Taiwan International Play Reading Festival is curated by the Prologue Center for New Plays and jointly organized with the Taipei Performing Arts Center, aiming to establish an international exchange 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. In the festival, 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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