2026 TIPRF- The School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts: Air Raid Siren

Synopsis

Air Raid Siren is a frantic collage of war memories, blending fragments of survival from different eras. The story begins with Ms. Lin, who hides her students from bombing during the Japanese colonial period and grows old waiting in the air-raid shelter, then instantly switches to a modern, anxious officer controlling a drone to kill on a screen, then to low-ranking soldiers fighting and reconciling in a tropical jungle, and even national leaders gathering for an absurd celebration banquet. The play showcases a "Standard Mandarin Family" monitored by an electric shock detector, and a "Peace Tree" nourished by military will and flesh and blood. Amidst linguistic translation and misinterpretation, it sketches the humble longing for "normal life" and the spiritual perversion of humans under extreme fear.

Playwright Wei Yu-chia uses an experimental and humorous style to lead the audience through the gaps between ruins, air-raid shelters, and digital screens, exploring how war not only destroys the body but also reshapes the soul and memory of the living. This highly tense work won the National Culture and Arts Foundation Creation Grant in 2017 and was first presented as a staged reading at the Playwright in Focus Festival organized by the Prologue Center for New Plays in 2025.

Wei Yu-chia, Playwright

Wei Yu-chia is a Taiwanese playwright, holding a Master's degree in Drama from National Taiwan University, majoring in playwriting. Her previous works include plays, musicals, TV scripts, and cross-media performances. She has won the Taiwan Literary Awards, Taipei Literary Award, New Taipei City Literature Award, and other accolades. Many of her works have been translated into English and performed in New York. Her works include A Fable for Now and Big Zoo.

The School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts

The School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), founded in 1994, is the only national institution in Korea dedicated to professional theatre training. The school offers undergraduate and graduate programs across five departments: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Stage Design, and Theatre Studies. With a curriculum that emphasizes both artistic practice and critical inquiry, the School of Drama provides intensive training for emerging theatre artists. The program maintains close collaborations with leading theatres and artists in Korea and internationally, creating opportunities for students to engage with diverse theatrical practices. Graduates of the school have played a significant role in shaping contemporary Korean theatre and are increasingly recognized on the global stage.

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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