TNUA is arranging a series of commemorative activities this year to mark the centennial of the birth of late Prof. Yao Yi-wei, the founding chairman of the Department of Theatre Arts. Prof. Yao is regarded as one of the giants of contemporary theatre in Taiwan.
To carry on Prof. Yao’s legacy, the School of Theatre is staging “The Crown Prince Shen-Sheng” – a historical drama written by Prof. Yao – from March 25 to 30 at the TNUA Experimental Theatre. A call for entries for the second “Yao Yi-wei Script Award” will be open until April 1.
In June, the “2022 Yao Yi-wei Centennial International Symposium” will be held, and in December, the “X Voice” exhibition will be held at the C-LAB, a contemporary cultural lab in Taiwan.
It is hoped that through the activities, the public will be able to reacquaint themselves with the life and work of Prof. Yao.
TNUA President Prof. Chen Kai-Huang noted on March 8 while announcing the “re-boot” series of commemorative activities that the Department of Theatre Arts, as one of the TNUA’s founding departments, has made leaps and bounds over the years.
The theme – “re-boot” – of the commemorative series is particularly significant after more than two years of devastating impacts on the world by COVID-19, Prof. Chen said.
Prof. Samuel Wang, dean of the School of Theatre Arts, who was among the first group of graduates from the Department of Theatre Arts, noted Prof. Yao made tremendous contribution to the development of theatre arts in Taiwan. The activities are meant to help people recognize Prof. Yao’s achievements and work, he added.
Prof. Yao wrote “The Crown Prince Shen-Sheng” in 1971. The production for this year’s commemorative series is directed by Sung Hou-kuan, founder of the Taipei Seagull Theatre.
The symposium in June is being organized by drama critic Prof. Yu Shan-Lu. Former TNUA President Prof. Chiu Kun-liang will deliver a lecture about Prof. Yao’s work and achievements at the symposium. A collection of papers by 18 scholars from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and China will also be published.
The “X Voice” in December is an exhibition jointly curated by TNUA artists to highlight Prof. Yao’s theoretical and creative works.