     "Experimental Theater Enters New Era" Often holding up a mirror to 
human development, experimental theater has played a creative role in 
Taiwan society over the past decade.  As it takes on the challenges of the 
1990's, it is poised to enter a new phase of progress.
     Experimental theater was introduced to Taiwan, about 11 years ago by a 
group of enthusiastic young people.  Dr. Wu Ching-chi, who had previously 
joined the "Ramama Theater" while he was studying in the U.S.A. brought 
this new form of performing art back to Taiwan, and started the first 
experimental theater.
     The most important feature of "experimental theater" is that it can 
be performed without a stage and without traditional audience seats.  It 
can be performed in the streets, in train stations, parks and public 
squares and other makeshift venues.
     It first started in New York, as a movement against the commercialized 
broadway plays, and it was first known as the "Out of Broadway" movement.
     Since it is not restricted by stage or venue, its style tends to be 
impromptu and with free association, which is quite popular with young 
people.  Not much attention was paid to experimental theater when it was 
first introduced into Taiwan, but when the play "Ho Chu Shin Pei" 
performed by Lan Ling Theater Workshop won widespread acclaim in 1980, the 
format began to boom in university campuses.
     The success of "Ho Chu Shin Pei" encouraged young performers, and 
aroused the curiosity of the general public.
     In 1981, at the close of the Second Annual Experimental Theater Festi-
val, it was suggested that a small experimental theater should be set up 
for use by all people interested in the field, to train performers and 
stage workers through practical experience.
     In the spring of 1982, the Hong Kong theater group "Twenty-sided Idea" 
performed two experimental theater acts when it attended the First Asian 
Theater Festival held in Taiwan.  This success further interested enthusi-
asts in Taiwan, and boosted their confidence and inspiration.
     In Taiwan, the development of experimental theater coincided with the 
easing of political and social restrictions and taboos, and the venting of 
dissent and grievances.  Thus, experimental theater, with its 
anti-institutional nature and contents, became a new force in the litera-
ture and art circles.  Although the performances were crude, a lively 
atmosphere was created by enthusiastic young people, and thus a theater 
with an esthetic content was firmly rooted between 1980 and 1986.
     As society has become more liberal since 1986, people began to care 
more about politics and society as a whole, and thus many small experi-
mental theater groups joined the social movements, and provided performers 
with another method to show their conern for the environment.
     However, during that period, most experimental theater group faced the 
problem of not having enough talented performers, script-writers, directors 
and other stage workers, and thus the experimental theater of that era had 
to be attached to the numerous social or political movements to survive.
     In consequence, the tough question finally came; "What is the ultimate 
goal?  Is it the social movements themselves or the experimental theater 
per se?"
     Theatrical scholar Chung Ming-teh pointed out that members of small 
experimental theater groups lack professional training in the first place.  
If they participate in social movements before they achieve professional 
finesse, they may obtain some sense of achievement, but they are only par-
ticipating in the movements in an indirect way, and subsequently will have 
to give up this method of participation.
     This is quite true, because during the past year the number of exper-
imental theater groups in Taiwan reduced sharply and remaining ones have 
been forced to rethink their positions and directions.
     Despite the expansion and development of the 1970s, which earned small 
experimental theater the epithet "star of tomorrow," when it concerns the 
quality of perfomers and the performing environment, it is still the most 
arid field in the art world of Taiwan.  Thus after a glorious decade, the 
experimental theater became dormant last year.
     Nevertheless what is heart-warming is that during the decade a few 
theater groups became mature, experienced and even found a sense of direc-
tion.
     For instance some of the performances introduced by "Mew Image" in-
cluded top perfomers and artists who showed considerable professionalism.
     "Performer's Workshop" and "The Screen" employ permanent performers, 
professional directors and uses scripts written by art college students, 
to create continuous change.
     Mr. Lee' director of the "Screen" lamented that even though he had 
been performing in plays for more than 10 years, not even one professional 
theater group was established in Taiwan.  He said that this was because 
nobody had thought of running a theater group as a serious business enter-
prise.
     Mr. Lee has since quit his lilustrious performance career in the movie 
and TV, to dedicate his efforts solely to the theater.
     Since the beginning of this year, theater enthusiasts such as Lee Kuo-
Shiu, Lee Li-chun and Lai Shen-chuan have been working hard to inspire the 
theater in Taiwan.  Moreover, with Lin Hwai-ming determined to revive past 
glories, his dance troupe "Cloud Gate" is now performing again after years 
of inaction.  All this indicates that the theater in Taiwan is about to 
enter a new era.
     Most of the experimental theater groups are facing financial hardship, 
and according to Mr. Chung Ming-teh, who is concerned about the growth and 
development of theater, the financial hardships of the groups will not be 
eased within the next five to 10 years.  He believes that only those 
groups in the forming production companies can survive.  Professional 
theater groups, with permanent performing venues and proper administration 
organization, can only be sustained by government subsidies or corporate 
sponsorships.
     "The Screen" avows to become the first professional theater company in 
Taiwan, and it has now obtained a permanent "home."  It is also gradually 
building up its own data archives, and trying to rehearse and perform 
systematically and on a long term basis.
     At the moment, is reinvesting all its box-office earnings to pur-
chase lighting, sound systems and stage equipment.  It plans to do an is-
landwide tour, and if need be, will set up its own temporary stages.