The Taiwan Minpao Culture and Art Section and Theater
In April 1923, the first issue of The Taiwan Minpao included the script for The Greatest Event in Life (A Farce in One Act), written by the renowned figure of the May Fourth Movement, Hu Shih, declaring its advocation of Sin-ki̍k (New Drama). During the time when Lai Ho served as the editor-in-chief of the Culture and Art Section, there was a notable emphasis on the literature of theater, which was distinct in its publication of five Chinese theater scripts and four newly-written plays. The plays displayed how Taiwanese playwrights were inspired by foreign works in the early years and the developmental trajectory of their practices. It also showed subject matters chosen by the generation of the Taiwan Cultural Association, which also reflected their own experiences. One such example is Tao-yao’s Rip the Cloth and Leave, which features a youth who yearns for and attends cultural movements despite the disapproval of his parents. This works testifies to a candid and authentic presentation of “the stage as a self-portrait.” (Tiunn Àn-tshiong)
Excerpt from The Greatest Event in Life (A Farce in One Act) by Hu Shih, published in the first issue of The Taiwan Minpao, April 15, 1923
Short play Rip the Cloth and Leave by Tô-giâu (Tao-yao), published in The Taiwan Minpao, September 21, 1924
