The Island and the Other Shore

The Fugue of China and Taiwan, the Juxtaposed Art



This play was referred to as the most mature art of Stan Lai that year. It was created at a time when martial law had been lifted, travel to mainland China from Taiwan became legal, and families that had not been together for 40 years were reunited. It was a complex theatre work on Taiwan-mainland relations, seen through the reunification of one family on Taiwan. The play unfolds the story of a mainlander comes to Taiwan to visit her Taiwanese relatives. Hailed by critic Ursula Richter as “a fantastic paraphrase of the search for roots and true identities, of the yearnings, guilty feelings, shame and remorse of reunited Chinese families.” Critic Margaret Ma called the play “interweaving of pretense and reality, of dream and waking, reflecting the depths of human sorrow.” Writer Ling Ching-shuan wrote that “through the fascinating dialogue and action, modern Chinese on Taiwan are given a chance to think deeply about themselves.” Hence, the subject of  "identity"becomes a both political and zen.

Script: Collective creation led by Stan Lai

Directed by Stan Lai

Cast: Lee Li-chun as Mr. Shih, The Master, and The Hermit

Yang Hwai-ming as Shih Zhi-xing

Yeh Tai-chu as the Swordsman

Chin Shih-hui as Mrs. Shih

Deng Chen-hui as Shih Yu-hong

Ling Li-ching as Miss Chen and Lu-er

Ismene Ting as Helen

Chen Li-mei as Ah-zhu

Chen Wei-chieh as the Worker

Scenic and Lighting Design: Samuel Wang

Costume Design: Pamela Chin

Body Movement Direction: Yeh Tai-chu

Produced by Nai-chu Ding

World Premier: 5/4/1989 Taipei Cultural Centre

Toured Cities: Chungli, Tainan, Taichung, Changhua, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Singapore

 
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