Kuo originally wrote the play in English and then translated it himself into Chinese for its theater production. It was recently released by Chiuko Publishing (
First majoring in English, Kuo spent 10 years studying and working in New York before starting to write plays in English in 1999. Writing The Desired, set in the US, in English, was more than convenient, it was a cultural challenge.
"People seem to adopt the American way of thinking when they adopt the English language. What I want to do here is to think as a Taiwanese when I use the English language and talk about what happens in American society. I want to see the two cultures intermingle through this play," Kuo said. "What effects the interactions of cultures have on our cultural identity is something we may well think about in this age of accelerating globalization."
For those unused to Kuo's works, The Desired can be a difficult play, with its frequent references to various literary works and motifs of literary criticism. Kuo admitted that he never tries to write plays that cater to the taste of the general public, and the same applies to his theater productions. Instead, he wants to change the public taste and has set up You See Theater
"In Taiwan, there's a gap between popular theater and experimental theater. Literary theater productions that emphasize characterization, acting and the richness of the text are lacking. In the future, I would like to go on producing theater performances that show a literary spirit," Kuo said.
Citing movies such as Adaptation and The Hours, Kuo expressed his belief that if moviegoers can accept "literary" movies, theater-goers could also get used to "literary" theater.
"Literature, being part of popular cultural production, is the trend," Kuo said.
The Desired will be performed at
7:30pm tonight and tomorrow at Novel Hall (
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