Phrases like, "I make money, I spend money. I have a thought and I speak it. I just speak it. I don't let it sit inside myself," mirror the language people use in day-to-day conversation - dialogue that Chi calls "frivolous and uncultured."
If Chi's generation is wallowing in the pathos of lost idealism and people in their 40s are obsessed with money and materialism, those in their late 20s and early 30s seem to be obsessed with performance. Each generation has its say in Countdown, the last of the trilogy.
"Today in Taiwan people like to perform, whether in public or private, and when they see a camera they want to say something, even though they have nothing to say, even though their language is terrible," Chi said.
And what of teenagers and people in their early 20s? Chi has taught playwriting at various universities for 16 years and has nothing positive to say about the creative ability of his students.
"It's gone from bad to worse. Their perception of the world is too cartoonish, everything is a cartoon to them," he said.
For Countdown, Chi wants actors to mimick the younger generation's cartoonish language.
Despite his criticism of Taiwanese society, there is still room for humor. "This play tries to make fun of itself and the playwright is trying to make fun of himself," he said.
Countdown opens Thursday at Metropolitan Hall and runs until next Sunday. Tickets are NT$450 to NT$1,500 and are available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
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