Huang Chun-ming (黃春明), who published his first story in 1956 and has since established himself as a major proponent of Taiwan's "nativist literature movement" (鄉土文學), will lead a production of Strawmen and Sparrows (稻草人與小麻雀), which opens tonight at the National Theater in Taipei.
In this production, based on a script written by Huang in 1993, the main characters are sparrows. These mischievous little birds prey on the rice fields of an old farmer, a role played by Huang himself. To stop the sparrows eating his crop, the farmer puts out 10 scarecrows. The sparrows convince the scarecrows that they are actually useful, saying that while they do feed on crops, they also eat insects that damage the crops. The scarecrows, convinced by this argument, proceed to act as an early warning system for the sparrows, alerting them when the farmer approaches.
Huang's work has always shown a strong sense of Taiwanese identity. As a child of rural Taiwan, Huang - who wrote, directs and performs in this play - has been lauded for his portrayal of the joys and many sorrows of Taiwan's Everyman, and for his sharp ear for the local vernacular. But it is his humanism that ensures his longevity.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NTCH
As an early proponent of environ-mental issues in Taiwan, it's no surprise that Huang's most recent theater production offers more than just entertainment value, but is also a cheerful meditation on the relationship between humans and the natural world. This concern for community and nature provides depth that makes his dramas entertaining for adults as well as children.
The actors in the play are part of Huang's Big Fish Children's Theater (黃大魚兒童劇團), which is currently based in the director's home county of Ilan. The group is different from most other children's groups in that it is children, rather than adults, performing for children. The production has a cast of over 30 singers and dancers, including the Lan Yang Dancers (蘭陽舞蹈團).
Though best known as a novelist, Huang has gravitated toward children's literature in later life. His most famous story, Erzi de Dawan'ou (兒子的大玩偶), was adapted by director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) for the 1983 film The Sandwich Men.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NTCH
Taiwan’s English education system is being pulled apart by three opposing forces. Bilingual Nation 2030 pulls students toward English and global communication. Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness pulls them toward digital judgment, verification and AI-mediated work. But Taiwan’s old exam culture pulls them back toward memorization, grammar drills, timed reading and correct answers. If the education system keeps using old exams to define success, it risks producing graduates who are neither genuinely bilingual nor genuinely AI-ready, but trained for tasks machines can already perform. The first force is Bilingual Nation 2030. Launched in 2018, the policy aimed to “help Taiwan’s workforce connect
It seems every few days one bumps into one of those “real man” comments in which Taiwan is urged to “face reality” or similar, and “make a deal,” with the speaker implying that soon it will be too late. “Deal” advocates always present themselves as having a superior grip on reality, and the manly ability to make the “hard choice.” Their testosterone-laden language often echoes that of Taiwan sellout advocates. Note that such commentary always specifies a process (“make a deal, work with, make progress”), never the end state of what occupation by a violent authoritarian colonialist state will entail. In
June 1 to June 7 "If all Taiwanese were as afraid of dying as you, then what would happen?” Physician Shih Chiang-nan (施江南) reportedly said this to his wife Chen Chiao-tung (陳焦桐) after she urged him to stop intervening on behalf of Taiwanese soldiers stranded overseas after serving in the Japanese Army during World War II. Shih had clashed with high-ranking officials over the issue, engaged in several heated arguments with Taiwan governor-general Chen Yi (陳儀) and allegedly shouted at general Ko Yuan-fen (柯遠芬), chief of staff of the Taiwan Garrison Command, over
“Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Comes to US With a Message Straight Out of Beijing” read a May 31 headline in the Wall Street Journal. Top US administration officials and members of Congress almost certainly read the WSJ, and if there was a bullet point takeaway that people in Washington should absorb ahead of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chair Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) arrival in DC on June 9, that headline is it. The last few columns have discussed this very topic, and the timing is not coincidental. While those top officials likely do not read the Taipei Times, judging by the number
RSS