Alternative Theater in Taiwan: Feminist and Intercultural Approac ...

Critics have different opinions on how to divide the phases of the Little Theater Movement of Taiwan. For instance, Ma Sen argued that there are two phases: the first-phase Little Theater Movement from 1980 to 1989 and the second-phase movement from 1990 to the present.⁵

Chung Mingder, on the other hand, in his book Taiwan xiao ju chang yun dong shi (The Little Theater Movement of Taiwan [1980–89] ), is of the opinion that the Little Theater Movement should be divided into three stages. Chung designates the first stage as lasting from 1980 to 1985, the second stage from 1986 to 1990, and the third stage from 1991 to the present. However, I argue that Ma Sen’s divisions and Chung Mingder’s are similar in that—they both agree that the 1980s and the 1990s were clearly different from each other. The major difference is that Chung Mingder believed that post-modern performances flourished after 1987. He also argued that a number of Little Theaters were established after 1986; they fought against being co-opted by mainstream culture and refused to be sponsored by the government in order to demonstrate their marginality, anti-political, and anti-institutional status.

Wu Jing-Ji questioned whether this difference in distinguishing between the stages results from obscure research directions.⁶ For instance, Wu discussed this issue with other theater practitioners in Taiwan and they felt that many generations of theaters had already gone by. He also pondered whether scholars from mainland China would have their own sub-divisions of the Little Theater Movement, and how these views would influence scholars in Taiwan. In my opinion, it is crucial that scholars working on the Little Theater Movement ensure a research standard is established in the division of this Movement.