The playwright Liying Chien (簡莉穎) once expressed clearly that the main purpose of the historical background in her plays should not be merely a piece of information giving facts or details about a certain period; rather, it should be an element that can intersect with the present. Thus, Chien’s intention is somehow in line with how Greek tragedy and Shakespeare’s history plays engage with the representation of history, which believes that although the performance on stage represents the past, its aim is for present purposes.  In this seminar, I will explore two facets of Chien’s “Dress in Code” (服妖之鑑): firstly, how does the perpetrator turn into a victim; and second, how do the victims turn into perpetrators. My intention is to demonstrate that people might not have occupied a clear-cut role, either perpetrators or victims, under Taiwan’s authoritarian period (1949-1991). Finally, I argue that this play provides a good example of whether theatre can serve as a reminder of “never again”; it does not just re-enact what the past used to be; furthermore, it fully reflects the complexity of history by demonstrating the ambiguity of humanity. By doing so, this play, as Aristotle once mentions, shows us “the kind of thing that would happen” rather than merely “what actually happened”. The effect of such theatrical representation of the past on audiences will generate an imaginative response that may strengthen the idea of “never again”.

To attendants from outside the Department: Please pre-register with the seminar organizer, Jaqueline Berndt (jberndt@su.se), to allow access to the venue.