The 10th Inherit and Showcase∣Stand by Me
In 2026, “Inherit and Showcase” marks its 10th edition.
Looking back over the past decade, “Inheriting skills and arts, inspiring a new stage” has been our clear direction. Yet, we have come to realize even more profoundly that the transmission of artistry, from the hands of the master to the heart of the apprentice, is interwoven with hardship, loneliness, and perseverance. Those who have walked this path know it, and those currently moving forward experience it. Only by holding fast to one’s resolve through long and rigorous training can one truly master the craft of traditional arts.
Therefore, this year, we hope to gaze upon this journey of emerging talents with a warmer perspective, adopting the theme of “Stand by Me.” It is dedicated to all the tireless inheritors of traditional arts and all the young artists embarking on their artistic paths, transforming loneliness into strength and persistence into courage as they pursue the art of traditional opera. On the stage of “Inherit and Showcase,” we keep them company.
Passing on traditional performing arts relies on one of the most down-to-earth yet profound structures: the master-apprentice system. It is not merely the transfer of techniques, but a connection of life experiences. True transmission allows an art form to grow anew within a new body and to continue breathing within the warmth of the times.
Accordingly, this year brings together a formidable contemporary lineup, ranging from National Living Treasures to mid-career and veteran masters. A key feature of the emerging talent performances is the showcase of both civil and military arts across diverse theatrical genres. In the live action category, veteran master Wang Chin-ying coaches emerging talent Chu Liang-hsi in the reconstructed classic play The Lawsuit of Aigu; Master Hsiao-mi guides emerging talent Huang Su-hsuan in Beneath the Stigma, the Taiwanese opera version of Zhou Ren Offers His Sister-in-Law; Master Chao Mei-ling passes down her signature play A Timeless Hero to emerging artist Chou Sheng-yuan; Master Tang Mei-yun presents her once-celebrated masterpiece Somewhere for True Love, passed down to emerging artist Wu Yi-chen to re-present on stage; Master Lu Chiung-wu instructs and directs emerging artist Cheng Li-jung in Zhaojun’s Grievance for the second time; Master Tai Li-wu instructs emerging artist Li Hsuan-lun the rarely seen Peking opera piece Huang Tien-ba Spying the Enemy; the Taiwan Youth Troupe of National Taiwan College of Performing Arts participates in “Inherit and Showcase” after a gap of many years, with Hakka opera master Chen Chih-hou leading emerging artist Peng Yu-ju in The River Runs Red; the Taiwan Bangzi Opera Company features leading dan actress Hsiao Yang-ling guiding emerging artist Chang Dai-ning in the vocal arts of Stealing the Treasury Silver; and the Guo Guang Opera Company invites Mentor Tai Hsin-yi to guide emerging artist Sidal Ian in The Bamboo Forest: Burning Yu Hung. The above cross-genre range aims to showcase the abundant energy of generational relay.
Similarly, the puppetry section gathers multiple senior puppeteers sharing their utmost knowledge: Master Hsu Cheng-tsung passes down Saving the Emperor at Haibian Pass to emerging artist Chen Chi-feng; Master Liu Hsiang-jui passes down Wu Fei with Severed Feet to Lin Jui-teng; and Master Chiang Jung-hua passes down classic repertoires such as The Unofficial History of the Qing Dynasty: Lu Siniang to Liao Chun-wei. Through master-apprentice inheritance, we witness the profound foundation of glove puppetry classics and the vital force of passing on the torch.
Standing at the crossroads of generational succession, each generation serves as the starting point for the next. The mission borne by emerging actors goes beyond a single performance onstage; it is a relay of cultural heritage. On the path of inheriting the arts, they carry three missions, among which forever lies a beautiful and profound tension.
First is inheriting memories. The lifelong accumulation of techniques, aesthetic judgments, and performance philosophies of senior masters cannot be passed down through oral instruction alone; rather, they are gradually internalized into physical postures and mental states through rehearsal after rehearsal, movement by movement, and tune by tune. This process requires humility, patience, and the temporary laying aside of the ego to make room for the wisdom tempered by predecessors over the years.
Second is translating contexts. Transmission does not stop at copying and reproduction; it transforms the artistic nourishment received into expressions that contemporary audiences can understand and feel. Each generation possesses different perceptual modes and emotional needs, and a key task for emerging performers is to find the frequency of resonance between ancient techniques and modern thinking.
Finally, self-growth. Following inheritance and translation, the most crucial step is to honestly nurture one’s own unique vocal cadence. Without the infusion of personal life experience, precise learning remains a mere imitation of techniques. The most wonderful aspect of passing on the arts lies not in recreating the past, but in allowing an art form to continuously grow and shine anew with brand-new life.
When inheritance, translation, and creation intertwine, tradition ceases to be merely a preserved memory and becomes a continuously flowing cycle of life. This is perhaps the most precious meaning of generational succession. In every edition of “Inherit and Showcase,” senior masters step onto the stage carrying a lifetime of accumulated knowledge, while young successors stand beside them with their newly matured postures—the breathing of two generations intersecting on the same stage is the most moving core of the project. We believe that there are never shortcuts in passing on the arts: every step counts, and surpassing one’s master is the finest return.
Curator
