| This study attempts to define the role that adapting Western drama texts into a Taiwanese context plays in the development of the "little theatre" movement, the Taiwanese avant-garde theatre that began in 1980. Although original plays, either written by an individual or evolved from collective improvisation, as well as adaptations of Chinese and Taiwanese literary and theatrical works are also performed, cross-cultural adaptation remains a common practice for increasing the repertoire of most troupes.;A basic framework of three paradigms is given in order to more fully establish the context of the Taiwan theatre itself. The first concerns the process by which a written text becomes a performance. Although the process primarily involves the playwright, the director, the actors, the technical crew, and the audience, it operates in a larger cultural context, including social attitudes towards the theatre, financial support, the availability of texts, and the types of theatre buildings. The second paradigm introduces the kinds of adaptation. It examines the varying relationships between the adaptation and the original text, and how these might effect the performances. It also analyzes translation as the pivotal transition in the cross-cultural adaptation process. The third paradigm explores the history of Chinese and Western adaptations of each others' drama texts and theatrical styles so that the current activity in Taiwan can be seen from a historical as well as theoretical perspective.;Seven detailed descriptions of individual productions serve to illustrate the varying levels at which foreign texts are incorporated, absorbed, and re-created. The final analysis attempts to assess the standard of artistic competence and independence these adaptations achieve, and whether the practice continues to be beneficial to the overall development of the contemporary Taiwanese theatre. |
