NCHU Course Outline

Course Name	(中) 東亞與華文文學研究(8008)
	(Eng.) Sinophone Literary Studies in the East Asian Context
Offering Dept	International Doctoral Program in Taiwan and Transcultural Studies
Course Type	Elective	Credits	3	Teacher	Lim WAH GUAN
Department	International Doctoral Program in Taiwan and Transcultural StudiesPh.D	Language	English	Semester	2026-SPRING
Course Description	The Spring 2024 iteration of this course will focus on theatre and performance in the Chinese-speaking world. This course is taught entirely in English and no prior knowledge of Chinese is assumed. This graduate seminar seeks to explore the diversity across the Chinese-speaking sites of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore by reflecting on the most exciting developments on their dramatic stages from the early modern period to contemporary times. We will examine the interwoven relationship between state, politics, identity and performance, and in particular investigate how despite the state’s efforts to define artistic creativity the theatre has always defied the status quo and enacted its resistance performance. We will engage in close readings of critical texts that introduce the debates surrounding these tensions, theories on performance and cultural identities, on top of reading plays in translation and viewing them through DVDs. Theorists and dramatists we will be reading include: Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, Lao She, Gao Xingjian, Kuo Pao Kun, Stan Lai, Wang Chi-mei, and Danny Yung.
Prerequisites				self-directed learning in the course	Y

Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%)			Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives
Course Objectives	Competency Indicators	Ratio(%)	Teaching Methods	Assessment Methods
Students will learn about the most exciting developments in the Chinese literary and performing arts scene across East and Southeast Asia.			topic Discussion/Production Discussion Lecturing	Written Presentation Attendance Oral Presentation
Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule
Week Course Content Week 1 Overview Week 2 (Re)Framing the Stage Hu Shi. The Main Event in Life (1919) Week 3 Nation as History Lao She. Teahouse (1958) Week 4 Farce Sha Yexin, Li Shoucheng and Yao Mingde. What if I Really Were? (1979) Week 5 Comedy Kuo Pao Kun. The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole (1984) Week 6 Comedy Kuo Pao Kun. No Parking on Odd Days (1986) Week 7 Absurdist Theatre Gao Xingjian. The Bus-Stop (1983) Week 8 Utopia vs. Dystopia Stan Lai. Secret Love in Peach Blossom Spring (1986/1992) Week 9 Utopia vs. Dystopia Stan Lai. “Weaving Local Stories into Epic Theatre: On The Village and the Preservation of Collective Memory.” Lecture at UC Berkeley, Institute of East Asian Studies. Jan. 18, 2011. Week 10 State Power Gao Xingjian. The Other Shore (1986) Week 11 State Power Kuo Pao Kun. Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral (1995) Week 12 Identity Politics Danny Yung. Opium War: Four Letters to Deng Xiaoping (1984) Week 13 Language Kuo Pao Kun. Mama Looking for Her Cat (1988) Week 14 Gender Wang Chi-Mei. One Year, Three Seasons (2000) Week 15 Presentations Week 16 Essay Workshop Self-directed learning: Study multimedia materials related to the industry and academia. Self-directed learning: Study multimedia materials related to the industry and academia. self-directed learning
Evaluation
• Class discussion 35% • Writing workshop 15% • Research paper 50%
Textbook & other References
All readings and clips are available on our course i-Learning site.
Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website
Office Hours
Mons: 3-4pm
Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs(Link URL)
04.Quality Education   05.Gender Equality   10.Reduced Inequalities include experience courses：N

Please respect the intellectual property rights and use the materials legally.Please respect gender equality.
Update Date, year/month/day：None	Printed Date, year/month/day：2026 / 1 / 09
The second-hand book website：http://www.myub.com.tw/