Janauary 13^rd, 2005, Miss Li and Miss Huang took us to Taipei Educational College and visited professor Yang Fu-Ling. She has profound knowledge of Taiwanese Opera and had studied this field for a long time. Professor Yang is the author of the book “History of Taiwanese Opera”. Via school colleague’s connection, professor Yang gave us the opportunity to have the interview with us, to talk about the Ming Hwa Yuan’s contribution in Taiwanese Opera.
At first, we asked professor Yang why she likes Taiwanese Opera. ”In the past, traditional theatric forms were popular because ”Playing drama as a recompense God” was deeply related to religious rituals, rather than being pure dramatic performance. Professor Yang said, when she was a little girl, she used to be carried on her great grandmother’s back to see Taiwanese Opera in the front of temples. Since then, she fell deeply in love with Taiwanese Opera.

Professor Yang explained to us her study on the presenting types of Taiwanese Opera. She classified them into seven categories: First, “Lo-deh Sao”(落地掃); second, Outdoor-Stage e Opera; third, Indoor-Stage Taiwanese Opera; fourth, radio- broadcasted Taiwanese Opera; fifth, Taiwanese Opera films; sixth, Televised Taiwanese Opera; and seventh, Modern-Theater Taiwanese Opera. Among these seven categories, the Modern-Theater Taiwanese Opera is the most successful one through the Ming Hwa Yuan’s transformation. By adopting carefully-plotted scripts and fantastic stage effect, the Ming Hwa Yuan has modified the primitive theatric form to become genuine modern theater play. The Ming Hwa Yuan not only leads the traditional opera to remerge into current Taiwanese society, but also presents our extraordinary native culture to the world.
Now we can appreciate Taiwanese Opera’s elaboration on stage effect while our minds flow with the tempo, just like seeing the movies. With comprehensive management, the Ming Hwa Yuan has created a new horizon for Taiwanese Opera.

Professor Yang used two dramas the ”Han-Xiang Zi” and the “Orangutan’s Gall Bladder” to indicate that the Ming Hwa Yuan is training new actors of their next generation in the drama “Han-Xiang Zi”, besides the main actors of their second generation, they added more scene on the third generation. For example, the actress, Jeng Ya-sheng, one of the distinguished 3rd generation performers, played four important roles in the drama. This manner of playing different roles in one play is called ”one rush four”(一趕四), will definitely improve actors’ performing skill. The “Orangutan’s Gall Bladder” was played in a smaller theater house. This performance gave the new actors of the third generation an opportunity for sharpening their performance skills as unusual experience of overcoming the limitation of space.
In professor Yang’s opinion, the Ming Hwa Yuan’s success was no coincidence or sheer luck. The family made every effort to improve their music for voices, stage setting, makeup technique, scripts, and perfoming skills. Despite of their huge success, they are still working on future development by zealously training new actors from their next generation.
After the interview with professor Yang, we gathered lots of useful information about Taiwanese Opera. We all believe that the Ming Hwa Yuan’s contribution in Taiwanese Opera so great that it can never be eliminated. Their attitude is worthy of learning.