Hong-Chen Poo Hong-Chen Poo

Founder of Approaching Theatre, Hong-Chen Poo teaches in the Department of Chinese Drama at Chinese Culture University and the Department of Drama and Theatre at National Taiwan University. Poo's production “Play” (嬉戲) won the Performing Arts Award of the Year at the 3rd Taishin Arts Award; “Trichloroethane Release” (三氯乙烷釋放體) was named one of the top ten performing arts productions of the year at the 5th Taishin Arts Award; “The Wanderer: Descendants of Zheng He” (行者漂泊—鄭和的後代) won Best Overall Production of the year from Singapore's “The Straits Times”; “Not Far from Home” (離家不遠) won the Outstanding Director Award at the 10th Chinese Drama Festival in Hong Kong; and “Rage” (狂起) won Best Director, Best Physical Performance, Best Script and Best Artistic Direction at the Bangkok International Festival of Performing Arts. Poo's work has toured to festivals in China, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea, and Poo frequently directs and shapes the visual staging of cross-disciplinary works spanning music, dance and traditional opera.

Recent directing work includes “Burning Village 1895: The Final Choice” (火燒庄 1895 最終抉擇) for the 哈旗鼓 Cultural Arts Troupe and the Creative Society Theatre; “Prescription for the Future” (未來處方箋) for Taiwan Bangzi Opera Company and Chi-Chiao Theatre; “The Patient” (病號), “John Cage at One” (凱吉一歲), “Before the Storm” (暴雨將至), “War” (戰), “Not Far from Home” and “House of Stray Dogs” (野良犬之家) for Approaching Theatre; “The Story of Anna and Its” (安娜與其的故事) for the Creative Society Theatre; and “Young Taiwan” (少年台灣) and “Spring Breeze of Weishui” (渭水春風) for Music Era Theatre.