new is everything Old again Three Taiwanese TheaTres reinvenT The pasT mpressed by the work from Taiwan at the 2007 Prague Quadrennial, Nancy Simon asked her Taiwanborn colleague, Shu-chu Wei, to join her in exploring the work of some leading Taiwanese theatres. In March 2008 we traveled to Taiwan, where we were graciously received by three leading companies: The Contemporary Legend and Godot Theatres in Taipei and the Tainaner Ensemble in Tainan. Though each company has a unique mission, they share an interest in reexamining old plays and revivifying old traditions. We'll focus on one production undertaking this reinvention of the past from each company: Contemporary Legend's version of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Godot Theatre's Little Town of Tanshui (a resetting of Thornton Wilder's Our Town,) and Tainaner Ensemble's take on Macbeth, subtitled "The Sonata of the Witches." photo courtesy contemporary legend theatre I By Nancy Simon and Shu-chu Wei 1 46 theatre design & technology W I N T E R 2009