Stan Lai or Lai Sheng-chuan (traditional Chinese:
赖声川; simplified Chinese: 赖声川; pinyin: Lài Shēngchuān, b. 25 October 1954) is a
highly influential award winning US born Taiwan based playwright and theater
director. He is the director of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (暗恋桃花源,
loosely based on Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring), often touted as the
most successful contemporary Chinese play. Lai is recognised as one of the most
important theater directors in Asia.
Lai was born on 25 October 1954 in Washington D.C. to a diplomat father. He
returned to Taiwan in 1966. In 1978, Lai married Ding Nai-chu (丁乃竺). After the
marriage, the couple went to US for further studies.
He received his Ph.D. in Dramatic Art from University of California, Berkeley in
1983. He is also Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Theatre at Taipei
National University of the Arts. In 1984, Lai and Ding founded Performance
Workshop, a contemporary theatre group. Lai became the Artistic Director while
Ding is the Managing Director.
Lai had been the recipient of Taiwan’s highest award for the arts, the National
Arts Award, twice - 1988 and 2001.
In 2006, Lai taught at Stanford University as Visiting Professor and Resident
Artist for the I.D.A. program.
闭稿 Plays
That Evening, We Performed Xiangsheng (1985)
Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (1986, 1991, 1999 and 2006)
源态没Circle Story (1987)
Journey to the West (1987)
The Island and the Other Shore (1989)
Strange Tales from Taiwan (1991)
雹纳Red Sky (1994)
Angels in America (1996)
I Me He Him (1998)
A Dream Like A Dream (2000)
Millennium Teahouse (2000)
Sand and a Distant Star (2003)
Don Giovanni (2004)
Film
The Red Lotus Society (1994, Toronto, New York, Tokyo Film Festivals)
Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (1992 ; Caligary Prize, Forum, 1993 Berlin
Film Festival/Best Picture, Best director, 1993 Singapour Film Festival)