Taiwan New Drama or called Cultural Drama in 1920, 1930’s was led by Taiwanese intellectuals, and occurred by New cultural movement that was stimulated by western civilization, and its development was closely linked with the social cultural traits and history condition. Since Taiwan Cultural Association promoted New cultural movement in 1921, Taiwan new drama movement began to develop until 1937. In this period, many drama groups established, and almost of them were the affiliated units of Taiwan cultural association. These drama groups had the same purpose to improvement drama and reform the social cultural. The drama practice performed by these drama groups established the theatre genealogy of Taiwan Cultural Association.
The research results showed the fact that Taiwan new drama movement and political movement were interlinked. I further used the social network method to realize the property and developing process of each drama group in order to clarify the complete picture of Taiwan new drama movement.
I pointed out that the theatre genealogy of Taiwan Cultural Association began in 1921, and ended in 1936. In the beginning of this theatre genealogy, overseas students’ theatre activities of Tokyo Taiwan Youth Association in the early 1920’s were the first attempt of Taiwan new drama movement. After the first organized drama group appeared in winter 1923, some drama groups established gradually. Most of the drama group members had elementary education background at least. They gathered under the same status class or political ideas. The interaction or cooperation between members or groups made the art nutrition to be transfer and supported.
The drama groups of the theatre genealogy of Taiwan Cultural Association can be divided to two types. The first type is the social movement organization related drama group, and the second is the social movement organization unrelated one.
The first type is the subsidiary drama group of the social movement organization, and particularly susceptible to attached to the political power. The drama group has more left-wing idea always received harder political repression. On the contrary, the drama group has less left-wing idea received weaker political repression. In fact, the drama groups belonged to New Taiwan Cultural Association received harder political repression, and stopped in 1928. The drama groups belonged to Taiwan People Party received weaker repression, and survival until 1931.
The second type, the social movement organization unrelated drama group, is divided to two subtypes: one is subsidiary drama group, and the other one is non- subsidiary drama group. Both of them didn’t receive political repression, and continued to engage in drama activities until 1936, the ending year of New drama movement genealogy of Taiwan Cultural Association.
Some drama groups became the Japanization drama groups in the Japanization movement in order to continue the drama activities. Their dramatic spirit performed by Japanization drama groups cannot be subordinated to New drama movement genealogy of Taiwan Cultural Association, because of the opposite-directed dramatic spirit.
This new drama movement genealogy showed us a character that Taiwan new drama movement was occurred by the ppolitical propaganda. In other word, some ppolitical enthusiasts were absorbed by the new drama style, and further applied the critical spirit of the western modern theatre to the social movement in Taiwan in order to complete their propaganda purpose. This character also can be seen in China crude stage plays (Wen Ming Xi) and Japan Shinpa plays.
After the initiation stage, China crude stage plays and Japan Shinpa plays completed the unique performance in the maturity stage. In other hand, Taiwan New Drama could not carry out its own performance because of the political repression, and had no chance to enter the maturity stage. But, some drama groups continued drama activities in 1930’s, and some Taiwanese consciousness plays performed by Taiwanese in 1940’s. These plays showed us that the art nutrition cultivated since the year of 1921 was been transferred consecutively.
We can find out the meaning of Taiwan new drama movement from the theatre genealogy of Taiwan cultural association. Taiwan new drama movement spread not only the modernity of thinking and ideas but also the modernity of drama. In other words, Taiwan New Drama or called Cultural Drama in 1920, 1930’s is the effective propaganda tool beside the speeches and newspapers, and also spread the modernity of drama in 1920’, the rising period of the social movement, . The drama activities was continued to be performed in 1930’s, the falling period of the social movement, and kept the drama ideas and experience can be accumulated and transferred, and conducted the arts reproduction to show the Taiwanese identity.