2026 Xiqu Dream Factory “Born as ≋ Human?” to Debut, Questioning Human Values in the Age of AI

The National Center for Traditional Arts’ 'Xiqu Dream Factory' will take place from August 29 to October 4 at the Taiwan Xiqu Center, presenting six boundary-pushing experimental performances under the theme 'Born as ≋ Human?'. Four of the six productions have already sold out prior to opening, signaling a surge in public demand for live, human-centered theatrical experiences as generative AI sweeps across Taiwan. From BL-style Taiwanese opera comedy to an 8-channel immersive soundscape at C-LAB, this cultural festival—where tradition collides with technology—has become the hottest ticket in the Taipei-New Taipei arts scene.

Curated by renowned producer Liu Chien-Kuo and championed by NCTA Director Chen Yueh-I, 'Xiqu Dream Factory' has recently earned acclaim at the Taishin Arts Awards and Taipei Theatre Awards. This year, it boldly confronts modern anxieties about AI domination with the provocative theme 'Born as ≋ Human?', using physical artistry and wild imagination to dismantle the cold rigidity of algorithmic logic.

'Born as ≋ Human?' re-examines the uniqueness and value of human existence in the age of AI. (Photo/Courtesy of National Center for Traditional Arts)

The festival runs from August 29 to October 4 in the Multipurpose Hall of the Taiwan Xiqu Center, radically reinterpreting traditional forms such as Taiwanese opera, puppetry, and storytelling.

'Cloud Dreams Journey' (8/29–8/30): Created by Hou Chang Tso Hsi, this production unites award-winning performer Chen Hsin-Han and top playwright Chen Chien-Hsing, weaving classical academia with a dreamlike realm to precisely address the existential confusion of youth.

'Temple of the Crow' (9/5–9/6): Presented by Chin Fei Feng Puppet Troupe, this piece uses string puppets to depict organ transplants and face-changing, crafting a bloody contemporary black fable that confronts collective anxieties about appearance and power.

'Red Plum, Tiger Crossing' (9/11–9/13): Directed by Kao Chun-Yao, Artistic Director of Qiong Theater, this work fuses Cantonese and Taiwanese opera, deconstructing philosophical questions of life and death at the liminal 'Tiger Crossing Gate'.

'Ashes x Cloud x Storyteller' (9/19–9/20): A first-time collaboration between Shensheng Theater and Taipei Ballad Troupe, led by 'Taiwan’s Queen of Pingshu' Yeh I-Chun. Through candle-extinguishing rituals and physical storytelling, it interrogates the digital age’s 'cloud-bound ghosts'.

'Phantom Limb. Relocation' (9/26–9/27): A major collaboration between Biandongneng Studio and C-LAB Taiwan Sound Lab, enveloping the theater in an 8-channel immersive surround soundscape to recreate the flow of consciousness on the operating table.

'Is Casting a Taiwanese Opera Actor in a BL Drama a Mistake?' (10/2–10/4): The Mao Duan Project closes the festival with a bold clash of BL comedy and traditional Taiwanese opera, using absurd humor and rapid-fire satire to challenge audience perceptions.

Audiences wishing to experience the 2026 Xiqu Dream Factory can take the Taipei Metro’s Tamsui-Xinyi Line to Zhishan Station and walk to the Multipurpose Hall at the Taiwan Xiqu Center. For those eager to witness the collision of traditional opera fervor and contemporary anxiety, now is the final chance to secure tickets!