Hard Early Days

After the flower expo ended, the real test began. The original team almost broke apart. Among the volunteers, about half were students who had to go back to school, and the other half were mostly in their 40s or 50s. Because their jobs and income were more stable, they could spare time to join rehearsals and performances. At the time, the troupe was simply surprised by this strong age split. Only later did they realize it was also an early sign of Taiwan's aging society. So the troupe kept going mainly as a "community volunteer" group, and little by little it began to attract teachers and students who truly loved theatre.

At that time, Director Kuozi was still working at the radio station. She often used breaks in her schedule to write project proposals and apply for performance opportunities with different government offices. The troupe mainly relied on school outreach shows supported by the county government and local township offices—such as performances about child protection and anti-drug education—to keep basic operations going. Besides that, to strengthen the troupe, Director Kuozi spent five years taking training courses in acting and movement with major theatre groups, building up her professional skills.

The biggest difference from a professional theatre troupe is that most members of Pingpengcao do not make a living from acting. They join after work because they truly love theatre. To move closer to professional standards, Director Kuozi often invites experienced teachers to run training classes, and the troupe holds itself to high standards in every performance. Even though their stage effects cannot match well-funded commercial troupes, it is still very special—and valuable—that they can keep presenting this level of theatre in a relatively remote area on Taiwan's central coast.