"The Village" (Chinese Baodao Yicun) is one of the most celebrated plays of the recent Chinese Theatre. After finishing a West coast tour of the play, Writer-Director Stan Lai will be on campus to talk about the unique process he used to create this work, weaving personal stories and using improvisation as a creative tool. In a changing national and cultural context, he will also discuss the role of theatre, film and other cultural forms as vehicles for preserving fragile collective memories. Stan Lai is a unique cultural figure in the modern history of Taiwan, lauded by many as the father of modern Taiwanese theater. He is also a key player in and commentator upon the current "cultural turn" of contemporary China. Lai will share thoughts and entertain questions about his unique career, which has helped create a new theatre culture in Taiwan and Chin