Master playwright's small-town experiment

Stars of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land perform heir last dress rehearsal at the Huichang theatre, June 28, 2016.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

A man who - to his son's perennial amazement - learned perfect English, became a scholar and moved to the US, starting a family as a Washington-based diplomat.

He emerged from the confines of a county which is yet to pull some 47,000 residents - or one in ten - out of poverty.

"I always wanted to do something for my father's hometown and so to me this is sort of like, a social experiment," Lai said.

"I'm seeing what's going to happen to this town after five years of constant theatre coming from me, every year.

"I'm sure there's going to be a definite change and a definite advantage this town will have over thousands of other towns like it in China."

Lai concedes it won't have a huge impact on Huichang's overarching problems - he'll leave that to local officials, who've pledged to promote tourism and fund industry.

Instead, the US-born, Taiwanese playwright wants to give hope and perspective to young residents of a county lacking in opportunity.

"It's how culture advances people. What is their future? What are they thinking of as they progress in life? Do they want to go to the big cities, or stay in town?" Lai said.

"This is something that really excites me - the fact we can make a difference, not just in the cities but in the towns."