little state support during the martial law era and the transformations of modern medias. Taiwanese opera struggles to remain its vitality. The refined operas in modern concert halls establish a new direction of Taiwanese opera development. One of the notable troupes is Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Culture Group (MHY): In 1983, MHY was the first among other folk theatres to appear on the stage of a national theatre, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. A more telling example is in 1989 when MHY got permission to perform in the Zhihang airforce base. In the past, only Beijing opera had been considered proper enough to tour military bases. Three years later, MHY toured military schools. The audience's response was far more enthusiastic than it was for Beijing opera. This transformation also reflects on the opera storylines. The traditional plots are historical and heroic events, legends and myths. Taiwanese operas gradually added more romantic elements. The intense drama and the love-hate relationships are the focuses of the televised operas. Legend of the White Snake is a typical story that combines the myth, religion, and romance. Performance elements Originally there are three roles in Taiwanese opera, Sheng, Dan, and Chou. Later, as Taiwanese opera began to incorporate more styles from other major operas, it gradually expanded to include eight major characters. Male leads Sheng (生; seng). These characters are gentle and brave. (老生; lāu-seng) (小生; sió-seng) (副生; hù-seng): Supporting actor (反生; hoán-seng) (武生; bú-seng): martial artist is an older male lead. Old shengs have a chaste and decent disposition. Young male characters are known as . Female leads In Taiwanese opera there are four subtypes in Dan (旦; tòaⁿ) roles. (老旦; lāu-tòaⁿ): elder female supporting character (苦旦; khó͘-tòaⁿ): sorrowful female character (武旦; bú-tòaⁿ): female warrior (花旦; hoe-tòaⁿ): cute or funny or a personal servant is a dignified older role and she is a straight arrow. Also she reveals sentiment of the affection to the children so she takes sides with her children. Jester Chou (丑; thiú): male jester Costume Stage properties and figures Stage properties and figures are a part of dancing. Taiwanese opera are not graphic. Sometimes a chair in Taiwanese opera stands for a fence or a bridge. Raising red flags stands for fire, raising blue flags stands for water, and raising black flags stands for wind. There are many types of figures: Entrances and Exits Pulling a Mountain Walking a Circle