A Taiwanese opera troupe has agreed to perform a classic tale about a husband who betrays his wife, in a fan-organized festival riffing on a political family's divorce scandal — good news for traditional theater, awkward news for the people involved.

• Online users launched a "Chop Chen Shimei" arts festival inviting troupes to stage *Lord Bao Executes the Imperial Son-in-Law* and similar plays.
• The trigger was the divorce of Chen Hsing-yu, daughter of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian, now a national talking point.
• Chunmei Opera Troupe accepted, with deputy head Sun Kai-lin answering the invite bluntly: time, yes; a script, yes; then let's perform.
• Sun rejected any political reading, pointing to past photos with both Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou and saying the troupe serves audiences, not parties.
• The show, *Chen Shimei Turns Traitor*, is set for September 20 in Tainan, and fans are already promising to pack the house.

Outlook: Expect strong ticket demand in Tainan next month, and more troupes likely to join the festival while the scandal stays in the headlines.