In 2017, when Associate Professor Daniel Ostling first set foot on Taiwanese soil, he never imagined he would fall in love with Taiwan and truly put down roots. Two years later, in 2019, he returned—this time invited by NTU's Department of Drama and Theatre to lead a short-term workshop on lighting and set design. He expected that, once the workshop concluded, he would simply return home to the United States and count Taiwan as just one more overseas work experience. Yet, those few days on campus became a turning point in his life. Reflecting on his initial arrival, he recalls: “I had no thought of living in Taiwan long-term, nor any particular expectations or preconceptions. I simply planned to finish teaching and then go home.” But as he gradually immersed himself in Taiwanese daily life, he found himself irresistibly drawn to this foreign land.
促成歐子凌教授與臺大戲劇學系緣分的關鍵人物，是時任戲劇學系主任謝筱玫副教授。謝筱玫副教授曾在美國西北大學（Northwestern University），師從知名劇場導演Mary Zimmerman，而Zimmerman教授則是以邊排練邊創作劇本聞名美國劇場界。2018年，謝筱玫副教授邀請Zimmerman教授訪台演講，演講後，在一次偶然的機會下，謝筱玫副教授談到想在系上舉辦劇場實務工作坊，Zimmerman教授因此向謝筱玫副教授推薦了她經常合作、也十分信任的舞台設計師——歐子凌副教授，從此，他與臺灣劇場界的緣分便開始萌芽。
The 2019 workshop was met with an enthusiastic response, and Professor Ostling soon began receiving invitations to design for local productions and explore further teaching and exchange opportunities. By 2020, he had formally joined NTU as a visiting scholar. In this capacity, he worked closely with Taiwan's theatre practitioners and discovered a rhythm and work-style completely distinct from those he had encountered in the U.S. and Japan. He notes significant differences in production models: American theatre typically affords lengthy technical rehearsal and preview periods, giving designers ample time to refine their ideas. In contrast, Japanese and Taiwanese productions often face tighter schedules due to venue constraints and budgetary considerations. Yet, he was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite these limitations, production teams in Japan and Taiwan operate with remarkable professionalism, delivering work of extraordinary refinement and artistic depth—a testament to the unique execution speed and stamina of Asian theatre makers.
“Although the pace differs,” he smiles, “the essence of theatre artists is fundamentally the same everywhere. That sense of familiarity is what makes me feel at home, no matter the country.”
「儘管工作節奏不同，但劇場人的本質卻非常相似，這是我無論在哪個國家工作都覺得親切的原因。」歐子凌副教授笑著補充道。
作為資深舞台設計師，歐子凌副教授尤其熱愛與即興創作型導演合作。這類導演往往邊排練邊寫本，甚至在開始排練時可能還沒有完整的台詞內容。他提到與Mary Zimmerman教授合作的經驗：「Zimmerman通常以小說或神話等材料為基礎，但進入排練場時並沒有完整的演出內容，她每天排練後回家寫新的幾頁劇本，設計師必須創造一個如畫布般的開放舞台，提供多種可能性，而非僅服務特定的劇情需求。」
這幾年在臺大，在教學方面，他感受到美國與臺灣的大學生存在明顯的差異。他指出，美國學生通常有強烈的個人主義，願意主動表達自己的想法，這種性格雖然能激發創意，但有時也會導致團隊合作的困難。然而，臺灣學生則普遍較為順從且相當尊重教授的授課，這樣的友善氣氛，讓歐子凌副教授較容易向學生教授專業知識，但是他也認為，在藝術場域，這種氣氛有時也會限制學生積極表達自己的觀點。因此，他特別注重引導台灣學生勇於表達自我見解：「我目前最大的教學挑戰，就是讓臺灣的學生學會大膽地表達自己。」在本學期的「文本的空間與視覺想像」課程上，他鼓勵學生深入分析劇本，並將個人經驗與感受融入設計，讓學生不只是技術純熟的劇場設計師，更能成為深刻思考劇場意義、具有個人藝術觀點的創作者。
Looking back on his time in Taiwan, Professor Ostling expresses profound admiration for the island's diversity and openness. Whether on NTU's campus, in the streets of Taipei, or behind the scenes at a theatre, he has encountered nothing but warmth and enthusiasm. Taiwanese people's receptive spirit has not only eased his integration into local society but also prompted him to reflect on his own American cultural identity. Looking ahead, he says, “It would be my great fortune to continue working here—collaborating with Taiwanese students and artists. I hope to keep sharing my experience and teaching, inspiring my students, and collectively creating more extraordinary theatre work in Taiwan!”
除了專業領域之外，歐子凌副教授在臺灣的生活也相當豐富。他特別享受臺大校園的寧靜、恬適，尤其是戲劇系館附近的植物園，這不僅讓他感到一種自在與放鬆，同時也作為他的靈感來源。此外，他經常造訪學校周圍的書店、電影院等等，並且在假日參觀各種藝術展覽、場館。提到台灣的美食，歐子凌副教授立刻興奮地分享他的最愛：「我特別喜歡粽子，還有臭豆腐與刈包，這些都是我在台灣最享受的美食體驗！」他認為食物也是文化的重要一環，也因為臺灣獨特的飲食文化，他對這片土地有了更深的連結與認同。
總結自己在臺灣的這段時光，歐子凌副教授對於臺灣社會的多元與包容深感欣賞。無論是在臺大校園、台北街頭或者劇場裡，他經常遇到友善與熱情的臺灣人，臺灣人這種開放的心態，不僅讓他能順利融入臺灣社會，也讓他重新思考自己作為美國人的文化特質。展望未來，歐子凌副教授說到，自己十分願意繼續留在台灣發展：「能持續與台灣學生及藝術家合作，對我來說是一種無比的幸運。我期盼自己的經驗與教學，能夠持續啟發學生們，並在臺灣共同創造出更多精彩的劇場作品！」