Kuo Pao Kun (1939–2002) was a celebrated dramatist and arts activist. He was a bilingual English and Mandarin playwright who was a pioneer of multidisciplinary, multilingual, and multicultural contemporary theater in Singapore, and his plays have been translated into many languages and performed internationally. Read More He was also an influential educator and established The Theater Practice, The Substation, and the Theater Training & Research Program, which brought artists from different cultures and disciplines together. Ku received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to theater in 1989, the 2002 Excellence for Singapore Award, the 1990 ASEAN Cultural Award, and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (given by the French government) in 1996. His first full-length Mandarin play, Hey Wake Up!, was staged at the Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore to wide acclaim in 1968.