Since the topics are of such immediate concern, novelist and scriptwriter Chu Tien-wen says their performances have become "a social activity for gaining a sense of involvement and belonging." Their recent play Strange Tales of Taiwan was seen by some critics as coming from the same mold as the engag?
對大部分觀眾來說，表演工作坊的戲有很強的社會嘲諷，在嘻笑怒罵中揭發社會怪現狀，相當反映了此時此地的人心和想法。因為題材是這麼切身，小說家及編劇朱天文形容表演工作坊每次公演：「已經逐漸成為有社會參與感和歸屬感的社交活動。」