China Post, November 21, 2005
Carnival atmosphere at 2005 Taiwanese Opera Festival
By Iggy Chang

Spectators to the "2005 Taiwanese Opera Festival" are not expected to
sit quietly as they watch and listen to the actors and actresses
performing on the stage. It is more like a carnival aimed at offering a
glimpse into what the art form looked like during its heyday in the past.

"We have turned Ilan's National Center for Traditional Arts into a mega
cultural complex with more than dozens of performances in row and vivid
theater scenes in resemblance of the past century," Sheng-fu Chen,
president of Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwanese Opera Company, the organizer of the
festival, said yesterday at a press conference kicking off the festival.

So it's very likely that visitors will run into a renowned opera actor
while grabbing a coffee in the center, he added.

The festival, "One Hundred Years of Taiwanese Opera," is the first of
its kind.

Apart from Ming Hwa Yuan, the most famous Taiwanese Opera troupe, the
festival will also feature 22 other troupes and over 500 actors.

The events run until Jan. 22, during which visitors can wander around
the retro-look theater, look at LP music records on display, or take a
pedicab ride to a photo studio where they can take pictures dressed up
as an opera actor.

There are also performances featuring Taiwanese opera actors and
actresses in modern dresses, singing along jazz music.

"On top of that, we prepare special programs for Christmas and New
Year's Eve. Interested in a party packed with all opera performers?"
Chen summed up.

The opening show yesterday morning, which attracted hundreds of
bystanders amid occasional showers, was meant to be a time machine
offering a historical overview of the art form, Chen said.

The "Queen of Taiwanese Opera," Sun Tsui-feng, also preformed highlights
of Ming Hwa Yuan's international acclaimed play, "The Live Buddha."

"I was hooked by the history of Taiwanese Opera. I never knew there had
been numerous transformation," Lilia Chen, 20, said after viewing the
show from Ming Hwa Yuan.

In the heyday of Taiwanese Opera in the 50s, it was the so-called
"indoor stage performance" that dominated Taiwan's theatrical art with
up to 800 troupes touring around the island.

The art form experienced setbacks in two particular periods: one during
the Japanese colonial days between 1895-1945; the other when TV
broadcast was introduced to Taiwan.

Taiwanese Opera has survived because of its strong connection to the
grassroots, "and we desire to bring its charm to more audience in this
festival," Chen said.

We provide the same qualified shows as in the National Theater with less
than a quarter of ticket price, he added.

The festival is sponsored by Uni. President Yi-Lan Art and Culture Corp.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/art/detail.asp?onNews=&GRP=H&id=72327

 

 

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(Art-Eastasia list)

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