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A dose of theatrical minimalism from Critical Point

A scene from Critical Point's minimalist interpretation of Pinter. PHOTO: VICO LEE, TAIPEI TIMES

One of Taiwan's oldest and also most active alternative theater groups has finally kicked off its performance schedule for this year. In the In Bedroom Theater series, the stylishly avant-garde Critical Point (臨界點劇象錄) will present three performances by different directors throughout April.

Although unrelated in themes, all the three shows will be set in the bedroom-like, somewhat messy and dilapidated surroundings of their tiny studio in Taipei's quaint Datung district.

This Is Not a Small Piece (這不是一個小品), by script writer/director Mao Ya-feng (毛雅芬), is a collage of four plays by English playwright Harold Pinter. Episodes from Silence, Slight Ache, That Night and Betrayal are seamlessly restructured into one script, which, however, take on different expressions. As the male and female protagonists ? who make up the small cast ? act out the script repeatedly, the script is made to tell many a different story.

Reassembled, the script still bears Pinter's trademark ? leaving the motivation of characters unexplained and thus rendering commonplace situations mysterious and full of tension.

"The same text can be interpret in different ways in different presentations, though it stays unchanged. Here the two characters interact with each other in a different power structure each time they act out the script. The script stays the same all this time," Mao said, explaining the ways to

interpret a seemingly simple text.

This Is Not a Small Piece may not be light-hearted enough for your Friday evening, but it's certainly interesting if you're into the theatrical minimalism and the subtle shifting of power relations between humans. The performance of the two actors is on a par with the clever script. They keep the script alive throughout the long performance of 90 minutes.

This Is Not a Small Piece will be performed at 7:30pm tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at Critical Point Theater (臨界點劇場), 2F, 68 Minle St. (北市民樂街68號2樓) Matinee shows are at 2:30pm tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets are NT$200 and are available at the door.
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