While the finished work, which is loosely based on many a classical Chinese morality tale of good prevailing over evil, it is strikingly different from the troupe's previous hybrid creations. Liu didn't intentionally set out to write a play and certainly didn't intend to see her work published as a novelette.
"I set out to write a simple piece for the troupe in line with our previous works. As it developed, though, a story line began to appear and I began to revolve events around a central character," Liu said. "Then, as more characters were introduced I realized that I'd accidentally written a short story rather than a simple piece for the group."
Even though The Dandelion Sword is more theatrical than past shows, the group hasn't abandoned drumming entirely. The percussive beat still plays a fundamental role in the performance.
Along with the plot-oriented production being a first for the group, the publication of Liu's short story, which has been published in both Chinese and English, is also something new for the once predominantly percussive performance troupe. In order to promote both the book and the upcoming performance members of the troupe will be giving the public a special free sneak preview of the show at 2pm this Sunday at Eslite Books' Dunhua branch.
U Theatre will perform The Dandelion Sword (蒲公英之劍) at The Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台) beginning Wednesday Nov, 5, through Saturday Nov. 8. All performances begin at 7:30pm. The venue is located at 25 Bade Rd, Sec 3, Taipei (台北市八德路3段25號). Tickets cost between NT$300 and NT$1,500 and are available from branches of Eslite Books.
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