When the we first learned that Thalie Theatre started a children's theater troupe this past summer it came as a shock -- Taipei's foreign absurdist dramaturges were going to frighten little children with the grimmest of Grimm's fairy tales, we thought. We were waiting for an original version of Cinderella in which the wicked step sister's eyes were pecked out on stage to the horror of a class of five-year-olds.
Our fears were allayed after talking to Ellie Hsiao (
"I've wanted to translate Taiwanese children's stories into English for a long time," she said. "It would bring the stories to an audience [of foreigners] that aren't familiar with them and would let Taiwanese kids see them in English."
She initially approached several Taiwanese theater companies, but Hsiao said they were reticent to invest their time and energy in an audience for whom they'd never performed.
She found support both at Thalie, a group she's been associated with for the past two years, and at Yungho's IDEAR Education Center. Spotted Cow was first staged in Chinese last month with IDEAR's support (unlike Thalie's main troupe, the children's theater group is all Taiwanese) and they have invited the troupe to perform an English-language version this weekend.
Spotted Cow first came about six years ago through the Nordhoff Craniofacial Foundation. The Taiwan-based foundation is the life's work of Dr. Samuel Nordhoff, who spent 40 years here repairing the smiles of over 10,000 children with primary cleft palette, or hairlip. The foundation wanted a children's book that would brighten their young patient's spirits.
The story's bovine protagonist has a target-shaped mark on its face and his classmates ridicule him for it. His family offers their love and support, but Spotted Cow still despairs. He is gifted with a wonderful singing voice and his parents suggest that he join a contest to find the most talented cow in town. He joins grudgingly, but only after his family members agree to draw similar marks on their faces so that he won't feel different. He wins the contest and the hearts of everyone in town, including the young cows who teased him.
"It's a very simple story," Hsiao said, "but it has a very good lesson."
For your information :
Spotted Cow plays tomorrow at 2:30pm, at the IDEAR Education Center located, 99 Chilin Rd in Taipei's Zhongshan District (
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