Similar to the troupe's last production -- Meeting with Vajrasattva, based on a meeting with the Tibetan Buddhist god of wisdom -- the new script is equally laden with religious undertones. A Touch of Zen, in which the English translation of the Chinese title reads, "Chan (Zen Buddhism), Martial Arts Not Two," holds the premise that martial arts are incomplete without Buddhism and vice versa, Liu said.
The storyline follows a child (Ao Xiang), abandoned by his mother at a Shaolin temple after his father is killed by a high-ranking general. When the boy turns 18 years old he learns of his father's murder and mother's imprisonment, and vows to avenge his family's tragedy by killing the general. Throughout the story both the boy and the general are confronted with the inseparable relationship between Buddhism and martial arts.
Apart from the roles of the general and an elderly monk, played by a Taiwanese taichi and qigong instructor respectively, Shaolin practitioners perform all the additional characters. To rehearse for the show, U Theatre traveled to China so they could practice with their young performers.
While most U Theatre's productions include minor elements of acting, singing and operatic movement, A Touch of Zen focuses on martial art movement with a background of dramatic on-stage drumming.
"This is our first time to use only martial arts as the basis of movement in a show. But dance is one way to tell a story and martial arts is another. For this performance we let martial arts narrate the story on stage," Liu said.
Performance notes:
What: A Journey of Zen: A joint-performance with Henan Province Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Academy and Taiwan's U Theatre
When: Thursday June 2 to Saturday June 4, at 7:30pm, with a Sunday June 5 matinee at 2:30pm
Where: CKS Cultural Center National Theater (
Tickets: NT$400 to NT$2,500 available online at CKS Cultural Center Box Office or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Telephone: (02) 3393 9888
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