In less than one month, visiting artist Mauro Sacchi wrote a theatrical piece in which he both acts and directs. Fragments of What is Necessary is a 45-minute one-man show with a guest appearance from a Taipei Dance Forum artist.
Born and raised in Italy, Sacchi spent four years in the US on a basketball scholarship studying English literature and theatre arts. A formally trained actor and experienced writer, he currently works as a college lecturer in Colorado.
Last year he was selected for an artist residency in Taipei, an exchange that will culminate in his performance Monday night at The Living Room.
Semi-biographical, the short play depicts a writer in the midst of his next work. Plagued by memory loss, the man can hardly remember what it is that he is good at -- if anything.
The fictional character's artistic struggle to write a meaningful piece of work is, according to Sacchi, a magnified version of the frustrations and anxieties faced by people in their everyday lives.
"I am interested in people, in their struggles, conscious and unconscious resolutions. To look at the mechanisms involved with creating art is to look at a microcosm of humanity itself and see the shared consciousness that makes us able to relate to each other and overcome obstacles," he said.
The plot dialogue is quite introspective and melancholic but not to the point of becoming depressing or boring.
As Sacchi explained, "I don't want it to be some, Chicken Soup for the Soul. I just want it to present these issues for others and myself on stage."
Fragments of What is Necessary will be staged Monday from 9pm to 10pm at The Living Room. The performance is free but there is a two-drink (NT$300) minimum cover charge. The Living Room is located at 3 Fl, 8 Nanjing E Rd, Sec 5, Taipei (
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