One of the country's most reclusive performance troupes, U Theatre (優劇場) will make a rare descent from its mountain hideaway located on Laochuan Mountain (老泉山) in the Taipei suburb of Mucha, to perform the reworked Sound of the Ocean (聽海之音) at Taipei Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台) starting next Thursday.
First performed nine years ago, Sound of the Ocean is in demand at venues around the world. After over 100 overseas performances made during tours to 20 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia, the troupe has decided to bring the classic back home with a bevy of young recruits -- 14 children, from fourth graders to high-school sophomores who have received two years of training in meditation, martial arts and percussion.
"After years of revamping, Sound of the Ocean it can finally be seen as a complete and mature work. However, we think by adding young performers to the piece, it can instill new life and energy into the work and open up new possibilities," founder and art director Liu Ruo-yu (劉若瑀) said.
Unlike other theatrical groups which stage at least one or two performances a year, U Theatre usually spends two to three years polishing each of its works. It took four years to complete Sound of the Ocean, a work defined by the art of "sacred drumming" devised by drum master and musical director Huang Chih-chun (
The piece veers away from conventional theater that incorporates actors, narration and dramatic lines, and creates a powerful and poetic impression that strikes through the use of drums and gongs.
The Sound of the Ocean consists of five parts: Collapse, Flowing Water, Breakers, Listening to the Ocean's Heart and The Sound of the Ocean. Laden with spiritual undertones, the piece tells of "the water of life which nourishes our souls. Spare drops gather into a stream, into a river, flowing to the ocean; they sink deep into it, beyond the point where the unknown and unrevealed begins," as Huang puts it.
The athletic performers use their bodies as an integral part of the music. With the seemingly improvised choreography, the performers feverishly jump, whirl and clash their bodies against the instruments to create the music.
"It's not dance per se, since dance is more to do with outward bodily extensions. Our performers' physical movements are based on martial arts, so they are more inward and disciplined," Liu said. The performance is the fruit of Huang's belief that, "to learn to beat a drum, one must first learn meditation," a discipline strictly obeyed by the performers whose daily routine is to practice meditation, martial arts and percussion.
The 14 young performers will star in two sections out of the total five and become the regular cast for the piece. "Those kids are really fast learners. While it takes six months for the grown-ups to learn the rhythms, they can do it in three weeks. It makes us believe that training for artists need to start from an early age," Liu said. With the goal to have the art form pass down for generations to come, U Theatre will continue to provide trainings for the children until they are capable of performing the entire piece on their own.
In light of the group's unique charm and immense popularity, tickets are expected to sell out quickly. For more information, visit www.utheater.org.tw, or call (02) 2938 8188.
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