2006 International Theater Festival: Politics and theater do mix

The Odin Teatret, which will present its new masterpiece Andersen's Dream in late March, won respect in Taiwan on its first visit to the island in 2002.

Teatret's founder Eugenio Barba created one of the world's most famous theatrical institutes, The International School of Theatre Anthropology, to provide extensive training for actors and actresses in body movement and voice control. The play was produced under the guidance of Eugenio Barba last year in commemoration of the bicentenary of Hans Christian Andersen's birth.

The show, filled with live music and human voices, demonstrates the abilities of the Odin Teatret. Nine heavyweight members of the company will come to Taipei to perform on stage together. In addition, the production team is going to transport the audience in a unique way by bringing in a round theater directly from Demark so that local audiences will be able to experience the authentic Odin Teatret.

The Hong Kong-based Theatre Ensemble, led by award-winning leading actress Olivia Yan (甄詠蓓), will again entertain Taiwanese audiences with the troupe's latest production of You Yuan (遊園)in mid-April. Through Olivia's stirring rhythms and expressive body language, she will deliver an in-depth interpretation on and powerful insight into the realm of theater and humanity. Based on the Chinese love story The Peony Pavilion(牡丹亭), You Yuan which premiered in Hong Kong last year depicts the struggle between life and death, naturalism and modernization.

Chekhov's Shorts, presented by the Theatre Smith-Gilmou of Canada in late April, has been adapted from five novels by Anton Chekhov and narrates the bittersweet story of a journey by four travelers on a train to the Russian ice flows.

"With only four performers carrying four briefcases and playing a dozen roles in 105 minutes, they vividly portray the familiar characters with complex emotions that connect each other," the press release said.

The play, centered on one of Chekhov's short stories On the Train and parts of plots from Kashtanka, Man in a Shell, Sleepyhead and Rothchild's Fiddle, will skillfully bring out the very essence and charm of Chekhov's original masterpieces. The troupe was founded in 1980 and has won prestigious awards such as the Dora Award and The Chalmer's Best Canadian Play Award, in its 25-year history.

For detailed performance schedules, visit www.ntch.edu.tw/pro/2006theater. For those interested in attending workshops to meet the directors and producers Francois-Michel Pesenti, Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley, call (02) 3393 9722 for Theatre Du Point Aveugle Workshop and (02)2896 1000, X 3426 for Odin Teatret Workshop.