In the nation's cultural capital, there are a few non-commercial venues for theatrical groups that are too obscure to make it to the National Theater and whose audiences are mainly made up of students and art professionals.
Going to alternative theaters is still an alien experience for most urbanites.
Earlier this year, a new restaurant-cum-theater named Ringside (聚場) opened at a topflight spot on the Renai roundabout (仁愛圓環). With its fine food, lounge style and, most importantly, theatrical performances, it aims to rescue middle-class office workers from ceaseless weekends of imbibing at bars .
Behind the establishment is a group of 20 to 30 somethings who, as college-aged youths read Pots, waited in long lines for film festivals and attended Taipei's theaters. Having grown up and entered the white-collar work force they felt the urge to open a trendy, comfy space of their own that can match their unfading passions for the arts.
The place doesn't aim to position itself as a new cultural landmark in Taipei, but try to strike a balance between idealism and pragmatism. As the marketing manager Shannon Xu (徐欣蕾) explained: "We started off with a simple idea. Since we all like theater and think the nightlife in Taipei is quite monotonous, we wanted to make an effort to make the city a more interesting place."
Past guest appearances at Ringside include the renowned multimedia performance group A Moving Sound and Theatre de la Sardine with its unique clown pantomime theater.
The performance space was built to a professional standard.
"We invested more than NT$2 million on the stage equipment, including professional audio and lighting fixtures. ? We even have a theater division to contact and communicate with the performance groups," the 28-year-old manager said.
Judging from the size of the investment, it's not hard to imagine why Ringside hasn't yet turned a profit even though the restaurant is packed almost every night with patrons dining on the joint's creative French cuisine -- the performances that take place every Saturday night are free.
"We want to get rid of the distance ... between the performers and our customers. You are here for the food and relaxing atmosphere and the performances are the bonuses," Xu said.
Tomorrow, diners will have a chance to see an extravagant show by transvestite performers from the Snow White Art (
Since all performances are free of charge, "diners are encouraged to buy a glass of ... wine for the performers after the show if they really enjoy it," Xu said.
Performance notes:
What: Ringside Theater
Where: 10 Siwei Rd, Taipei
When: Performances every Saturday night at 9:30pm
RSS