Theater
The Peach Blossom Land (暗戀桃花源) by Performance Workshop (表演工作坊), one of the nation's pre-eminent theater groups, revives the Chinese classic of two theater groups that are double-booked and end up rehearsing their plays on the same stage. One group is to perform a tragedy, while the other is rehearsing a farcical piece. Under the skilled direction of Stan Lai (賴聲川), the show combines elements of tragedy and comedy that stretches the limits of its actor's remarkable abilities by combining melodrama, verbal comedy and slapstick.
* At the National Theater, Taipei. Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2400, available through NTCH ticketing.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY BGM
* Today and tomorrow at 7:30, Sunday at 2:30
Like a Larva (死如幼蟲), based on the writings of Vaslov Nijinsky, Jean Genet, Antonin Artaud and Sarah Kane, calls forth from the dead the wisdom of these “mad talents.” This play is a series of prologues that summon the souls of those physically dead and can be seen as a ceremony to the raise the dead spirits. Some scenes contain nudity.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOM 18
* At the Guling St. Theater (牯嶺街小劇場), 2, Ln 5, Guling St, Taipei (台北市牯嶺街5巷2號). Tickets are NT$350 and are available at NTCH ticketing.
* Today and Sunday at 2:30 and 7:30, tomorrow at 7:30
Mia and Scott's Voice Playground (聲音游戲場) mixes voice, sound, drum and theater. This well-known husband and wife team creates an experience that explores what it means to be human.
* At RingSide (聚場), located at (四維路10號B1, 仁愛敦化圓環). Admission free with meal. Call (02) 2705-2899 for registration.
* Tomorrow at 8pm.
Naughty Dancing by 3 Choreographers (頑童日記) sees Dance Forum Taipei (舞蹈空間舞蹈團) welcome the autumn season with a new original work.
* At Novel Hall (新舞台), 3-1 Songshou Rd, Taipei (台北市松壽路3-1號). Tickets are NT$450 to NT$1,200
* Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm and tomorrow at 2:30pm
Classical
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra — Mozart Concerto for Two Pianos (長榮交響樂團--莫札特雙鋼琴協奏曲) will be held at the National Concert Hall tonight. Since the orchestra's inception in 1985, its mission has been to cultivate local musical talent. Wang Ya-hui (王雅蕙), music director and principal conductor of Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, will be the conductor in this concert. Accompanied by pianists Natalie Zhu (朱葉) and Liao Chiao-han (廖皎含), the concert will present a program of works, including Mozart's Double Piano Concerto, Bruckner's Symphony No.4 “Romantic”, and a Taiwanese folk song Dusk thought of Home (黃昏的故鄉) arranged by Admundson.
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
* Tickets from NT$500 to NT$1,500 and are available through ERA ticketing
* Tonight at 7:30pm
A Joint Outdoor Concert of Various A Capella Singers — Re: Play (人聲樂團趴趴唱系列一Re: Play) will be held tomorrow at the Hsindian MRT Station Plaza tomorrow as part of the 2006 The 6th Taiwan International Choral Ensemble Festival (2006台灣國際重唱藝術節) organized by the Taiwan Choral Music Center (台灣合唱音樂中心). The audience will be treated to a one-hour live performance by the world's best a cappella singers from home and abroad free of charge. For information, please visit the website: www.tcmc.org.tw/festival/index.htm.
* At the Hsindian MRT Station Plaza
* Free admission
* Saturday at 3pm
Fan Chiang-yi Piano Recital (漢諾威鋼琴旅人范姜毅鋼琴獨奏會) will be held in Taipei, Taoyuan, and Ilan starting this Sunday. Fan, 25, is a Taiwanese piano prodigy and currently the youngest doctoral student at Hannover University for Music and Theater in Germany. He was recognized as a Young Star in 2004. Fan studied piano under the guidance of M. Dorrle and was selected to compete in the Sviatoslav Richter International Piano Competition last year. The recital will include a program including Mozart's Piano Sonata in E-Flat Major, K282, Busoni's Sonatina Seconda, Rachmaninov's Prelude No.2, Op.23, Scriabin's Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op.9, Tchaikovsky's Nocturne in F Major No.1, Op.10 and Meditation in D Major, No.5, Op.72, and Feindberg's Scherzo from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.6 “Pathetique”.
* At the National Recital Hall, Taipei, on Sunday, at the Performing Arts Hall of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan County government (桃園縣政府文化局演藝廳), 21 Hsianfu Rd, Taoyuan County (桃園市縣府路21號) on Sept. 15, and at the Ilan Performing Arts Center, Ilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau (宜蘭縣文化局演藝廳), 482 Chungshan Rd Sec 2, Ilan City (宜蘭市中山路二段482號) on Sept. 17.
* Tickets range from NT$250 to NT$500 for Taipei concert, and NT$200 to NT$300 for other concerts through ERA ticketing.
* Sunday, Sept. 15, and Sept. 17 at 7:30pm
Chang Chen-chieh Cello Recital — Finding a bride for a cello (張正傑大提琴獨奏會 — 大提琴找新娘) will be held at the National Concert Hall on Sept. 12. Comedian Strong Chao (趙自強) will join the show to add his own unique brand of humor to the proceedings. On the theme of finding a bride for a cello, the question is who will this bride: will it be a violin, which may be too small, double bass, which may be too macho, an organ, which may look too solemn, or some other instrument?
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
* Tickets are NT$350 to NT$1,500 and are available through NTCH ticketing
* Tuesday at 7:30pm
Chen Ruei-bin Double Piano Concert (陳瑞斌雙鋼琴演奏會) will be held at the National Concert Hall on Thursday. Chen is a world acclaimed Austrian-Chinese pianist, who started his career as a concert pianist at the age of 10 with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. Chen will bring the audience a fresh experience of Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms in this double piano concert with Lin Wan-ju (林宛儒).
* At the National Concert Hall, Taipei
* Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000 and are available through ERA ticketing.
* Thursday at 7:30pm
Contemporary
The Wall (這牆) presents So What and Van Fan (范逸臣) tonight, Champion (強辯), Bitter and Tube on Wednesday, Phone Book 104 (查號104), ELESHA (伊蕾莎) and Joker on Thursday
* Entrance for tonight is NT$400, NT$300 for Wednesday and Thursday
* All shows begins at 8pm
* B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路4段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.the-wall.com.tw
Campo, an art carnival that takes place on every second Saturday of each month at different locations, will tomorrow feature alternative music, films and a flea market, from 2pm to 8:30pm at Taipei Cinema Park (台北市電影主題公園), 19 Kangding Rd, Taipei (台北市康定路19號). It's free and the beer is cheap, so join up to party at one of the freshest vanguard venues in the city. The lineup includes bands Cherry, Emily, The Originals and 88 Guava Seeds (八十八顆芭樂籽) as well as techno DJ sets
* Entrance is free
* Campo starts proceedings at 2pm
* Taipei Cinema Park (台北市電影主題公園), 19 Kangding Rd, Taipei (台北市康定路19號)
Grooveyard presents Soul Power, an art exhibition by ScallArt with music by Native Space tonight. On Thursday it's open mic and jam featuring new music, drama, poetry and more.
* Tonight's show begins at 10pm, Thursday's at 8pm
* Entrance for tonight is NT$200. Admission is free on Thursday.
* 2F, 105 Hwamei W Rd, Taichung (台中市華美西街105號二樓). Visit www.grooveyardtaiwan.com
The Living Room (小客廳) presents Forgive Me (原諒我大樂隊) tonight, Selling Us Everything and Consider the Meek (關懷窮者) tomorrow, Children Sucker (表兒) and FEEDME (餵我樂團) on Tuesday, INnOUT and open jam on Wednesday and Get Lit., a celebration of the spoken word, film and music with Pastor Philip, DJ Trista, Revival and The Tourists on Thursday.
* Tonight and tomorrow's 10pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30pm
* Tonight NT$500, tomorrow and Tuesday NT$400, Wednesday NT$350 and NT$300 on Thursday
* 3F, 8 Nanjing E Rd Sec 5, Taipei (台北市南京東路五段8號3樓). Call (02) 8787-4154 or visit www.livingroomtaipei.com
(Please note: Some of the listed bands do not have English names, in which case the Taipei Times has included a translation or transliteration.)
Exhibitions
Chen Chang-chih Sound and Installation Art Solo Exhibition (陳長志聲響裝置個展). Inspired by the artist's former work Real Time for Practice, the exhibition is centered on the lag between the Internet's real-time transmission and the real world being transmitted. Three artists will give performances to accompany Chen's Real Time for Practice on Sept. 20 at 8:30pm.
* NanHai Gallery (南海藝廊), 3, Ln 19, Chongqing S Rd Sec. 2, Taipei (台北市重慶南路二段19巷3號). Open Wednesday to Sunday from 2pm to 9:30pm. Call (02) 2392-5080
* From tomorrow through Sept. 21
True Scenery as a Way to See: Travel Journal (視象與圖像:真實作為一種凝觀與藝術). Female artist Fan Yan-nuan (范晏暖) takes light as a metaphysical notion to speak of the clarity of God and to represent sacredness through art. By seeing with light, the artist attempts to reveal the true landscape of an individual's journey in life.
* Shin Leh Yuan Art Space (新樂園藝術空間), 15-2, Ln 11, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei (中山北路二段11巷15-2號). Open Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm to 8pm. Call (02) 2561-1548.
* Tomorrow through Sept. 17
Yuan Jai Solo Exhibition (袁旃個展). With a solid training in traditional Chinese brush paintings, the 65-year-old female artist has dedicated herself to exploring new possibilities and visions of this ancient art form. Done with both traditional and modern painting techniques, Yuan's works are vibrant in color and imaginative in content, creating an almost child-like aura.
* Eslite Gallery (誠品畫廊), B2, 245 Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei (台北市敦化南路一段245號B2). Open Tuesday to Sunday at 11am to 7pm. Call (02) 2775-5977
* Until Oct. 1
Artist on the Move (藝術家進駐藝術村全球化行動展), a special exhibition that invites artists from home and abroad to share their experiences of residing in artist villages and institutes around the globe. Topics to be discussed include why artists are on the move and how to create a global network of artists.
* Taipei Artist Village (台北國際藝術村), 7 Beiping E Rd, Taipei (台北市北平東路7號). Open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm. Call (02) 3393-7377.
* Until Oct. 1
Pethany Larsen Gallery Photography Exhibition — A Happy Country — Denmark (幸福北國度 — 丹麥), a journey through images to the Scandinavian country that embraces both the traditional and the modern, a homeland of Hans Christian Andersen and the Vikings and a leading nation in advanced technologies and cutting-edge design.
* Pethany Larsen Gallery (Pethany Larsen藝坊), 2F, 30, Ln 45, Liaoning St, Taipei (台北市遼寧街45巷30號2樓). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Call (02) 8772-5005
* Until Sunday
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