Let there be light

Taiwanese musician, poet and radio show hostess Summer Lei (雷光夏), in collaboration with theater director Shih Pei-yu (石佩玉) from the Flying Group Theater (飛人集社劇團), presents a musical autobiography, told through puppet performance, at the Nanhai Gallery this weekend.

Bedridden for two weeks following a car crash last year, Lei used her time convalescing to compose music for a new album, The Light of Darkness (黑暗之光), which was released earlier this month. Childhood memories and the recurring dreams of strolling with her parents in the forest of her home town Tamshui (淡水) are brought to life in the album's warm and lyrical tunes.

This weekend's 30-minute mini performance combines Lei's music with puppetry, an art form that the artist discovered at this year's puppet theater festival at the Guling St. Theater (牯嶺街小劇場).

Puppet maker and veteran theater professional Shih believes it's only natural for Lei to find an affinity in her music with puppet theater since "the texture of her music is very much akin to that of the puppetry art: simple and precise."

In this digital, multimedia age, Shih's handmade puppets stand out as anachronistic creations that are reminiscent of the humanness and honesty cherished in simpler, less technologically advanced times. The tiny creatures require only a small performance space and, therefore, their nuanced movements create a sense of intimacy with the audience that is reflected in Lei's music.

Lei, who is the behind-the-curtain storyteller, plays keyboard and sings with the backing of an ensemble comprised of a cello player, accordionist and drummer. The puppet performance begins with a modern urban woman traveling to a remote hotel to escape the rigors of life.

Finding herself alone in a dark room, the woman gradually comes to realize that rays of warmth and hope emanate from her suitcase, which is full of memories and love. She is not at the end of her trip but is embarking on a new journey through life.

The suitcase enables Lei to explore her memories, longings and dreams.

"Lei's music serves as a starting point of imagination that leads to the visual presentation of the play … . The collaboration has been quite rewarding as we threw back and forth ideas from different points of view," Shih said.

Don't expect to hear an exact copy of Lei's album in her live performance since the music has been augmented to make it suitable for the stage.

"Lei is very meticulous about the structure of her music. Even a small alteration in length would mean a total change of instrumental arrangement and rhythm," Shih said.