VIEW THIS PAGE “This is a simple and pure love story, and I’m not seeking any creative breakthrough with this work,” says director/playwright/actor Han Jiang (韓江) of his latest play Getting Late (天光) presented by Firefly Theater (螢火蟲劇團).
Getting Late recounts the last hours of reminiscing between two gay men before their joint suicide attempt, timed before the break of dawn. In a brow-raising choice, the play casts TV soap opera actor Ma Yow-shing (馬幼興) as the blue-collar lover against the real estate agent played by Han. The play, which premiered in Kaohsiung two weeks ago, has its Taipei run tonight and tomorrow at Red Playhouse (紅樓劇場).
As the only theater troupe specializing in gay-themed plays in Taiwan, Firefly Theater has tackled the subject of homosexuality through suspense thriller, black comedy, costume drama and existentialism under the guidance of its founder and director Han Jiang. Past productions include Snowing (下雪了) in 1996, Cool Night (涼夜) in 2007, and Lust Juice — the Reincarnation of Li Taipai (慾液—李太白之前世今生), a play that explores the sexuality of the famed ancient Chinese poet.
The story of Getting Late is based on a real-life incident that happened to Han’s friends when he worked as a police officer years ago.
One of the two men involved passed away. Han has kept all the elements faithful to reality aside from changing the characters’ names and occupations. “I’m intrigued by this concept of dying on the same day,” explains Han. “I want to explore what commitment is in love, especially in the face of death.”
Structurally, the play utilizes the household-famous Mando-pop oldie Lover’s Tear (情人的眼�?s the central motif and connects the different episodes with 10 original music pieces written by composer Kong Yin (孔殷). The dialogue, in an effort to underline the working-class background of the main characters, contains some coarse language. The play will be performed in Mandarin with occasional bits of Taiwanese.
“I was excited when I read the script. It’s a chance for me to broaden my horizons and take my acting to another level,” says Ma.
“There have been plenty of gay dramas with nudity,” explains director Han. “I decided to take out the nudity in this play because I think clothed provocation is sexier.”
Regarding his choice to stage mostly serious plays or tragedies with Firefly Theater, Han says “it’s mostly due to my own temperament and the fact that I excel in this form.”
“I don’t want to create any stereotypes, but the tragic nature of this play probably echoes the sentiment of some gay men who feel oppressed in this society despite the strides that have been made,” adds Han. “I choose these stories because I have empathy for people who are marginalized, sad and full of emotion.”
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