But Taipei Arts Festival is not just about unconventional theater. It also offers a lineup of more conventional fare that revolves around this year’s theme of “mystery and affection.” Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group (莎士比亞的妹妹們的劇團) revives its 2005 musical Michael Jackson, a hagiography about the life of this troubled star. Thriller, Bad and Dangerous are among the numbers that will be performed.
Mint, Rosemary and the Flower With No Name (薄荷、迷迭香和不知名的花) by Slow Island Theater (慢島劇團) offers the troupe’s take on the enigma of intimacy with a love story between two women. All Music Theater (音樂時代劇場) broadens the festival’s theme with The Impossible Times (渭水春風), a story that examines issues of national identity through the life of Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水), a formative figure in Taiwan’s colonial resistance movement — a subject that is certain to resonate because his legacy remains the stuff of considerable debate in all sides of Taiwan’s political spectrum.
There is much more on offer for this year’s festival. In addition to pre-performance talks and after-performance discussions, which provide context and insight into the creation and staging of these productions, there is also a film screening, lectures and a public art installation. English-language subtitles will be used on the opening night of the Taiwanese performances.
“Our job is to give the audience the best theatrical experiences they’ve ever had in Taipei,” said Wang. “And this year, we intentionally emphasized avant-garde work for audiences because coming to the third year, our audience should be ready for a greater challenge,” she said.
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