Liberty Times (LT): Where do you place the role of the National Taichung Theater? What have you accomplished during your four-year term?
Victoria Wang (王文儀): In terms of positioning, it is an artistic theater. As a national-level venue, it must fulfill everyone’s imagination and expectations.
For example, some people believe that the theater should add more chairs or say that the lighting of the outdoor plaza is too dim at night.
Photo: Ho Tsung-han, Taipei Times
However, the theater contains the philosophy of Toyo Ito’s design. It is a very important work of architecture, and we do not want to alter it on our own simply because of people’s habits or imagination.
Art is a grand project. As the first executive director, my job is to prioritize these requests and accomplish them. Apart from putting on good shows, I need to ensure the philosophy of and insist on artistic works, and continuously communicate in a friendly manner with government organizations, local representatives and the people who care about the theater.
Under the precondition of being an artistic theater, we cooperated with the Taichung Cultural Affairs Bureau on the Taichung Arts Festival, and partnered with the Taichung Education Bureau to invite children who received awards at a national artistic talent competition to perform at the theater.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung Information Bureau
For a series of musicals this summer, we have also worked with the city’s Tourism and Travel Bureau to promote tourism in the city during the shows.
LT: In the beginning, the theater was like a cultural space that came from the sky. After becoming what it is now, what are some other problems the theater continues to face?
Wang: There is a rich classical music scene in Taichung. This is something that other cities cannot compete with.
However, Taichung has no art schools. The younger generation has little foundation and all of the professionals come from Taipei. The support for the supply chain also comes from other cities, counties or even nations.
The local community is unfamiliar with the theater. The audience wants us to stage more classical music concerts, but this is a theater, not a concert hall.
The next challenge the theater faces is not allow a plateau period. There was a lot of fuss during its opening — the theater received the attention of the entire nation. It would be tragic if a cultural space received no attention and became a “mosquito hall.”
The biggest challenge is continuing to innovate and attract attention, and to do interesting things that no one has ever thought of.
LT: The theater has created many spectacles that Taiwan had seen for the first time, including the building’s architecture and last year’s outdoor performance by La Fura dels Baus. What was your personal favorite?
Wang: I admire French director Joel Pommerat the most. Both Pinocchio and Cendrillon [Cinderella] from his fairytale trilogy have been performed in Taichung. Next year, Little Red Riding Hood will also come to Taichung.
Pommerat is very charismatic and refuses to accept government subsidies. The aesthetics and quality of his works redefine the theater’s concepts of tempo, the approach to the characters or the mise en scene. He has created his own language, reinterpreted the message behind fairytales and gave them new meaning.
I see the theater as a place to renew art — to find the best works around the world and use the space to produce them. Honestly, no matter where you put our team, we would do the same thing. Even if you place us at a cultural center, we would still reinvigorate it.
Shortages of funding and old equipment are secondary concerns. As long as you can expand your influence precisely and according to the rules, the work itself will become the best endorsement for the venue.
As [Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集) founder] Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) said, the venue itself will drive more cultural events because of the staff’s professionalism and operating philosophy.
If all the cultural centers in different places were opened up and performing arts groups were allowed in and talent training courses were hosted, allowing the spaces to perform 50 percent more functions, art would be better able to bloom everywhere.
Translated by staff writer Sherry Hsiao
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