Nearly a century has passed since the birth of futurism. Loudly proclaimed in Paris in 1909, the Futurist Manifesto -- drawn up by Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and artist Giacomo Balla, among others -- valued the dynamism and violence of modern machinery -- such as automobiles -- while spurning everything associated with tradition and the past.
As automobiles are hardly considered the epitome of speed nowadays, it's probably time that futurism receive a critical re-examination. In The Futurist's Cookbook (未來主義者的食譜) named after Marinetti's 1932 book, Riverbed Theater (河床劇團) does just that. The play is the first of the group's series entitled "Research of Avant-garde Theories of the 20th Century."
In Cookbook, the questions Marinetti posed about Italian dining traditions and conventional ideas of food and eating are presented with ironic twists in the 45-minute performance.
"Just as the futurists challenged culinary traditions in their time, we now challenge the futurists. We consider the traditional to be of of no less value than futurism," said Craig Quintero, writer and director of The Futurist's Cookbook.
Is the sweat from the armpit of a dancer a delicacy? Is gulping watermelon the same as wolfing down human brains? Is vomiting as satisfying as eating? The performance, involving many stomach-churning scenes, asks the audience questions like these again and again.
Though not for the faint-hearted, the show is greatly enjoyable for its spontaneity and sharp humor. The cast may be one of the best in Taiwan's alternative theater, and their performances here are brilliant.
True to the group's principle of "total theater," characterized by richness in all elements from sound to bodily movement, the show demands the attention of all your senses.
The Futurist's Cookbook will be
performed at the old plum winery (烏梅酒廠) at Huashan Arts District, located at 1 Pate Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei (台北市八德路1段1號), at 7:30pm tomorrow, Sunday, and from Feb. 25 through Feb. 28. NT$350 admission includes drinks and snacks. Tickets (there are 30 for each show) are available through Acer ticketing outlets. Admission is restricted to audiences aged 16 or older.
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