Experimental theater has always been vibrant in Taiwan, with groups coming and going, a few managing to establish themselves and turning out a regular diet of shows for the small but loyal following of this form of dramatic expression. The addition of another group, one with high ambitions that it will attain a higher standard of technical excellence, is something that anyone interested in this scene is bound to take note of.
Material Theater was established last year as a production company aiming to stage original plays that expressed both an esthetic and social commitment. The esthetic component is hinted at in the group's name.
"We regard all components of the drama as materials," said Lin Wei-yu (林偉瑜), one of three founding members of the group. She gave the example of words, saying that in addition to their meaning, they must also have a texture, a rhythm and something that makes them more than just signifiers of meaning.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HSU BO-LIN
"We wanted to give material expression to various conceptual aspects of drama," Lin said during a rehearsal at the Crown Theater (皇冠劇場) in Taipei, where the group's first play, The Roar (咆哮), will be performed. This can be seen in the sets, as well as the acting. "We have a huge water closet on stage and the water flows out of it throughout the play, giving material expression to time, which we often forget about when we watch a play," Lin said.
This is one aspect of Material Theater. The other is its social commitment to talking about contemporary Taiwan and the spiritual environment that has been created by political tensions. "We don't talk about politics directly," Lin said, "but about the mindset created by politics.
Its aesthetic credo and commitment to giving dramatic expression to the ugliness of the world on stage makes Material Theater, which has yet to acquire a loyal following, worth checking out.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HSU BO-LIN
"We [the core group of Material Theater], were all born in the 60s, making us somewhat older than most of the people working in experimental theater. In addition, we are all graduates in arts, and have higher expectations. Many local groups come out of university dramatic societies and don't have the same professionalism," Lin said
Professionalism is a keystone for Lin. "We can't expect everyone to like the kind of theater we produce," she said. "But we can make it as best we can, so that even if we say things they do not want to hear, they can still appreciate the work for aesthetic reasons."
Lin says the group has sought to meld text-based theater with physical theater in a way that gives the words a physical presence. Much of it is a dance, though with words, and like a dance there is no story, but the whole is an expression of the twisted spirit created by the current political situation. That, in a nutshell, is what The Roar is about. To see how Material Theater achieves it aims, drop by the Crown Theater, 50, Lane 120, Dunhua N Rd., Taipei (北市敦化北路120巷50號), today, tomorrow or Sunday at 2:30pm or
7:30pm. Tickets are NT$350.
There is no politician today more colorful than Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯). The recall vote against her on July 26 will test the limits of her unique style, making it one of the most fascinating to watch. Taiwan has a long history of larger-than-life, controversial and theatrical politicians. As far back as 1988, lawmaker Chu Kao-cheng (朱高正) was the first to brawl and — legend has it — was the first to use the most foul Taiwanese Hokkien curse on the floor of the legislature. Current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) has become famous
Crop damage from Typhoon Danas “had covered 9,822 hectares of farmland, more than 1.5 percent of Taiwan’s arable land, with an average loss rate of 30 percent, equivalent to 2,977 hectares of total crop failure,” this paper reported on Thursday last week. Costs were expected to exceed NT$1 billion. The disaster triggered clashes in the legislature last week between members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and China-aligned lawmakers from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) argued that opposition lawmakers should take responsibility for slashing the Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA)
July 14 to July 20 When Lin Tzu-tzeng (林資曾) arrived in Sansia (三峽) in 1830, he found the local conditions ideal for indigo dyeing. Settlers had already planted indigo across the nearby hills, the area’s water was clean and low in minerals and the river offered direct transport to the bustling port of Bangka (艋舺, modern-day Wanhua District in Taipei). Lin hailed from Anxi (安溪) in Fujian Province, which was known for its dyeing traditions. He was well-versed in the craft, and became wealthy after opening the first dyeing workshop in town. Today, the sign for the Lin Mao Hsing (林茂興) Dye
Asked to define sex, most people will say it means penetration and anything else is just “foreplay,” says Kate Moyle, a psychosexual and relationship therapist, and author of The Science of Sex. “This pedestals intercourse as ‘real sex’ and other sexual acts as something done before penetration rather than as deserving credit in their own right,” she says. Lesbian, bisexual and gay people tend to have a broader definition. Sex education historically revolved around reproduction (therefore penetration), which is just one of hundreds of reasons people have sex. If you think of penetration as the sex you “should” be having, you might
RSS