If the Christmas and New Year's parties have left you looking for some low-key entertainment for this weekend, the Gu Ling Experimental Theatre Festival may provide the right hangover remedy. The festival, which began at the end of November, presents its last three performances by groups from Hong Kong, the US and Japan.
Before appreciating the performances, the festival venue -- Gu Ling Street Experimental Theater -- is worth a visit in itself. Gu-ling Street is filled with nostalgic atmosphere and is best known as the place to go to find old and rare books in Taipei.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HITOMI'S DEAF PUPPET THEATER
The theater's building dates from 1906, when it housed a police station until the early 1990s. In 2001, through the effort of local activists, the once deserted old police station was renovated and named Gu Ling Street Experimental Theater. The Japanese-style detention room was preserved for viewing and is occasionally used to display installation art.
Similar to SPOT Taipei Film House, the historical building, with its bookstore, audio-visual room and cafe, has become a popular hangout for Taipei's arts community.
Tonight at the festival is Hong Kong artist Feng Cheng-Cheng's (馮程程) Solo of a Solitary Acrobat (寂寞的自由體操). This solo show mixes acrobatic performances and elements of a magic show. The story is roughly based on American author Gertrude Stein's children's book The World Is Round, but also incorporates the true story of Yelena Mukhina, a Russian free-style acrobat famous in the 1970s. According to Feng, the play is about walking and searching.
Next Saturday, US-based artist Marilyn Arsem will present two short pieces, Dreams (breathe/don't breathe) of Home and The Beginning or the End. The first play is rich with ceremonial body movements, creating images that swing between humor and fright, and bring an unsettling atmosphere. In the second play she uses an odd mix of props, including fish, bread, and bones, to create a peculiar lullaby.
The last group performing at the festival is the Japanese group Hitomi's Deaf Puppet Theater, who will present their play on Jan. 16. This theater group is composed of hearing-challenged and hearing actors, as well as puppet performers. The performance mixes Japanese sign language, puppet and body expression to tell an endearing Japanese folktale about a magical raccoon that is saved by a lonely granny living in the mountains and tries to fulfill the old lady's last wishes.
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