Following last year’s Earth Project I (土地計畫首部曲), which explores issues surrounding land use and environmental justice, Short One Player Theater (三缺一劇團) returns with The Story of Keelung (海港山城藝術季), a mini art festival taking place in Keelung this weekend.
Since 2013, the troupe has performed in Taipei, but this year, their sights are set on the once-thriving harbor city. The festival will feature three short performances by young artists that explore the harbor city’s past and present.
The choice of venue — a five-story building belonging to a troupe member’s family that also served as a dental clinic between the 1970s and 1990s — is rather unusual. The house has been vacant for years, with many objects and wares left inside, says director Flower Lee (李玉嵐).
Photo courtesy of Short One Player
The furniture and layout of the rooms remain unchanged in The Forsaken (遺棄之時) — one of the performances taking place on the weekend. Choreographer Yu Yen-fang (余彥芳) says the idea behind the storyline comes from Yu’s impression of Keelung being frozen in time — just like the deserted house.
Tao Wei-chun (陶維均), the director of Second Hand (二手), had a similar idea when he used objects in the rooms as props to tell a story about Keelung’s laborers.
The last performance, A Blurry Keelung (模糊的基隆), revolves around a suicidal woman talking to voices in her head. It is staged by In Troupe (影劇坊), another theatrical group consisting of 20-somethings.
“When watching [In Troupe’s] work, I get a very strong feeling of being trapped. I think these youngsters have conveyed how it feels [living in Keelung] through their performance,” Lee says.
“Young people have to go to Taipei to find jobs and work. But they also want to do something for Keelung — otherwise they wouldn’t set up a theatrical group here,” she adds.
But things are changing for the better. Lee says local youth have been engaging in cultural activities to understand their hometown more and also to improve the lives of those living there.
For example, Keelung Rain (雞籠霧雨), a non-profit set up last year, focuses on the people and history Keelung.
Moreover, in March, Keelung Youth Front (基隆青年陣線), a community development organization, held an art fair at a deserted historic house after spending several months cleaning it up.
Lee says the possibilities are limitless.
“We have been here for three years and are starting to understand it a little bit. Hopefully, the festival can stay for several more years as a platform to connect with local artists, cultural workers and groups,” she says.
All three performances are 20 minutes and performed at different floors of the house. Audiences will be divided into groups, taking turns to watch the shows. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/shortoneplayertheater.
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