Show of the Year: Treetop Friends (樹上的朋友)
Form of Performance: Newly-designed stage.
Running Time: 50 min.
Suitable Venue: Indoor, small theatre (~150 people).
Synopsis:
Little Li, a naive and romantic girl, often plays alone in the yard because her parents are busy working. As she observes very carefully, Li learns about the sounds of animals. The birds in the big tree in the yard become her "treetop friends". A child's love is nurtured by pure observations of nature. When faced with the fragility of life, we naturally turn into guardian angels. Every encounter in life is worth appreciating and cherishing with all our hearts.
2020 A Youth Xiqu Art Festival show: The Daring Lying Lantern Monkey (白賊燈猴天借膽)
Form of Performance: Newly-designed stage, integrating lights and shadows effects.
Running Time: 80 min.
Suitable Venue: Both indoor and outdoor.
Synopsis:
Every winter, the people of Penglai Island hold an end-of-winter festival to send gratitude and rewards to the gods. They clean the worship tables and put on new clothes for the gods. But they always forget Lantern Monkey, who holds the candelabras for the deities. Lantern Monkey was disgruntled. Mocked and ridiculed by the Stone God and Tree God, he turned into an evil monkey.
The evil Lantern Monkey lied to the Jade Emperor that the people of Penglai Island were not diligent and were extremely wasteful. The Jade Emperor was furious. He ordered the Dragon King of the East Sea to flood Penglai Island on the twenty-ninth night of the last month to sink the island. Earth God was reluctant to see that happen. He went into people's dreams, telling them to prepare in advance. He also went to Bodhisattva Guan-Yin for help. As Penglai Island was about to sink, the people had no choice but to gather for the last supper. On the twenty-ninth night, the sky and earth started shaking as Dragon King poured flood onto Penglai Island. Fortunately, Bodhisattva Guan-Yin descended in time and brought a decree from the Jade Emperor, ordering Dragon King to bring back the flood and to execute Lantern Monkey at the scene.
2019 Show of the Year: Awakening From a Dream — Meng Li-Chun (如夢初醒‧孟麗君)
Info: Adapted by Chiu Pei-Chen (邱沛禎) / Directed by Li Yun (李勻).
About Meng Li-Chun:
Meng Li-Chun was born into a wealthy family in Yunnan during the Yuan Dynasty. Born a girl, she was talented. The story begins with a marriage contest, which brings together imperial members, wealthy men and young heroes. When Meng Li-Chun's father decided on a suitable candidate for her, she refused to obey. She ran away, disguising herself as a man.
As a man, she won first place in the imperial examination, became the Grand Chancellor, and married a woman. At the time, her former fiancé returned victorious from a war; her father went to the capital to tell the court and search for his daughter. What was once a happy and successful life for herself has begun to change...
Features of the Show: Traditional puppetry's themes are mostly from the male perspective; there is rarely any in-depth exploration into the female perspective. As a result, traditional puppetry is mainly appreciated by men, and the developed actions in shows are mostly military actions.
In different forms of performances, the Meng Li-Chun plays are often interpreted in the context of the love triangle. But in this production, we go beyond her established image and start from the original book, Reincarnated Fate (再生緣), written by Chen Tuan-Sheng, to rethink Meng Li-Chun. She was a wise, talented, and resilient woman who endured the trials and tribulations of her time and circumstances. She dressed as a man and was willing to risk her life to find herself. Every marriage, not out of her own volition, changed her identity. For Meng Li-Chun, a seemingly joyous marriage was a self-imposed exile with no choice.
Under the single facial design of a puppet, the audience is led to examine what they are facing, be it love, family, friendship or even country, and to rediscover their own self-identity.
2018 Show of the Year: Guarding A-Tou (雙龍護斗)
Info: A traditional copy using Pei-Kuan New Tune (新路), Changpanpo (長坂坡), by Chiu Huo-Jung (邱火榮) / Directed by Liu Hsin-Cheng (劉信成)
Running Time: 90 mins.
Synopsis:
When Tsao Tsao led his troops to attack Jing Province, Liu Pei was defeated at Changpanpo and fled southwards to Chiangling. Tsao Tsao sent his best troops to chase after him. Entrusted his two wives and his son to Chao Yun, Liu Pei fled with his people of the Han Dynasty to the south. On the way, they were scattered by the Tsao army. Chao Yun fought alone against millions of Tsao's soldiers to save Liu Pei's wives and son. Seeing what a tough and great warrior Chao Yun was, Tsao Tsao wanted him to be one of his generals. Hsu Shu then came up with a good plan to capture Chao Yun alive and subdue him. Chao Yun killed countless enemies and rescued one of the wives, Lady Kan, and the prince. Lady Mi was seriously wounded. Being worried that she would be a burden to Chao Yun, Lady Mi threw herself down a well. Chao Yun saved Lady Kan and the prince. Chang Fei came to his aid. Seeing the enemy approaching, he thought of a plan.
2018 The Blooming Branches — Restaging the Classics: Journey to the South (南遊記)
Info: Written and directed by Cheng An-Cheng (鄭安成).
Running Time: 90 mins.
Synopsis:
The play is based on Journey to the South (南遊記), a novel of the Ming Dynasty. It tells a story of a filial son, Hua Kuang, saving his mother, the Sage Mother Chi-Chih-To. The fairy Wonderfully Auspicious Child has been reincarnated three times. This play is about the third reincarnation, telling the story of Hsiao Yung-Fu and his wife, Mrs Fan, from Hsiao Village, Huichou. The couple had no children, so they went to pray for an heir at the Bodhisattva Guan-Yin Temple. They later had a son and a daughter, Hsiao I-Lang and Hsiao Chiung-Ninang.
In fact, the mother was the Sage Mother Chi-Chih-To. She incarnated as Mrs Fan to repay the father's kindness. After knowing the truth, Monk Lung-Jui turned into a little monk, went to the Hsiao's to beg, and took the opportunity to capture Chi-Chih-To and take her to Fengtu. To find his mother, Hsiao Chi-Hsiang (I-Lang) went to Pujing Temple and set out on his journey.
2017 The Classic Shows by Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center — The Prequel of "Legend of White Horse, the Hero" — Legend of Chashan (白馬風雲前傳—茶山風雲)
Info: Original work by Liao Kun-Chang (廖昆章) / Adapted and directed by Li Yun (李勻).
Form of Performance: Set theatre.
Running Time: 100 min.
Suitable Venue: Both indoor and outdoor.
Synopsis:
As both the good and the evil sects were fighting for the "Book of Heaven's Mistery" to dominate the martial world, the Master of Wan sect invited the prophetic Mr Hermit, the Shadowless Wind Yen-Tao-Jen, and others to come and discuss together. Under the table, they all had their own agendas, setting off a bloody war of killing. A kind-hearted boy named Pen happened to come to Chashan. He was tested by Mr Hermit, who realised that Pen was the one bounded, by fate, with the "Book of Heaven's Mistery". To teach Pen about the greed and ignorance of human nature, Mr Hermit deliberately put Pen in a struggle between the two parties. He started a series of plans to train and strengthen Pen's mind.
Features of the Show:
The production offers a new way of representation and changes the common perception that "Golden Light Puppetry (金光布袋戲)" is only about fighting and killing, giving it a new social and cultural dimension and a modern concept
2017 Production of the Year: Cheng He's Expedition (鄭和下西洋)
Info: Traditional Play by Li Tien-Lu (李天祿) / Adapted by Hsu Chia-Fen (許嘉芬) and Wu Sheng-Chieh (吳聲杰) / Directed by Hsu Chia-Fen (許嘉芬)
Form of Performance: Newly-designed stage; new production.
Running Time: 60 mins.
Suitable Venue: Both indoor and outdoor.
Synopsis:
The play is based on Eunuch San-Pao's Expedition to the Western Seas (三寶太監西洋記通俗演義) of the Ming Dynasty. Description:During the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Hui took the imperial seal with him to the West without permission. Emperor Yung-Le was furious; he ordered Cheng He to take his troops to the West, capture Emperor Hui, and recover the imperial seal.
Cheng He and Taoist Master Chang chased him all the way to a country called Safa, passing through many countries and seeing lots of exotic treasures, birds and animals. Master Golden Hair refused to hand out the document for passing the border; a fierce battle broke out. Master Golden Hair cast an evil spell in the battle and severely damaged the Ming army. Seeing the situation, Master Chang and the Imperial Preceptor Chin Pi-Feng tried to fight back. Still, they were defeated and had to declare a temporary halt to the battle.
During the truce, to get rid of Master Golden Hair, the Imperial Preceptor secretly investigated his background. And with the help of several people who had a special power, the Ming army finally broke the barrier, passed through Safa, and continued hunting for Emperor Hui.
Features of the Show:
We redesigned whole new costumes and puppets with a simple and modern stage. The music, written according to the plots, is a fusion of the East and the West. The audience will be led on an aural and visual journey around the world.
2016 Show of the Year: Kao-Ping Pass (高平關)
Info: A traditional copy using Pei-Kuan New Tune (新路), Kao-Ping Pass (高平關) by Chiu Huo-Jung (邱火榮) / Adapted and directed by Liu Hsin-Cheng (劉信成).
Form of Performance: Set theatre.
Running Time: 120 min.
Suitable Venue: Both indoor and outdoor.
Synopsis:
Huang Chao's rebellion led to the Tang Dynasty's downfall and the establishment of the five dynasties and ten kingdoms. When Kuo Wei usurped the Later Han and established the Later Chou, an old general, Kao Hsing-Chou, refused to surrender to Kuo and held on to the Kao-Ping Pass. The sycophant, Miao Hsun, knew that Chao Kuang-Yin was an exceptionally skilled warrior. He also knew Chao's father, Chao Hung-Yin, had a close relationship with Kao Hsing-Chou. Miao Hsun framed Chao Kuang-Yin and his wife to be imprisoned, blackmailing Chao Kuang-Yin into taking Kao-Ping Pass. Chao Kuang-Yin demanded the enemy surrender and successfully took Kao-Ping Pass. But Kuo Wei became suspicious and insisted on opening the box for inspection. Unexpectedly, Kuo Wei fainted in shock. A few days later, the king of Later Chou passed away. After the Chenchiao Rebellion, Chao Kuang-Yin was crowned in the yellow robe, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and completing the reunification. His dynasty was named Sung.
Features of the Show:
Although with the same theme, the production is a breakthrough from the original format. We made the story more complete without directly transplanting the structure of the traditional Pei-Kuan classic Kao-Ping Pass. In this play, the Old Tune (舊路; also called Fu Tune, 福路) is adopted as the music tune; the New Tune (新路; also called Hsi-Pi, 西皮), which is entirely different from the original, is adopted as the Melo-Metric Pattern. They enrich the musicality of the whole play. With a modern theatre concept, the recreated show brings a new look to the Pei-Kuan puppet show, Kao-Ping Pass. This is not only a solid way for young trainees to gain an understanding and experience of Pei-Kuan music but also a way to infuse new elements and concepts into the roots of tradition, creating a new version of Pei-Kuan puppet show that is more in line with modern appreciation.
2015 A Taipei Children's Arts Festival Production: The Spider Web in the Room (房間裡的蜘蛛網)
Info: Thematic ideas: Hsieh Chiung-Chi (謝琼崎) / Key instructor: Wu Sheng-Chieh (吳聲杰).
Form of Performance: Golden Light (金光) stage.
Running Time: 60 min.
Suitable Venue: Indoor theatre.
Synopsis:
Chieh and Ching are two naughty and messy brothers. Their father always patiently and repeatedly reminds them to behave, but neither of them does. Only when the elder brother, Wu, gets angry will the two brothers be scared and obey. One day, the big brother went on a school trip and told the brothers to keep the house clean. Otherwise, the Spider Demon would definitely come after them. As soon as their brother stepped out of the door, the two brothers started playing and went out of control. Although they did not take Wu's words seriously, there was still a hint of doubt in their hearts...
In the afternoon, the big brother came back to find a mess in the house. Surprised by their brother's return, the two little ones also found that their father seemed to have disappeared! The three brothers looked around and found a giant spider web in Chieh's room. The elder one said that Father must have been caught in the web and wanted the two brothers to take responsibility for rescuing him.
Features of the Show:
Adapted from the classic fantasy novel Journey to the West (西遊記), the story is based on the premise that children need to learn to live in a tidy environment. It then takes us into the plot of the Cave of Silken Web. It inspires children's imagination and is of great educational value
