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Taiwan Fun Magazine, June 2003

By Selena Huang
Translated by Yvonne Chen (³¯¨|ªÚ)

The Human Condition-Green Light Theatre Date: June 12-15, 7:30 pm; June 14-15, 2:30 pm Location: National Theater Prices: NT$350 550 800 1000 1200 1500, ERA Ticketing Tel: (02) 2343-1587, (02) 2343-1647

       Just as a seemingly normal, typical Taiwanese family--a daydreaming father, a mother who does no household chores, an annoying teenage daughter, and a super-sexy hired betel nut clerk--get settled into their usual daily routines, the dead grandmother "returns" to their world. The grandmother takes over her granddaughter's body, raking havoc at home, school, and even with the neighbors, all in the hope of realizing a secret and unfulfilled love affair. Depicting the crazy youthful period of life, Green Light Theater's "bust-a-gut, sobbingly funny" new comedy, The Human Condition, will fill that empty corner in your heart with contentment.

Chinese Peking Opera Theater Performs in Taiwan Date: June 24-30, 7:30 pm; June 28-29, 2:30 pm Location: National Theater Prices: NT$300 600 900 1200 1500 2000, ERA Ticketing Tele: (02) 2343-1587, (02) 2343-1647

       The Chinese Peking Opera Theater is the best troupe in China, and the only national class group placed under the PRC's Department of Culture. Formed in 1955, its first director was renowned master Mei Lang-fang. The exceptional cast features many distinguished actors at the forefront of their craft. Fans shouldn't miss any of the nine performances: June 24-"The Wild Boar Woods," June 25-"Mu-lien Saves Mother" and "To Hit With A Gold Bar," June 26-"Mu Gui-yin Becomes A General," June 27- "The Lady Mei," June 28 (afternoon)-"The Bracelet," June 28 (night)-"Farewell, My Concubine," June 29 (afternoon)-"The Lucky Purse," June 29 (night)-"Adventures in Bamboo Woods," "Fishing Tax," "The Great Goodbye," and "Second House Gives Up Son," and June 30-"Se-Lang Visits Mother."

Salir-Commemorating Ten Years of "Ku and Dancers"   Date: June 12-15, 7:45 pm Location: Hua Shan Culture District Plum Winery Price: NT$350, Acer Ticketing Telephone: (02) 2784-1011

       The dance, Salir, commemorates the tenth year anniversary of "Ku and Dancers." It combines different elements to explore the abstractness of dance, and to move the audience consciously and unconsciously. Through dance, music, language, and changes in light, the loneliness and fears of life are revealed, forcing people to see the naked truth about life. The force of theater elements is used to pile on the heaviness and absurdity of life. Choreographer Ku Ming-shen hopes to use the charm surrounding unconventional theater along with the illustrative, abstract, and strong language of dance to illustrate story after story, substituting for one illusionary space after another.

"Virtual Past, Replicated Future"--Feng Meng-bo Exhibition Date: Until July 27 Location: Museum of Contemporary Art-1st floor exhibition hall Price: NT$50 Tel: (02) 2552-3721

      Computer games are a unique category in modern art. Set designs, sound effects, game rules, and plots are all elements that shape the "game culture" that has evolved from Nintendo, Play Station, to online games. Among contemporary Chinese artists, Feng Meng-po, a promising 37-year-old, articulates his artistic expressions primarily through computer games. The artist, versed in computer programming, has written the operating system, sound and light effects, program rules, story plots, settings, and characters. He has focused on the development of the imagination and amusement to accurately capture the fast and fanciful electrical world, the speed of freedom, and the capricious nature of spatial design.

Women Chronicle-Images and Talents of Women Date: Until June 25 Location: National Palace Museum, Rooms 206, 208, 241, and 210

      The goal of this exhibition, aside from showing the inherent artistic value of the artwork on display, is to accentuate, via the following three themes, the splendor of ancient Chinese women:
1. Beauty--Artworks such as "Palace Merriment" from the Tang period and "Lady Grooming" from the Sung period reflect the typical beauty of the different periods.
2. Occupations--The lives of ancient women are captured in Lee Sung's "Market Scene," "Paupers" from the Ming period, and even in Ching imperial court artists' "Silk Worm" and "Cotton."
3. Talent--The exhibition features distinguished female calligraphers: Wu Tsai-luan, Yang Mei-tsu; and female artists: Kuan Tao-shen, Tsao Miao-ching, Ma Shou-chen, Chao Wen-ti.

Ninth Annual Crown Festival Date: May 30-June 22 Location: Crown Theater (B1, 50, Lane 120, DunHua N. Rd.) Tele: (02) 2514-8486#101

       This year, the Crown Festival will present three programs at the Crown Theater, including two poetry-inspired stage dramas and a dance expressed through the body languages of blind dancers.
Stage Witch, Wei Yin-chuan, leads the ¡§Shakespearian Sisters¡¨ to explore the legends of Emily Dickinson, in an attempt to converse with the reclusive, never-married, poetess. "To Borges" is a tribute to Borges from "Southern Wind Theater," a group from the south; they will lead the audience into a magical world through a staged circular maze. In "Striking Dance," visually impaired dancers from the "Illumination Dance Group" will boldly transform their canes into wands, and combine sounds from objects with tap dance to let audiences enjoy various aspects of dance. --By Ken Lin.