Wu Hsiao-hsien (吳效賢), founder of Guts Improv Theater (勇氣即興劇場), says improvisational actors have a saying that one in five performances flop.
But this is where the genre’s excitement lies.
Improvisers have to act, sing or play musical instruments impromptu, which can lead to surprising, hilarious and downright bizarre dialogues and scenes — but also awkward silences and jokes that miss the mark.
“The audience will be adventuring with the improvisers,” says Wu. “They will feel fearful if performers find themselves on the verge of a blunder.”
Established four years ago as Taiwan’s first Mandarin improvisational theater group, Guts Improv Theater presents three forms of unscripted drama for audiences at Taipei’s Comedy Club this weekend.
In Improv Games actors solicit suggestions from the audience for a story to use in five- to 10-minute dramas. In Unscripted Love Story actors stage an hour-long romantic narrative, double the length of the group’s previous long-form dramas, with members of the audience contributing story suggestions. And in Improv Jam those in the audience who are bold enough have the chance to try their luck on stage.
Though actors will be on hand to offer guidance during Improv Jam, short-form improv is no easy task.
“Having to give a sense of the segment’s ending in a 10-minute skit is challenging,” says Wu. “With a longer drama, you have more time to establish your characters and their relationships.”
For Unscripted Love Story musician Jane Lin (林伊真) will compose songs extemporaneously while performers Strawberry Kao (高琇慧), Chang I-hui (張亦暉), Renee Wang (王思為) and Lamen Wang (王志龍) join in with lyrics on the fly.
To make this kind of cooperation possible, improvisers have to spend a great deal of time rehearsing together as a team.
Wu likens improv theater to playing tennis. “You have no idea whatsoever of the playing style your opponent will have, but you still have to work on your returns, serves and other basic skills. It’s the same with improv. We don’t know what our story line will be beforehand, yet we can practice our techniques in improvisation and storytelling.”
April 14 to April 20 In March 1947, Sising Katadrepan urged the government to drop the “high mountain people” (高山族) designation for Indigenous Taiwanese and refer to them as “Taiwan people” (台灣族). He considered the term derogatory, arguing that it made them sound like animals. The Taiwan Provincial Government agreed to stop using the term, stating that Indigenous Taiwanese suffered all sorts of discrimination and oppression under the Japanese and were forced to live in the mountains as outsiders to society. Now, under the new regime, they would be seen as equals, thus they should be henceforth
Last week, the the National Immigration Agency (NIA) told the legislature that more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) risked having their citizenship revoked if they failed to provide proof that they had renounced their Chinese household registration within the next three months. Renunciation is required under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), as amended in 2004, though it was only a legal requirement after 2000. Prior to that, it had been only an administrative requirement since the Nationality Act (國籍法) was established in
With over 80 works on display, this is Louise Bourgeois’ first solo show in Taiwan. Visitors are invited to traverse her world of love and hate, vengeance and acceptance, trauma and reconciliation. Dominating the entrance, the nine-foot-tall Crouching Spider (2003) greets visitors. The creature looms behind the glass facade, symbolic protector and gatekeeper to the intimate journey ahead. Bourgeois, best known for her giant spider sculptures, is one of the most influential artist of the twentieth century. Blending vulnerability and defiance through themes of sexuality, trauma and identity, her work reshaped the landscape of contemporary art with fearless honesty. “People are influenced by
The remains of this Japanese-era trail designed to protect the camphor industry make for a scenic day-hike, a fascinating overnight hike or a challenging multi-day adventure Maolin District (茂林) in Kaohsiung is well known for beautiful roadside scenery, waterfalls, the annual butterfly migration and indigenous culture. A lesser known but worthwhile destination here lies along the very top of the valley: the Liugui Security Path (六龜警備道). This relic of the Japanese era once isolated the Maolin valley from the outside world but now serves to draw tourists in. The path originally ran for about 50km, but not all of this trail is still easily walkable. The nicest section for a simple day hike is the heavily trafficked southern section above Maolin and Wanshan (萬山) villages. Remains of
RSS