Theater
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Taipei Children’s Art Festival (台北兒童藝術節) is offering a wide range of activities including plays and outdoor performances by international troupes, a children’s film festival and workshops by Australia’s Snuff Puppets. One of the highlights is Petit Piere, a theatrical collaboration between the festival and Canada’s Le Carrousel, Compagnie de Theatre. Other participating theater companies include Das Meininger Theater from Germany, Austria’s Dschungel Wien and Taiwan’s Ifkids Theatre. For more information, go to www.taipeicaf.org
▲Venues include Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北中山堂), Family Theatre at Taipei City Hall (台北市政府親子劇場), Da-an Forest Park (大安森林公園) and Puppetry Art Center of Taipei (台北偶戲館)
▲The 26-day festival runs through Aug. 2
▲Tickets are NT$150 and NT$200 for theatrical performances, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
English-language theater company Tellus Theatre presents Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, a play about the decay of the privileged class in the Russian Empire as seen through the lives of the Prozorov family.
▲Cafe Mezone (米倉咖啡), 83 Longquan St, Taipei City (台北市龍泉街83號)
▲Tomorrow and Sunday at 3pm and 7pm
▲Tickets are NT$350, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
A tribute to the late writer Yeh Shih-tao (葉石濤), who died of cancer last December, Kaohsiung-based Spring Wind Art Theatre’s (南風劇場) Mr Chien (簡先生) follows a White Terror victim who returns to his hometown years after the era of authoritarian rule has passed.
▲Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心), 265, Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minsyong Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號)
▲Tonight at 7:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
In Hercules (大力士), by children’s theater company Apple Theatre (蘋果劇團), young Hercules, together with his best pal Cupid, overcome different trials in order to return to the kingdom of Zeus after taking part in a failed revolt by Medusa.
▲Taichung County Seaport Art Center (台中縣立港區藝術中心), 21, Chungchen Rd, Chingshui Township, Taichung County (台中縣清水鎮忠貞路20號)
▲Tomorrow at 2:30pm
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$600, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
Classical
Nuance Chamber Ensemble 2009 Concert (微分音室內樂集2009) presents a program that includes Faure’s Pavane Op. 50 for Violin and Cello, Beethoven’s Piano Trio Op. 70 No. 1 “Ghost Trio” in D Major and Brahms’ Piano Quartet Op. 25 in G Minor.
▲Thursday at 7:30pm
▲Hsinchu Municipal Performance Hall (新竹市立演藝廳), 17, Tungta Rd Sec 2, Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路二段17號)
▲Tickets are NT$100, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw
The Blossom of Love — Alexander Paley & Pei-wen Chen Piano Duet (指間嬉遊—亞歷山大•帕雷與陳佩雯雙鋼琴演奏會) sees these two accomplished musicians perform a program that includes works by Weber, Chopin and Rachmaninoff.
▲Today at 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Steven Leek and the Australian Voices (史蒂芬．里克&澳洲之聲合唱團), part of the 2009 Taiwan Youth Choir Concert Tour (2009台灣青年合唱團巡迴音樂會) organized by the Formosa Singers (福爾摩沙合唱團), presents a program that includes Leek’s My Country, Wirindji and Red Earth, and Matthew Orlovich’s Tides of Ocean.
▲Sunday at 7:30pm
▲National Concert Hall, Taipei City
▲Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Lost in Wonderland (兒童樂園—彈指之間室內樂團樂活一夏) is a series of chamber concerts for children. This week, the concert features Wang Kuan-ting (王冠婷) on piano, Chu Yu-yu (朱育佑), Liu Ying-wen (劉穎文) on viola and Kuo Yi-ling (郭怡伶) on cello. The program includes Ravel’s Pavane Pour une Infante Defunte for String Trio, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major for Violin and Viola, first movement, Piazzolla’s Four Seasons Piano Trio and Handel-Halvorsen’s Sarabade Con Variazioni for Violin
and Viola.
▲Sunday at 2:30pm
▲Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Henry Mazer Music and Culture Hall (台北愛樂暨梅哲音樂文化館), B1, 7, Jinan Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市濟南路一段7號B1)
▲Tickets are NT$250, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Contemporary
The Free Tibet awareness campaign organized by Guts United Taiwan culminates in a concert tomorrow in Taipei’s Xinyi District. The 50th Spring: Tibet Freedom Concert (第50個春天—西藏自由音樂會) starts at 1:30pm and features performances by nine acts, including Panai (巴奈), Dog G (大支), Chthonic (閃靈) and LTK Commune (濁水溪公社), as well as a message from the Dalai Lama to the people of Taiwan. For more information, including directions (in Chinese), go to www.freetibet.tw, or see the story on Page 16 of tomorrow’s Taipei Times.
▲Parking lot, A8 Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Department Store (信義新光三越A8旁廣場停車場), 12 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路12號)
▲Tomorrow from 1:30pm to 9:40pm
▲Free
Pop singer Fan Fan (范瑋琪) appears tonight at The Wall (這牆) to launch her new album F One. Tomorrow indie band Echo (回聲樂團) brings its stylish electro-rock to the stage. Sunday gets heavy with metal bands Hekate, Sideffect, Vulcan and Nemesis. The venue hosts nu-metal groups Kiri and Friends (霧與他友), Punch Lime (萊姆力道) and Chant the Dirge
on Wednesday.
▲B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Call (02) 2930-0162 or visit www.thewall.com.tw for more information
▲All shows start at 8pm
▲Entrance for tonight’s show requires “Pass Card” tickets only available with advance purchase of Fan Fan’s new CD. Entrance fee is NT$500 tomorrow. Sunday’s show is NT$300 in advance, NT$350 at the door, tickets available at White Wabbit Records, located at the venue. Wednesday’s show is NT$300
Bangourake, a master percussionist from Guinea, appears tonight at Witch House (女巫店) at the invitation of the Chungli-based African Culture and Art Association. Aboriginal folk singer Panai (巴奈) takes to the stage tomorrow. Pop rockers Soundboss and indie folk outfit Daxiaojie (大小姐樂團) split the bill on Thursday.
▲7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號). For more information, call (02) 2362-5494 or visit www.witchhouse.org
▲Performances start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays; 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
▲Admission for music shows is NT$300
Tonight the Riverside Cafe (河岸留言) hosts jazz drummer Steven Chang and friends. Female Mando-pop vocalist Shadya (藍又時) appears tomorrow. On Sunday, two jazz groups take to the stage, Cool A and Amanda’s Jazz Trio. On Monday, the venue hosts its weekly open jam.
▲B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓). Call (02) 2368-7310 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
▲Shows start at 9:30pm tonight, 9pm tomorrow and Sunday. Open jam starts at 9pm
▲Entrance is NT$400 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$350 Sunday and NT$150 on Monday
Hong Kong pop star and actor Andy Hui (許志安) appears tonight at Riverside Live House (西門紅樓展演館). Tomorrow is “Circus Night” with three indie bands: Rock Bang (洛客班), Relax One (輕鬆玩) and Wizard of Oz (綠野仙蹤). On Sunday, the Riverside’s Summer Rock Camp holds performances from its participants. Shi Ying-ying (史茵茵), who appears in musicals and has a new debut album titled Someone is Praying For You, takes to the stage on Thursday.
▲177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號). Call (02) 2370-8805 or visit www.riverside.com.tw for more information
▲All shows start at 8:30pm
▲Entrance is NT$600 tonight, NT$450 tomorrow, NT$200 on Sunday and NT$450 on Thursday. Admission includes one drink, except for Sunday’s show
Every Wednesday night at the Cosmopolitan Grill, there’s an open mic hosted by Jake Stanley of the acoustic duo Stoked Pokey. All are welcome to join in, and participants receive 20 percent off drinks.
▲1F, 218 Changchun Rd, Taipei City (台北市長春路218號1樓). Call (02) 2508-0304 or visit www.cosmo.com.tw for more information.
▲8:30pm to 11pm every Wednesday
▲No entrance fee
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights this week include male crooners Huang Chung-yuan (黃中原) tonight and Hsing Lung (辛隆) tomorrow. Pub legend and songstress Tiger Huang (黃小琥) performs every Monday. Julia Peng (彭佳慧), another major draw, appears every Tuesday.
▲Music shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
▲Entrance (including two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Tonight at Underworld (地下社會) one-man electro-rock band Sonic Deadhorse appears with Jiu Zhixu (舊秩序). Tomorrow’s show features Ilan rockers The Deadly Vibes, who are celebrating the release of their new 7-inch record [see story above], and The Blue Trucks. On Wednesday, it’s up-and-coming bands Gayyung (假勇) and Mafianjo (瑪菲安喬).
▲B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1). Call (02) 2369-0103 or visit www.upsaid.com/underworld for more information
▲Music shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
▲Entrance is NT$300 tonight and tomorrow and includes one drink, NT$100 on Wednesday
Jazz Your Mind plays acid jazz and cool jazz tonight at Sappho de Base. Tomorrow it’s blues, funk and surf rock with Blues Vibrations. The venue opens on Monday especially for a jam session with French drummer Anne Paceo and Triphase [see Highlight]. On Tuesday, Ginger Men take to the stage to play fusion jazz. Terry’s Jazz Quartet appears on Wednesday, and on Thursday it’s acoustic guitarist Huang Lan-bai (黃藍白), with singers Vana and Tonya.
▲B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1). Call (02) 2700-5411 (after 9pm) or visit www.sappho102.biz for more information
▲Performances begin at 10:30pm on weekends, 10pm on weekdays. Sappho is closed on Sundays and Mondays
▲No entrance fee
Franz and Friends (城市舞台藝文沙龍), an upscale restaurant and performance space in Taipei’s East District, hosts music shows every night. Weekly highlights include Denise Juan (阮丹青), a former pop singer turned piano teacher, television presenter and traveler, and her band Sunshine Costa. They play tonight. Tomorrow it’s Buona Sera, a group featuring soprano Chang Hsiao-ni (張曉倪).
▲25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號B1). Call (02) 2579-0558 for reservations, or visit www.franzandfriends.com.tw for more information
▲Minimum charge of NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, on other nights there’s a one-drink minimum
Exhibitions
Thoughts of Culture and the Speech of Objects: Contemporary Ceramics in Mainland China (文思物語—大陸當代陶藝展) at Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館) celebrates 30 years of contemporary ceramics in China. The exhibit displays works from the past three decades under two themes: an exploration of traditional culture through ceramics; and an investigation of artistic possibilities inherent in ceramics as a medium. Also on display is Surveying and Testing the Foundations: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture in Taiwan (測量探底—臺灣當代土象). Using the groundbreaking 1981 Exhibition of Works by Contemporary Chinese and Japanese Ceramists as its starting point, the exhibit surveys the explosive growth of ceramics as an artistic medium in Taiwan.
▲Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館), 200 Wenhua Rd, Yinge Township, Taipei County (北縣鶯歌鎮文化路200號). Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 8677-2727. On the Net: www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw
▲Both exhibits run until Oct. 11
Sickles, shields, swords, daggers and axes are some of the 500 unique iron weapons displayed in Fatal Beauty: Traditional Weapons From Africa. Employing photographs, maps, illustrations and film footage, the exhibit provides an in-depth survey of the role iron weapons played in the traditional cultures of Central Africa.
▲National Museum of History (國立歷史博物館), 49 Nanhai Rd, Taipei City (台北市南海路49號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Tel: (02) 2361-0270
▲Until Sept. 27
“Looking up, looking down, nothing of beauty remains in this world,” is a quote by musician Landy Chang (張培仁) to describe Taiwan’s creative industry. Though somewhat pessimistic, the idea underlies Looking Up! Looking Down! (抬頭一看，生活裡沒有任何美好的事), an exhibit that presents 11 young Taiwanese artists working in a variety of media to explore the theme of beauty in contemporary society.
▲Eslite Xinyi Bookstore (誠品信義店), 5F, 11 Songgao Rd, Taipei City (台北市松高路11號5樓). Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm. Tel: (02) 8789-3388 X1588
▲Until Aug. 2
The Institute of Beasts is the brainchild of Steve Dutton and Steve Swindells, two academics who developed this exhibit during a three-month residency in Seoul. “Members” of the institute — including dogs, hamsters, deer and lovebirds — are introduced using drawings, photographs, installations, animation and video as a means of producing and investigating impulses, compulsions and diversions.
▲Taipei National University of the Arts, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts (台北藝術大學關渡美術館), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Beitou Dist, Taipei City (台北市北投區學園路1號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. Tel: (02) 2893-8871
▲Until Aug. 2
World Mystery (世界之謎) is a series of paintings by Wang Tin-yu (王挺宇) that depict ordinary people in ordinary situations as a means of directing the viewer’s attention away from the glorified images depicted by the popular entertainment media.
▲Project Fulfill Art Space (就在藝術中心), 2, Alley 45, Ln 147, Xinyi Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市信義路三段147巷45弄2號). Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 2pm to 9pm, closes at 7pm on Sundays. Tel: (02) 2325-0023
▲Until Sept. 1
Dec. 16 to Dec. 22 Growing up in the 1930s, Huang Lin Yu-feng (黃林玉鳳) often used the “fragrance machine” at Ximen Market (西門市場) so that she could go shopping while smelling nice. The contraption, about the size of a photo booth, sprayed perfume for a coin or two and was one of the trendy bazaar’s cutting-edge features. Known today as the Red House (西門紅樓), the market also boasted the coldest fridges, and offered delivery service late into the night during peak summer hours. The most fashionable goods from Japan, Europe and the US were found here, and it buzzed with activity
During the Japanese colonial era, remote mountain villages were almost exclusively populated by indigenous residents. Deep in the mountains of Chiayi County, however, was a settlement of Hakka families who braved the harsh living conditions and relative isolation to eke out a living processing camphor. As the industry declined, the village’s homes and offices were abandoned one by one, leaving us with a glimpse of a lifestyle that no longer exists. Even today, it takes between four and six hours to walk in to Baisyue Village (白雪村), and the village is so far up in the Chiayi mountains that it’s actually
These days, CJ Chen (陳崇仁) can be found driving a taxi in and around Hualien. As a way to earn a living, it’s not his first choice. He’d rather be taking tourists to the region’s attractions, but after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the region on April 3, demand for driver-guides collapsed. In the eight months since the quake, the number of overseas tourists visiting Hualien has declined by “at least 90 percent, because most of them come for Taroko Gorge, not for the east coast or the East Longitudinal Valley,” he says. Chen estimates the drop in domestic sightseers after the
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, speaking at the Reagan Defense Forum last week, said the US is confident it can defeat the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Pacific, though its advantage is shrinking. Paparo warned that the PRC might launch a “war of necessity” even if it thinks it could not win, a wise observation. As I write, the PRC is carrying out naval and air exercises off its coast that are aimed at Taiwan and other nations threatened by PRC expansionism. A local defense official said that China’s military activity on Monday formed two “walls” east
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