★ A twist to a classic x contemporary issues
★ Traditional skills x innovative interpretation
★ Parent-child interaction x edutainment
In the forest, leaves rustle in the wind. Wu Song runs into a fierce tiger, but just as he raises his fists for fighting, he senses something wrong…
Wu Song Doesn't Fight the Tiger? begins with “Wu Song Fights the Tiger,” a chapter of a Chinese classic novel that everyone is familiar with, however, there is a twist right from the start. The tiger doesn’t look like the villain in the legend at all; instead, it looks a bit aggrieved and even needs help? Through a series of misunderstandings and amid chase and laughter, Wu Song slowly discovers that the real danger in the forest isn’t the tiger but the poachers and the illegal loggers who are destroying the forests and mountains. Therefore, “fighting the tiger” in the original story turns into “protecting the tiger,” and the opponents who were to fight each other become comrades!
This time, Wu Song doesn’t fight but makes choices. Moreover, he stops and looks around, listening to what the forest tells him. The brilliant Taiwanese glove puppetry techniques, including flipping, jumping through windows, and lunging as well as the fast-paced martial arts action fill the forest with bursting vitality. While the tiger and Wu Song shift between attacking and defending, they lead the audience of all ages to redefine the “true spirit of warriors” – will you become a hero only when you defeat your opponent?
With a sense of humor and adventure, Wu Song Doesn’t Fight the Tiger? re-interpretates a story everyone is familiar with. When we lower our fists and open our ears, the sounds in the forest may lead us to an unexpected ending!
Jin Kwei Lo Puppetry Company
Jin Kwei Lo Puppetry Company is a Taiwanese glove puppetry troupe run by three generations of a family. Its founder, Kang Sù-Bí, is the first generation of female puppeteers in Taiwan and she is recognized as a “national treasure” by the Ministry of Culture. With “happy puppeteers and happy audiences” as their original aspiration, they have been passing down the Taiwanese glove puppetry skills for over six decades. In recent years, the third-generation members have continued developing cross-disciplinary and cross-media productions. The company has been invited to many international arts festivals, demonstrating the new vitality of the traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry on the contemporary stage. Furthermore, they won two Best Theatrical Performance Awards at the Golden Melody Awards for Traditional Arts and Music in Taiwan for The Soup of Reincarnation and Harmony in a Meal.
Artistic Director｜Chiang Szu-Mei
Drama Consultant｜Ko Chia-Tsai
Producer｜Ko Shih-Hua
Performer｜Ko Shih-Hung
Organizer｜Taipei City Government、Taipei Performing Arts Center
