U-Theatre is a performance group in Taiwan that has made a name for itself through a dazzling combination of the theater arts and drumming. For more than 30 years audiences have been delighting in their live performances, until the pandemic stepped between them. Faced with an existential challenge, the group came up with a new way to reach audiences, trying their hand at virtual performance in a new short film. Formosa News reporter Stephany Yang takes us in for a preview.
This is U-Theatre''s first film. It was shot in the mountains of Jinguashi and presents the story of a mountaineer on a path of self-discovery.
Huang Huai-ching
Director
She plays the role of a city-dwelling mountaineer. On one of her mountain adventures she comes across a group of people performing a Sakizaya ritual. Mesmerized, she felt transported to another time and space, full of different gods. These gods then took her on a journey through different realms.
Huang Chih-chun
Artistic director
Shooting a performance piece was actually really hard. Being on film is so much different from being live. Also the filmmaker wanted to shoot a full scene in only one take, so we had to be on our game from start to finish, and if there was just a small mistake, we''d have to back and do it all over again.
Renowned filmmaker Chang Hao-jan and his team captured breathtaking views of mountain, as well as seascapes that help bring awareness to the importance of living with nature.
Chang Hao-jan
Filmmaker
How do you go about coexisting and living in harmony with the natural environment? The key aspect to the film is restoring the potentiality of humans in a natural setting. This is a ritual movie, a new genre, a kind of ritualized or ceremonialized viewing experience. By watching it we can take part in a ritualistic experience and feel how communities can go about peacefully coexisting with nature.
Chang Wang
Mask designer
I found a lot of objects in the foothills and on the beach, including driftwood, branches, and other bits of wood. I brought them back to the studio and pieced them together into the representation of a collective memory of our land.
The troupe has been hit hard by the pandemic. Since the start of the Level 3 COVID alert, every performance has had to be either canceled or postponed. But even the darkest clouds have silver linings and this troupe’s has been its dive into the realm of the virtual. Hopes are that the public will continue to support their work by showing up for both live and virtual performances.