假作真時真亦假
in reference to the subject, what is reality? the truth is that no matter how i dislike or try to ignore it, the fact is my path is set b/c i choose to set it this way. is it forced? is it real? what is real? (%*@)#*%)@$* (i feel that i'm getting annoying...) in any case, small diversions are always welcomed. following is what i compiled from my recent emails regarding Cloud Moon Theatre's performance of The Dream of the Red Chamber.
十二種顏色、十二種花卉、十二種面容、十二個美女……
http://www.cloudgate.org.tw/index_e.htm
*****************************************************************
1/5/05
Anyone interested? I got no response as of yet...
*****************************************************************
1/24/05
The rest of you can't go on 3/26!! PUAHAHAHAH (actually...no one offered but Bianca and Aileen...)
An enchanting performance from the man who brought you Moon Water at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House...where Em introduced me to the whole experience. Breathless performance. I have no knowledge of modern dance other than a children's comic book I've read once on Martha Graham (did you know of her famous demise in the 30's when her scarf got entangled in the spokes of a wheel?). But Moon Water was amazing, so I have very high expectations of this coming production!! YAY! YAY YAY!!!! Expect more info to follow. Attached is a picture I cut from the website.
*****************************************************************
3/31/05
Subject heading = courtesy of John (thanks!)
Highlights for this past week
1) Nooo, I didn't pass my Chinese securities exam so my life will inDEED turn into 9 circles of hell as it is firm policy that I must past, and which I shall eventually pass, indeed. Sigh*~
2) I saw James Dean's East of Eden this weekend on HBO and fell in love again with the awfully talented actor. Have I mentioned to you before how much I like him? Yay! Sorry guys but it's always the vulnerable bad (but not really bad) boy who wins the girls. However, if you remain steadfast at being good, someone will eventually see & appreciate that - but more on that later (see item 4).
3) I saw Cloud Gate Theatre's "Dreams of the Red Chamber" this Saturday with Aileen & Bianca at the National Theatre. It was absolutely phenomenal, with:
*CLASHING COLORS. If you compare palettes of western vs asian art, you'll see that there are some basic varieties. Of course this is a gross generalization and just an observation, but I noted that the red was rouge, blue was like ink, the pastels were like watercolors, and the empty space (when used) was poetic and very zen. Just observing the setting and the movements was an aesthetically pleasing experience in itself. As the mood of the dance turned for the worse, you see the spring pastels fade into black, red, and white. Very hellish combo, if you ask me ;p
*SYMBOLS. They were everywhere, for those of you w/ or w/o basic knowledge of the story. If you're an*l like myself, you'll probably takeaway something from the use of colors (yep! Red vs white), music (lots of pipa, a traditional chinese instrument, used with modern percussion), props (umbrella, petals, 12 silk robes, etc.), movements (stiff vs fluid). What can a male dancer do to portray himself as a storyteller? What can he do to mirror his twin? What can he do to portray passion, pain, injustice, desire, etc.? Hahahha, that was for you to discover (tricky, tricky~).
*A STORY FOR ALL SEASONS. The scope was actually very broad, w/ the time jumping back and forth. I thought they tried to tell a lot and perhaps use too MUCH symbolism in a story structure this complicated. I mean, the novel/story itself has become an institution - people devote their lives to studying this work (the "Red" Studies). Perhaps b/c it is bound so much in tradition, so that although the performance tried to ridicule the situation (ie, haha look at how restricted we are by our social relations, wealth, our lives are but a dream, etc.), it turned out more to be a glorified justification of what it was trying to satirize. But that is ok as well, b/c I'm a shallow person who enjoys pretty objects, so I think it's great. It's also nice to see an age-old story being told in a different manner, with emphasis on teenage angst more so than the original work.
*****************************************************************
3/31/05 4 PM
Btw, I just heard from a manager (I ran into him and his wife on Saturday) that the Cloud Dance Theatre decided to stop performing "Dreams of the Red Chamber" due to budget issues. Some lavish details I skipped in my first email.
1) Shower of petals in Act I. It was raining cats and dogs when they poured those petals onstage. Someone came up to sweep them off during intermission.
2) 12 silk robes with embroidered details of 12 kinds of flowers. I thought Daiyu, the main female character would be wearing bamboos, but I guess bamboo flowers are ugly. And yes the custom-made robes were pretty, so I'm sure they were also very expensive.
3) Costumes of main character's mum & dad. They wore traditional Chinese dress made out of nice materials. Got the whole headress thing correct down to the hair ornaments.
4) Stage designer Ming Cho Lee. Chinese guy with multiple credits on Brodaway and a Tony nominee. He must have been expensive too.
Hence this was the Final Run of the wonderful dance performance. The manager's last words, "I guess Taipei residents still have some taste in art."
Ditto.
十二種顏色、十二種花卉、十二種面容、十二個美女……
http://www.cloudgate.org.tw/index_e.htm
*****************************************************************
1/5/05
Anyone interested? I got no response as of yet...
*****************************************************************
1/24/05
The rest of you can't go on 3/26!! PUAHAHAHAH (actually...no one offered but Bianca and Aileen...)
An enchanting performance from the man who brought you Moon Water at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House...where Em introduced me to the whole experience. Breathless performance. I have no knowledge of modern dance other than a children's comic book I've read once on Martha Graham (did you know of her famous demise in the 30's when her scarf got entangled in the spokes of a wheel?). But Moon Water was amazing, so I have very high expectations of this coming production!! YAY! YAY YAY!!!! Expect more info to follow. Attached is a picture I cut from the website.
*****************************************************************
3/31/05
Subject heading = courtesy of John (thanks!)
Highlights for this past week
1) Nooo, I didn't pass my Chinese securities exam so my life will inDEED turn into 9 circles of hell as it is firm policy that I must past, and which I shall eventually pass, indeed. Sigh*~
2) I saw James Dean's East of Eden this weekend on HBO and fell in love again with the awfully talented actor. Have I mentioned to you before how much I like him? Yay! Sorry guys but it's always the vulnerable bad (but not really bad) boy who wins the girls. However, if you remain steadfast at being good, someone will eventually see & appreciate that - but more on that later (see item 4).
3) I saw Cloud Gate Theatre's "Dreams of the Red Chamber" this Saturday with Aileen & Bianca at the National Theatre. It was absolutely phenomenal, with:
*CLASHING COLORS. If you compare palettes of western vs asian art, you'll see that there are some basic varieties. Of course this is a gross generalization and just an observation, but I noted that the red was rouge, blue was like ink, the pastels were like watercolors, and the empty space (when used) was poetic and very zen. Just observing the setting and the movements was an aesthetically pleasing experience in itself. As the mood of the dance turned for the worse, you see the spring pastels fade into black, red, and white. Very hellish combo, if you ask me ;p
*SYMBOLS. They were everywhere, for those of you w/ or w/o basic knowledge of the story. If you're an*l like myself, you'll probably takeaway something from the use of colors (yep! Red vs white), music (lots of pipa, a traditional chinese instrument, used with modern percussion), props (umbrella, petals, 12 silk robes, etc.), movements (stiff vs fluid). What can a male dancer do to portray himself as a storyteller? What can he do to mirror his twin? What can he do to portray passion, pain, injustice, desire, etc.? Hahahha, that was for you to discover (tricky, tricky~).
*A STORY FOR ALL SEASONS. The scope was actually very broad, w/ the time jumping back and forth. I thought they tried to tell a lot and perhaps use too MUCH symbolism in a story structure this complicated. I mean, the novel/story itself has become an institution - people devote their lives to studying this work (the "Red" Studies). Perhaps b/c it is bound so much in tradition, so that although the performance tried to ridicule the situation (ie, haha look at how restricted we are by our social relations, wealth, our lives are but a dream, etc.), it turned out more to be a glorified justification of what it was trying to satirize. But that is ok as well, b/c I'm a shallow person who enjoys pretty objects, so I think it's great. It's also nice to see an age-old story being told in a different manner, with emphasis on teenage angst more so than the original work.
*****************************************************************
3/31/05 4 PM
Btw, I just heard from a manager (I ran into him and his wife on Saturday) that the Cloud Dance Theatre decided to stop performing "Dreams of the Red Chamber" due to budget issues. Some lavish details I skipped in my first email.
1) Shower of petals in Act I. It was raining cats and dogs when they poured those petals onstage. Someone came up to sweep them off during intermission.
2) 12 silk robes with embroidered details of 12 kinds of flowers. I thought Daiyu, the main female character would be wearing bamboos, but I guess bamboo flowers are ugly. And yes the custom-made robes were pretty, so I'm sure they were also very expensive.
3) Costumes of main character's mum & dad. They wore traditional Chinese dress made out of nice materials. Got the whole headress thing correct down to the hair ornaments.
4) Stage designer Ming Cho Lee. Chinese guy with multiple credits on Brodaway and a Tony nominee. He must have been expensive too.
Hence this was the Final Run of the wonderful dance performance. The manager's last words, "I guess Taipei residents still have some taste in art."
Ditto.