Reviews

《Ever Never》

It's quite a mature work, while maintaining the temperature of a newborn life. Soft, but powerful.  

— Shi Hang, playwright

Powerful pauses, unruffled transitions.

— The Jury of the Wuzhen Young Theatre Artists Competition

They really create the story in a quite delicate way with absolutely sincerity. Telling the depressing story gently rather than provocatively.

— Bai Shui, critic

Life will end but memory will exist forever.

— Li Xintian, Taiwan China Times

The group itself is as pure, warm, and sincere as its work.

— Arts Sohu

《Karma》

We have been looking forward to seeing this kind of drama on the stage of Wuzhen, simple and powerful, which can remind you of your own life and make you care about the fate of others. This appeal is far more valuable than any other evaluation system. This is the greatest compassion and aid that drama can provide to mankind. So, we will give heartfelt thanks to Karma. You win our respect for your sincerity in life, and your sincerity on the stage. You remind us that the quiet can be a kind of deafening.

— Wuzhen Theatre Festival

In the dim light, apart from the voice of the actor, there was only the sobbing sound in the audience. In the interactive part after the play, some people cried too hard to hold the microphone. Probably only Karma of all the plays can make the audience feel so moved.

— Yinchuan Theatre Festival

《Fade Away》

I felt very shocked at the beginning. The pace was fast and it was easy to dive into the scene. So audience will follow the changes in the play, and the actors’ emotions. I'm somewhat buffered against those feelings, though I've known about the subject of youth campus violence, but had never been close enough to taste, to think, to feel many of these subtle things. I think the stage director is really excellent in her skillful use of the umbrellas, and lighting and sound effects. And a couple of the little girls are very real, and I think it's not easy for a kid who has never acted before and who doesn’t have too much stage experience. They know when the rhythm should be strong or weak, when the mood should be what, so that the audience can also follow them. Aside from that the intentions and connotations of the play are turned up, level by level. At the end of the play, the red light and the scream made me quite anxious. I think the show will impress and satisfy audiences, and encourage them really to reflect.

― Elly Huang, The International Channel Shanghai

The directing is sophisticated and the actors perform truthfully, which made this half-hour performance especially painful for the audience. It is a cruel plot, so it is good to have the lighting and sound effects, and the necessary artistic modifications, to hold the audience's hearts close, and at the same time, not to be too explicit. Afterwards, I could not help thinking about those children who are victims of school violence: what light shines for them; where are their hopes?

― Good Play

After watching Fade Away, almost everyone fell into a state of shock and could not calm down for a long time. Most of the time, I didn't even dare look straight at what was happening on the stage, or look at the eyes of anyone onstage, or even listen. It feels like looking into your heart and scrutinizing the past, and it's hard for people to face themselves. The director chose such a theme, and the actors chose such roles, to tell the story with a sense of responsibility and mission. Like a light that shines on someone, even in the dark—it can light a soul longing to be lit for even a moment. Such a story needs to be told, to be heard, to be known, and to live, through the actors, these characters, derived from love and empathy.

Waves hit you on your legs/On your stomach/On your chest/On your neck/On your face/And then get into your mouth and your eyes/It's cold, painful and stinging/After the fall/Your whole body is soaked/from heat and humidity/Of everything I've seen so far/This is the best play.

― Trace Point Drama Society

《Ever Never》

About Ever Never

Could we go back to yesterday if we flew in the reverse direction of the Earth’s rotation?

This story is about two strangers’ encounter in an airplane, or a time-space machine. They see themselves reflected in each other, and simultaneously play the important roles of mother and son in each other’s lives.

Now, in 2018, we bring Ever Never back to Wuzhen. It’s the beginning of a practice in the song of life for us. Our experiences are always the exercises for the next task in our life. The past will never come again. Therefore, to keeping on practicing is the only way we can move forward. We have to learn to face the nature of life.

About Hung Chien-Han

Hung Chien-Han, theatre director, artist, the co-leader of Co-Coism. 

She graduated from MA ATP of Royal Central School Speech and Drama in London and BA Theatre directing from TNUA (Taiwan).

Important Works:

Concrete Jungle, won the Best Director in 2017 Kanagawa Kamome short play festival.

Shi Shi Mien Liao Mi, programme of Myan Myan Stdio was nominated in the finalist of 2017 TaiShin Arts Awards.

Zuò Zuò Tea House, was selected to participate in Scenosfest in WSD 2017 in Taipei.

Still Air won The Best Play of 2016 Taipei Fringe Festival and was nominated for TaiShin Arts Award.

Ever Never was invited to perform in Kuandu Arts Festival, and was nominated in the finalist award of 2016 TaiShin Arts Festival. Ever Never won The Best Play of the Young Theatre Artists Competition in 2015 Wuzhen Theatre Festival.

Credits

Director: Hung Chien-Han

Playwright: Feng Qi-Chun

Cast: Chang Yao-Jen, Cheng Li-Ying,

Lighting Designer: Wang Fang-Ning

Production Manager: Cheng Han-Wen

About Co-Coism

Founded at the beginning of 2016, Co-Coism is based in Taipei, Taiwan, with core members Hung Chien-Han, Zhang Ganghua, Huang Dingyun who have been actively creating works in the performing arts field. Co-coism seeks creative possibilities as a whole team, which is different from the mainstream way of separating a work by profession, technique, and function. Created and produced in co-coism’s signature group style, its recent works include Walking to the Moon, You Can Sleep Here, Waiting for Godot, Between Meals, An Unidentified Dialogue, and more: You Can Sleep Here, on the program of 17th Macao City Fringe Festival (2018); Bit the Tongue, directed by Ding-Yun Huang, was invited to the Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama, Japan (2018);  Chien-han Hung was invited to direct Die Massnahme, by Bertolt Brecht, for the Toga Festival (2018); Still Air, on the program of the 2018 Bankok International Performing Arts Meeting; Zuò Zuò Tea House, and Teapot Storm, on the program at the 16th Macao City Fringe Festival (2017); Zuò Zuò Tea House was selected to participate in Scenofest in WSD 2017 in Taipei. Concrete Jungle won Best Director in the Kanagawa Kamome Short Play Festival (2017); Taiwan Season: Ever Never, Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2017).

《Karma》

About Karma

The story takes place at the holy lake on a plateau, 4800 meters above sea level.The first part tells the story of Karma, who knelt the whole way on her pilgrimage and brought back a Buddhist blood relic for her mother. Before the living Buddha left home to practice, Karma’s mother was his wife. Even having practiced around the lake for half her lifetime, it was still hard for her to let her mortal feelings go. After seeing the Buddhist relic, too, she still firmly believed the prophecy she had requested of a guru, saying that the reincarnation of the living Buddha would be at her home within 49 days. So she put all her hopes on Karma, who had not married yet. The second part is about Karma and her unborn baby. The baby who would be born after 49 days was just the reincarnation of a kelsang flower, so that Karma lost all sense of attachment to her father. Karma and her mother longed eagerly for the new life coming, but the baby was born dead. In the third part, Karma and her Mama go on a pilgrimage. The Mama was determined to go to the lake of god to see the reincarnation of the living Buddha. Karma claimed she was going to leave behind the shadow of her child’s death, and to sanyana for a lifetime. But who would be the one who finally saves herself from her dilemma? Karma and her mother really came to understand each other at the end of the day, eventually on their way to Lalatzo Lake. When they actually arrived, the holy lake was still frozen. What did they see?

About Soinam Dekyi

Soinam Dekyi, actress, director, working in Tibet Autonomous Region. Graduated from Shanghai Theatre Academy in the acting department, engaged in advanced studies in the directing department. Has gotten national awards for acting the leading role in Zhaxigang, Liberation, and Happiness, a one-act play. Productions directed — Dream, Child’s Inner Voices, Fish, and Shuangjie Qiyuan — have appeared in a Tibetan New Year’s Eve party on Tibetan television. Recitation created and performed, The Power of Workers appeared at the Tibet “bank evening” party. The scenic play, Road of No return, appeared at the 2017 “prohibition party” in Lhasa. Played a leading role in Irregular Disappearance at the New Person-New Work Competition. Was awarded the Most Outstanding Artist in the Young Theater Artists Competition at the 2016 Wuzhen Theatre Festival.

Credits

Written by: Feng Junjiao

Directed by: Soinam Dekyi

Cast: Soinam Dekyi, Feng Junjiao

Costume Designer: De Yang

Sound: Guo Yang

About The Theatre

Karma, created by Suolang Deji and Feng Junjiao, won the Best Play in the Young Theatre Artists Competition at the 4th Wuzhen Theatre Festival. Both of the creators received recognition from the committee for their outstanding performances, and both held Individual Performance Awards.

Comments from the Committee: “A drama that built a spiritual space, fluent but deep. In an age of cuteness and enjoyment, they bring drama back to purest humanity. They are working so hard to make unaffected and innocent plays. Karma maintains the sincerest attitude on its pilgrimage to the stage.”

《Fade Away》

About Fade Away

Youth is supposed to be the most wonderful time of life, but young girls are sensitive, fragile, and cannot share their emotional pain with anyone. They may wish they could ask for help from adults, but adults still typically regard them as nothing but ignorant children, and have certain rigid expectations for girls. There is a vast grey area in their hearts, which is cold and cruel, and which nobody knows about. These young women struggle in desperation, bite at each other, and yearn for just a little warmth. And yet, their elders are indifferent, or remain unmoved. These “flowers” gradually turn pale and learn to be silent. However, the silence is about to give birth to huge noise… Did the onlookers who saw them "bite" feel the deep scratch of the thorn? Echo of the girls’ screams hover in the dark. Who is the Samaritan who will save the falling girl?

About Yang Zhefen 

Yang Zhefen, young actor/Director/performance teacher

Graduated from the Performing Arts Department of The Central Academy of Drama; Performing Arts teacher at Wuhan College of Media and Communications.

Acting work: Youth Taboo Game; Heaven to the Left, Right to the Right; Crows; and so on.

Directing work: The Story of Sola , The Chaos , The Flying Windfall, Tomorrow, The Ring Object; The Tree, the Man, the Rabbit; Fade Away, and more.

The show Fade Away,  written and directed by herself, won The Best Play of the Young Theatre Artists Competition in 2017 Wuzhen Theatre Festival.

Credits

Producer: Yang Zhefen

Playwright: Yang Zhefen

Director: Yang Zhefen

Cast: Huang Xiatong, Zhou Zhou, Zhong Shiyu, Wang Xi

Light Designer: Yuan Xi

Media Designer: Gong Rui, Zhou Fei

Poster Designer: Lu Xiaoyu, Tong Yao

Stage Manager: Dong xinyi

Soundtrack: Yang Yu

About Zart Studio

Zart Studio was founded by young actor/Director/acting teacher: Yang Zhefen. She is devoted to the creation of drama, film and television, stage performance, the exploration and research of performance teaching, and the training and development of the talented in drama, film and television. She has made many excellent stage art works, and won many prizes in various domestic competitions. Tomorrow was invited to participate in the Outdoor Carnival of 2016 Wuzhen Theatre Festival. The work Death Record, The Tree, the Man, the Rabbit was invited to participate in the 2017 Wuzhen Theatre Festival carnival. In the same year, the work Fade Away won the Best Play at Wuzhen Theatre Festival Young Theatre Artists Competition. Later it traveled to perform at to the Yinchuan Fringe Festival and the New Youth Drama Festival in Wuhan 403 International Art Center, as well as participating in film productions.