The grand Taiwanese opera show “1624” presented by the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCFTA) is scheduled to take place at ICC Tainan (大臺南會展中心) on Feb 24 and 25.
In the press conference held on Feb. 1, Culture Minister Shih Che said the show “1624,” neither a celebration nor a commemoration, serves as a retrospection and reflection on the progress of Taiwan. He highlighted that by staging one of the most popular art forms and casting top performers in the country, the show aims to explore Taiwan’s history and issues of colonialism.
The NCFTA mentioned that, in the 17th century, Taiwan encountered prosperous maritime trade and fierce commercial battles, where all forces were struggling to survive. “1624” interprets the strategic role played by the island 400 years ago, recreating the turbulent era through the perspectives of the indigenous Siraya people, Han Chinese, Dutch, and Japanese.
The show casts prominent Taiwanese opera performers, including Sun Tsui-feng (孫翠鳳) and Tang Mei-yun (唐美雲), and the crew includes renowned director Lee Hsiao-pin (李小平) and playwright Shih Ju-fang (施如芳).
Besides performing live in Tainan on Feb 24 and 25, “1624” will also be broadcast simultaneously on the PTS Taigi TV Station (公視台語台) and social media platforms.