‘The Drought Goddess．Dream of the World’
The TaiwanEYE Online Showcase project, initiated by the Ministry of Culture and the J.F. Koo Foundation, aims to showcase 10 Taiwanese performance productions through the web for global audiences to enjoy.
As one of the 10 Taiwanese performing troupes,
La Cie MaxMind (拾念劇集) is representing Taiwan's traditional arts with "The Drought Goddess．Dream of the World (大神魃．世界之夢)," a performance weaving together ancient mythology, Nanguan (南管) music, tap dance, poetry, masks, and puppetry.
"The Drought Goddess．Dream of the World" is the third part of a revolutionary mythological trilogy by playwright-director Lee Yi-hsiu (李易修). The first two parts were 2008's "The Drought Goddess (大神魃)" and 2018's "Isle of Dreams (蓬萊)." The concluding production continues to use Lee's mythic language, creating a similar atmosphere, but with a more joyful and fast-paced tone.
The production revolves around three characters trying to awaken the Drought Goddess. The performance begins in a black-and-white dream realm, reminiscent of a Chinese ink painting, where the Drought Goddess is sound asleep. The three figures metamorphose into various visions, gods, and spirits of old memories in an attempt to wake her. However, the memories also remind the goddess of bitter lies and betrayals in the past.
The score is a sophisticated combination of Nanguan and Beiguan music, accompanied by rhythmic tap dancing and the singing of poetry. In addition to the intricate masks the performers wear, and the puppets they skillfully manipulate, the viewers are shown a display of enchanting contemporary dance. Audiences are certain to be drawn in the heartfelt story of the her awakening and swept away by the music composition.
The creative team for the production includes composer Hsu Shu-hui (許淑慧), mask designer Sun Li-tong (孫立彤), costume designer Yang Yu-teh (楊妤德) and set designer Hsieh Chun-an (謝均安).