Ng Chong-leong (吳忠良), artist director of Sun Son Theatre (身聲劇場), passed away on Aug. 9 at the age of 48. Ng had dedicated his life to exploring the power and beauty of body and sound, and he was one of the important promoters of contemporary performing arts in Taiwan. Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te expressed his sincere condolences upon hearing the news.
Ng graduated from Malaysia Institute of Arts-Drama department and had deep, continuing interest in the language and vocabulary of ancient rituals and art, a language transcending culture and rooted in the common human experience.
Afterwards, he and his theatre friends founded Sun Son Theatre in 1998, which was originally named Sun Son Performing Society (身聲演繹社).
In 2005, "Aurora(光．音)" directed by Ng, was shortlisted for the top ten performance art works of Taishin Arts Award. In 2007, he received the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Award allowing him to travel to New York for further study.
Moreover, he served as producer of "Mulian Rescues Mother Earth (目連拯救母親大地)" at Taipei Arts Festival in 2014, as director at New Taipei City Tamsui Environmental Arts Festival between 2008 to 2020 and chief director of large-scale environmental theater "The Legend of Sino-French War in Tamsui (西仔反傳說)" in 2011 and 2016.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te stated that Ng infused multicultural elements into Taiwan performing arts by conveying the purest performance energy with free and open body and sound performances. His enthusiasm and persistence towards performing arts will become the model in the theater industry.