Taiwanese theater group Shakespeare's Wild Sisters Group (莎士比亞的妹妹們的劇團) has been invited to perform "Dear Life (親愛的人生)" on April 29 and 30 at the Festival Internationale Neue Dramatik (FIND) in Germany, and it will be staged as the Festival's finale performance. This marks the first time in 13 years that a contemporary Taiwanese play has been invited to the festival.
With the support from the Ministry of Culture, Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Germany and Schaubühne Berlin, a post-show talk will also be held. Due to the eager anticipation of Berlin's culture and art enthusiasts for the upcoming performance, all tickets have been sold out.
Adapted from the book of the same name by Canadian Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro, "Dear Life" breaks down the barriers of language and culture, showcasing an authentic Taiwanese style on stage with a focus on female protagonists. "Dear Life" is composed of four stories that showcase the characters’ life experiences in Taoyuan, Taiwan: "Ponds," "Possession," "Memory," and "Tattoo" – each lasting for 30 minutes.
In addition, the performance at the Festival d'Automne Paris in 2019 received praise from the festival's artistic director, Marie Collin. It's worth mentioning that the show was the first time in 48 years that a Taiwanese theatrical performance had been featured in the festival.
Director Wang Chia-ming (王嘉明) approached each scene with a poetic sensibility, leaving enough space for the audience to imagine. Interestingly, the four stories in "Dear Life" are connected through their musicality, using a music-theme structure to present the play on the stage.
The FIND art festival opened in Berlin, Germany on April 19, featuring theater productions from around the world including New York’s long-established avant-garde theater company, Wooster Group, as well as works from theaters in Taiwan, Japan, Iran, Oslo, and more. For more information, please visit its official website.