Disciples of the late Taiwanese puppet master Li Tian-lu (李天祿) will bring one of their most acclaimed performances to New York and Michigan this May.
I Wan Jan Puppet Theater (亦宛然) was established in 1931 by Li, a puppet master whose skills are described as capable of "telling the events of one thousand years and conjuring up one million soldiers with 10 fingers.”
Moreover, I Wan Jan is credited with developing a silent form of glove puppetry that tells a story by movements instead of using Taiwanese dialogue. This helped to make glove puppetry more accessible for foreign audiences.
"A Chance Encounter Leads to Marriage (巧遇姻緣),” the first silent piece produced by I Wan Jan in 1985, will be staged in New York and Michigan from May 20 through 25. The troupe will also offer several workshops where participants can paint their own hand puppet based on classical Chinese puppetry designs.
"A Chance Encounter Leads to Marriage” begins with Du Xing, an infamous womanizer, and his servants at the public market. Pan Rong and his daughter Pan Yu-zhi also arrive at the market, only to attract the wrong kind of attention from Du. Thankfully, her father's cries for help is heeded by Xiao Jin-jun, a scholar well versed in martial arts who comes flying to the rescue.
All the workshops, lecture, and performances in Michigan are free of admission. Please visit the event website at http://mitai-youth.wix.com/iwanjan2016 for more information.
‘I Wan Jan Puppet Theater 2016 US Tour'
New York | May 20, 2016
- Venue: Mid-Manhattan Library
- Time: 3pm
- Address: 455 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016
- Site: www.nypl.org
New York | May 22, 2016
- Venue: Flushing Town Hall
- Time: 2.15pm & 4pm
- Workshop: 1pm
- Address: 137-35 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11354
- Site: www.flushingtownhall.org
Ann Harbor | May 23, 2016
- Venue: Ann Arbor District Library
- Lecture: 7pm
- Address: 343 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- Site: www.aadl.org
Chelsea | May 24, 2016
- Venue: Silver Maples of Chelsea
- Workshop: 1.30pm
- Address: 100 Silver Maples Drive, Chelsea, MI 48118
- Site: www.silvermaples.org
Ann Harbor | May 24, 2016
- Venue: Ann Arbor District Library
- Time: 7pm
- Address: 343 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- Site: www.aadl.org
Ann Arbor | May 25, 2016
Madison Heights | May 25, 2016
- Venue: Association of Chinese Americans, Madison Heights
- Time: 7pm
- Address: 32585 Concord Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071
- Site: www.acadetroit.org/en/