The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and Asian-Canadian Special Events Association present King Lear
Contemporary Legend Theater, Taiwan King Lear
Presented by the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and Asian-Canadian Special Events Association
February 1 & 2, 2013
8:00pm
Door sales are cash or credit card only
The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts,
777 Homer Street
This is King Lear as you have never experienced it before: Wu Hsing-Kuo of Taiwan’s Contemporary Legend Theater has created a tour-de-force solo performance that fuses time-honored Peking Opera techniques with Shakespeare’s classic tale of great power and cruel deception. This fascinating adaptation has been praised around the world for its blend of Eastern and Western theatrical forms, as well as for its revealing insight into one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated tragedies. After the aging king decides to split his kingdom among his daughters, he experiences disillusionment and decline when their true natures are revealed. Wu Hsing-Kuo transitions flawlessly between each character in this athletic and virtuosic telling of a tortured king’s decent into madness. Distilled into a series of vignettes, King Lear is backed by an eight-person instrumental ensemble that creates a soundscape echoing the styles of both traditional and contemporary Chinese music. "Remarkable... a probing psychological study of wavering identity" - The New York Times Contemporary Legend Theater (CLT) was founded in Taiwan in 1986 to integrate traditional Chinese Opera, which at the time was on the decline, with modern theatre. Constantly subverting expectations and preconceptions about Peking Opera, CLT has become known worldwide for their bold, contemporary aesthetic that has been called "one of the best blends of eastern and western techniques" (The Guardian, UK).
Running Time 110 min (includes one 20 min intermission)
Supported by the Ministry of Culture, R.O.C. (Taiwan) and the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York and the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts.
Prices:
Section A = $59.00
Section B = $49.00
Section C = $34.00
