(1)Presenter: Contemporary Legend Theatre
(2)Performer: Zhang Jun, Wu Hsing Kuo
(3)Program: 2020 CLT " Julius Caesar " National Taichung Theater
Peking opera pioneer Wu Hsing-kuo and his Contemporary Legend Theatre join forces with Zhang Jun, “the prince of kunqu”, for a daring adaptation of history’s ultimate betrayal.
Peking opera pioneer Wu Hsing-kuo and his Contemporary Legend Theatre join forces with Zhang Jun, “the prince of kunqu”, for a daring adaptation of Masters of Peking opera and kunqu , together in a powerful play of duty, loyalty and bloodshedShakespeare’s dark historical saga. Wu and Zhang are Julius Caesar and Brutus, reimagined in a fusion of Peking opera and contemporary theatre styles.
Wu is no stranger to Shakespeare and legends of epic scale. His company is devoted to integrating traditional Chinese opera with modern theatre in its adaptations of classic tales from around the world. His powerful rock opera trilogy The Water Margins, which blended Peking opera with pop music, attracted opera traditionalists and younger audiences alike. His past five Shakespearean adaptations have attracted international attention; The Tempest was directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark and a solo performance of King Lear led The Guardian to call him “the Taiwanese answer to Orson Welles”.
Zhang, too, pushes his 600-year-old art form in new directions, aiming to popularize the kunqu genre for audiences of a new generation—a pursuit that led to his designation as a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2011. Among his outstanding artistic achievements have been the lead role in Tan Dun’s opera Marco Polo (2008) and the recent solo performance I, Hamlet, a dialogue between Shakespeare and the greatest Ming poets.
Wu and Zhang may both be old hands at Shakespeare, but Julius Caesar is the first collaboration of these two eminent artists from Taipei and Shanghai. This thrilling hybrid of opera, modern theatre and multi-media storytelling is their firm declaration that traditional Chinese opera and Shakespearean drama are two compatible art forms that remain as relevant as ever.
◎Duration: Approx 1 hr 40 mins with no interval
◎Performed in Mandarin with Chinese and English surtitles
◎The age guidance for this production is 6+