“Love” is the primary driving force in human life and has been the central theme of literary and artistic works since ancient times. From folk tales to timeless classics, the resilient connection between love and life is evident, and this holds true for traditional opera as well. In contemporary times, creations and even inventions centered around “love” have not only expanded into multifaceted explorations of its layers in connection to life, existence, and survival but have also derived new perspectives and dialectics due to advancements in human rights and technology. Undoubtedly, this places the creation and performances of “contemporary traditional opera” in a vast and limitless realm that is open to exploration and experiments.

Hence, the ever-changing yet unchanging “love” has significantly enriched the constancy and variability of “contemporary traditional opera”. Hence, using “traditional opera” as a reflection, representation, and imagery of beings, Extra. Ordinary. Love offers extensive practicality and possibilities for creation, performances and interpretation.

The curatorial theme of the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Festival 2024 (the seventh edition), titled Extra. Ordinary. Love, not only emphasizes the intensity of love but also highlights its attributes. It aims to explore the definition of “love” (defined by whom?) and the subjectivity and power dynamics of loving someone or being loved. This exploration encompasses the pursuit or rejection of love by both mainstream and non-mainstream groups. The literally identical phrase “in the name of love” ultimately leads to various interpretations, ranging from blissful lives to heartbreaking disillusionment, even to gruesome and violent outcomes. However, the categories of love are various, including the “all shall be well, Jack shall have Jill” kind of love, familial love, patriotic love, religious love, selfless love, and even love transcending species and love between living and non-living entities. These loves provide abundant material for creative exploration, performances, and discussions. The “abnormal” love between the living and the non-living has always had its narrative context, which has even formed a comprehensive story and metaphor system that continues to welcome intriguing contemporary interpretation. Whether it be reincarnation or the immortal soul, one would relentlessly seek the beloved despite the drastic change of times. The illusory dreamscape and visceral love have their own classic legacies with profound and far-reaching influences; the emergence of virtual realms due to technology not only compels a direct confrontation with the tangible existence of love in these domains but also fuels an ongoing trend of creative works on this theme. As for the love of cyborgs and artificial intelligence (AI), apart from allowing exploration of the genesis and persistence of “love,” is it also possible to connect the idea of “the incarnation from a lotus” and initiate a conversation?

The Taiwan Traditional Theatre Festival 2024 comprises 11 theatre productions. They are like a spectrum of colors, diverse, radiant, exhibiting different intensities, warmth, and attributes. The flagship production in the Main Theatre is Shintrun Taiwanese Opera Troupe’s The Ravishing of the Twice-Blossoming Flower, which narrates the tumultuous life and love of a daughter from an embroidery family who crosses Black Ditch to Taiwan during late Ming Dynasty. The embroidery serves as a unique metaphor for “love” and “forgiveness,” and a piece of embroidery from the collection of the Hong-gah Museum is used as a motif in the play. The fine and exquisite artistic qualities of the embroidery beautifully complement Shintrun’s delicate and elegant style. Who’s in the Painting?, the flagship production in the Experimental Theatre produced by 1/2 Q Theatre, explores the conflicted hearts of Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian, one carrying the weight of repentance on her life and the other embarking on the journey of rediscovering love after loss of memory. The international production in the Experimental Theatre, Forgery of Zhong Kui, the Demon Queller brought by Physical Sentimental Theatre Company of LeeQingZhao the Private, seeks connection between a Chinese portrait painting of a man hung in the German playwright Bertolt Brecht’s studio and Zhong Kui, providing an alternative perspective on and dialectical exploration of the so-called “love.”

The theme of spousal love remains timeless and continually discussed. Taiwan Bangzi Opera Company’s Ax the Coffin and Taipei Quyi Tuan’s Shi Naian's Love and Laughter probe into the relationships between worldly couples－but are they blissful or sorrowful? As for cross-species love, GuoGuang Opera Company’s Fox Tales: Endless Love and Rom Shing Hakka Opera Troupe’s My Daughter-in-Law Is a Fox – Xiaocui’s Love Diary explore the gratitude and affections of the foxes, further showcasing an unwavering love without regret.

Family love, on the other hand, can become harmful within the family. Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group’s Agent from Above tells the story of the entangling bond that is cross-generation and still lasting due to the immortal soul from the perspective of a lotus-incarnated character; while Yi-Shin Taiwanese Opera Troupe’s Déjà vu paints a picture of enduring love with seemingly faint yet powerful strokes. ZhenYunLinGe Puppet Theatre’s Revelation: Swords and Desire is set in a “sword-casting” environment, highlighting the connection between “objects” and “love.” Last but not least, the intersection of music and love, Boundaryless Music Infinite Love, is brilliantly presented by National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan.

Welcome to join us at the theatre, in the season of love...