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Pacifism and feminism challenged in new theatre play “The Breasts of Tiresias – Taiwan Remix ‘21” to be staged in November

2021-08-25

(Provided by Department of Theater Arts) In November, the Department of Theater Arts at NSYSU will stage its annual play, “The Breasts of Tiresias – Taiwan Remix ‘21”, jointly produced by the students and teachers. The play is a reinterpretation of the French surrealist classic set in contemporary Taiwan that uses the cyber wars and gender issues to challenge the pacifist and feminist standpoint in the pursuit of freedom and liberation.

The script of “The Breasts of Tiresias – Taiwan Remix ‘21” is based on the work of French playwright Guillaume Apollinaire, regarded as the pioneering work of surrealist theatre. The play tells the story of Therese, who is tired of the life of a housewife and resolutely pierces her breasts, leaves her husband, adopts a male name – Tiresias and goes abroad, leaving her husband alone to change into woman’s clothes and take up the role of a wife. This adaptation is set in contemporary Taiwan, with cyber wars, public sentiment, and Internet trolls in the place of original war scenes and, on the other hand, it is also a reflection on gender consciousness in Taiwan after the legalization of same-sex marriage and the start of a critical discourse on the contemporary situation in Taiwan. Associate Professor of the Department of Theater Arts Walter Hsu said that gender subversion is only an excuse to touch upon the key point – the reflection on the future destiny of humanity.

The play was translated and adapted by Walter Hsu, who is also an emerging theatre critic, it was directed by humanities director and Assistant Professor I-Lien Ho; architect Assistant Professor Ching-Pin Tseng was responsible for the stage design, and the costume design was by Assistant Professor Yi-Chen Wu, a rising star in the fashion industry. The play was co-produced and will be performed by teachers and students in collaboration with professionals of the theatre industry. Students of different courses practiced in rehearsals and workshops, making use of different resources of the Department and demonstrating the University’s vital energy.

Three performances of “The Breasts of Tiresias – Taiwan Remix ‘21” will be staged on November 6 and 7 at Kaohsiung Experimental Theater. The number of seats is limited due to anti-epidemic measures. The NSYSU team is also planning to make the performance recording available to watch online.

For more information on the performance, please refer to the dedicated Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/nsysu.TA.performance/

(Edited by Public Affairs Division)

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