U Theatre of Taiwan
The Essence of Zen and Percussion Art:
Sound of the Ocean
A compelling, seamless work of rhythm and movement, Sound of the Ocean was created by U-Theatre under the direction of Taiwan based artists LIU Ruo-Yu and HUANG Chih-Chun. An intense physical and emotional experience, the work traces the cyclical journey of water from a drop to a stream, from a river to the ocean.
Five distinct yet beautifully interwoven sections evoke the sounds and sensations of water, its elemental cool surges, gentle ebbs, and insistent rat-a-tat-tats. The five are animated by a theatrical tension devoid of explicit narrative. It is propelled by rhythms beat out on temple bells, gongs, and skinned drums large and small. The collective expressive power of the group is made possible by the extraordinary technical and athletic prowess of the individual performers. Daring feats of speed and precision create huge dynamic arcs ad the piece moves from one section to another.
Sound of the Ocean expresses the ongoing search for an artistic form that captures the essence, the preciousness, of life. With a spare grace and clarity, it illuminates U-Theatre’s creative process which centres on the concentric relationships of individual to the collective, and the larger natural and spiritual environments. Since its premiere in 1998 at Avignon Festival in France, Sound of the Ocean has been perfromed more than 120 times around the world.
Performance Dates:
Fri, 3/12/2010 at 8:00pm
Sat, 3/13/2010 at 8:00 pm
Venue Location:
The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts ( 777 Homer St., Vancouver)
Show: Sound of the Ocean