Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalist

Journey through Hell brings new life to the arts of Peking Opera with its combination of traditional and modern theatrical elements.

The revision of script, styling of characters, selection of music for voices, and vernacularization of dialogues realize the multiple and concrete uses of space on stage.

In its complexity of time and plot, Journey through Hell manifests its author’s intention to explicate the natural balance of universe through the looks of its characters. The wise, detailed, and comprehensive perspective of a woman is vividly shown. Enlightening and entertaining for young audience as well, Journey through Hell opens new possibilities of passing traditions for us.

Artwork Introduction

The newly-adapted Chinese Opera, “Journey through Hell,” which has its origin in “Stories from the Five Dynasties” is absolutely not a new version adapted from an old play but a brand new modern work with its motif much more profound than the old work. Silhouetted against humor and fantasy, the whole play sparks the reality of life that “virtue and evil mix in a hodgepodge.’ All men have ideals, but the reality is much more complicated. “Virtue and evil resulted in different ends” and “there exists no ambiguity between right and wrong” can only be found in plays and dreams. With this perspective, this play subverts the value systems of traditional plays, demonstrating the meaning of “modernization.”

The karma theme in this play demonstrates the endless cycles in history. The reality of life with its partiality and limitation is repeated over and over again from generation to generation. Human hardship, virtue and evil, right and wrong cannot be demarcated without ambiguity, but thus consequently form another kind of balance. Maybe the meaning of life lies in “persevering in the quest of one’s own ideals despite of the recognition that virtuous acts do not definitely bring reward and evil acts may not always result in retribution.” After waking up from the dream, the young scholar goes on making efforts to procuring an official post. This is what we call that “your conscience decides right and wrong”, the meaning of life presented by this play after its negation of the values of life.

About the Artist

On the first of July, 1995, the first national drama groupe --- National Kuo Kuang Chinese Opera Company came into being with the top actors and actresses drawn from Lu Kuang, Hi Kuang and Da Peng Peking Opera Troupes and Fei Ma Hunan Opera Troupe.

In order to create a new facet for the traditional Chinese opera, Kuo Kuang mingles the ideas of the modern theaters in the performance. In addition to the traditional plays, masterpieces presented with the modern innovation such as the opening performance, “A new Version of Lu Wen-Lung”, “An Adapted Version of Hua Mu-Lang”, “Phenix Hairpin”, “When Will the Day Break?” and “Journey through Hell” are also produced. And new materials inspired by folklores like the Taiwanese trilogy, “Machu”, “Jien Chen-Kong”, and “Liu Ten-Ding” can be considered as a turnaround of the character of Chinese Opera marking the initiation of incorporating public life into play composition.

Hsiao-Ping Li

Li Hsiao-Ping, a graduate of the National College of Arts, specializes in performing the “physical movement in painted mask”. He is skilled in the creation of different characters and conveying their intimate thoughts and emotions. The unique personality of all his creations endows them with life-like qualities.

When he isn't performing on stage, Mr. Li also serves as troupe liaison coordinator. He also has a foot in contemporary theatre where his multiple talents are amply demonstrated. His hope is to open more doors for Chinese opera performers to appear on the legitimate stage. Li is a recipient of the Opera Director Award from the Chinese Arts and Literature Association. Under his direction, the opera “Monkey King” was performed in France at the Festival D’Avignon, and was warmly received by reviewers from both home and abroad. Li’s recent work, “Journey through Hell”, the annual drama sponsored by the National Kuo Kuang Chinese Opera Company, was also hailed by the critics. In addition, this program also received a Golden Bell Award in the Television Broadcasting category. A marvelous future awaits this talented director for whom such high hopes are held in both the fields of Chinese opera and legitimate theater in Taiwan.

Production Team

Production Company： National Kuo Kuang Chinese Opera Company

Director :  Hsiao-Ping Li

Playwright : Ya-Hsien Chen

Adaptors and Editors of the Performance Version :  An-Chi Wang, Huei-Ru Hsien

Performance Instructors :  I-Quei Chiang, Jin-Rung Chu

Costume Designer :  Anly Lo

Puppet Designer :  Shu-ming Cho

Tone Composer :  Kou-Hsieng Jin

Tune Composer and Instrument Match :  Yue-Hwa Jin

Stage Design and Lighting :  Kwang-Yen Ne

Costume :  Yu-Fen Tsai

Dance Design :  Ho-Wen Hsiao

Actor :  Wen-Hwa Tang, Lu-How Chu , etc.