Yonghe-Zhonghe Street Performing

In learning Shuochang Hand-In-Hand’ classes, our student shuochang expert teachers introduced us to different types of shuochang such as cross talks, doggerels, storytelling with clappers, cross talks duo, and Taiwanese opera. We then picked one of them to study in depth. After practicing for more than a month, the Original Artsy Shuochang Posse of Yu-Tsai teamed up with our student shuochang expert teachers to promote shuochang in Yonghe-Zhonghe Street Performing. We hope to bring the art of shuochang to people in the community.

Event Profile

Date:Saturday, December 26th, 2015 Location: Bus #241, MRT Nanshijiao Station Plaza, MRT carriage on Zhonghe Xinlu Line, Zhonghe 823 Memorial Park (a.k.a. Number Four Park) Audience: People in Yonghe and Zhonghe districts Participants:

Event Planning

│Practice and Rehearsal│

Event Liaison

Before the event, our teachers were busy establishing contact with Taipei Bus, and Director Tsai was busy writing requests to National Taiwan Library. Both of them were trying to explain our intention to perform on the bus and at the library plaza.

Selecting a Topic

│Group discussion│

Every team picked a form of shuochang (topic) to study and practice. The topics chosen include cross talks, storytelling, cross talks duo, storytelling with clappers, clapper talks, and Taiwanese opera.

Performance Detail and Design

The host was responsible for writing up the script and assigning roles for the group cross talks performance. Other Cyberfair members were responsible for writing their own scripts with the student shuochang expert teachers. When designing the script, Ms. Li challenged us to write our project theme, introducing shuochang, into our performances so the audience could watch and learn about shuochang at the same time.

│Rehearsal│

Rehearsal

Each team must first memorize the script, and then move on to practice articulation, intonation, facial expression, and movements. After each team is familiar with both group and individual performances, Ms. Li finally let the hosts practice their parts. After days of practicing, we all felt our performances have improved.

Secret Weapon

We got some ideas for our show after watching a performance at TQT. We invited someone from our school’s Er-Hu Club to guest star in our performances as music accompaniment. In addition, we invited our student shuochang expert teacher Jasmine’s younger brother as an assistant in the show.

Venue Scouting

Before the event got started, Ms. Li ran us through the whole show. We paid attention to stage arrangement and timed ourselves so we could get a better grasp of time.

Event Log

│Zhonghe 823 Memorial Park (Number Four Park) Street Promotion│

Gathering for rehearsal at school → Bus #241 flash mob → MRT Nanshijiao Station Exit #4 plaza performance → MRT carriage flash mob → Zhonghe 823 Memorial Park street promotion → Creativity Plaza performance

│Bus #241 Flash Mob│

Gathering for Rehearsal at School

We were blessed with a sunny day. Everyone gather at school to get ready for ‘Yonghe-Zhonehe Street Performing.’

Bus #241 Flash Mob

Just before the bus approached the station, we started handing out flyers to passengers on the bus, notifying them our show would start soon. Next, we stated performing group cross talks and ‘Finding Plum Blossom in the Snow,’ which was quite suitable for the weather on that day. Before getting off the bus, we presented the bus driver a clapper with the words ‘Safe Driving’ on it as a token of gratitude.

MRT Nanshijiao Station Exit #4 Plaza Performance

│MRT Carriage Flash Mob│

Many people stopped and watched our performance at the MRT plaza. In our twenty-minute-long performance, we showed the audience everything we had learned over the past few months, and we even invited people from the audience to join us for storytelling with clappers.

MRT Carriage Flash Mob

We planned to start our secret flash mob after the train made its third stop, and we were very nervous. When the train arrived at Yongan Market Station, we started singing ‘Finding Plum Blossom in the Snow.’ Lots of people watched us perform, and they even cheered us on after we finished our show. The train slowed down to make its approach to the next station just as our show came to an end, and our first flash mob concluded in such an exciting manner.

│Storytelling Performing│

Zhonghe 823 Memorial Park (Number Four Park) Street Promotion

Before the start of our show at Creativity Plaza, we first walked around the park to promote our show. We also posted our invitation on Facebook. The weather was extremely nice, so the park was bustling with lots of people. They noticed our promotion and came to watch our show. Yonghe-Zhonghe Street Performing was a huge success!

Text: Candy, the Original Artsy Shuochang Posse │ Pictures: the Original Artsy Shuochang Posse