The renowned Taiwanese puppetry company, "Puppet & Its Double Theater," is embarking on a groundbreaking nationwide tour across the United States from May 11th to June 2nd, 2024. The tour, organized jointly by the Taiwan Academy in the Americas, including the ones in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Houston, will feature eight spectacular performances of the renowned play "The Selfish Giant," adapted from the famous fairy tale by British author Oscar Wilde. Alongside the performances, the troupe will host seven workshops and a discussion session, offering a diverse array of enriching activities for audiences of all ages.
The Taiwan Academy at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the United States, in collaboration with the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles and Houston, jointly invite the Puppet & Its Double Theater for a touring performance in the United States. The performances will take place on May 11th and 14th at Green River College in Seattle, from May 24th to May 26th at The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, and on June 1st and 2nd at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston. The company will present eight shows featuring the adaptation of the renowned fairy tale "The Selfish Giant" by the British literary figure Oscar Wilde, depicting the transformation of a selfish giant into a generous soul guided by divine intervention.
The Puppet & Its Double Theater is a premier performing arts group from Taiwan, established in 1999. Its mission is to create challenging, innovative, and emotionally stirring puppetry art. Embracing the concept that "everything is a puppet," the theater pioneers a new style of contemporary Taiwanese puppetry, imbued with magical and philosophical aesthetics. With over 50 original productions to its credit, the theater continuously explores new frontiers in indigenous content and cross-cultural puppetry.
The production "The Selfish Giant" presented on this occasion is a classic theatrical piece suitable for family audiences. Co-produced by the Puppet & Its Double Theater and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), this adaptation of a Western story offers a rich narrative, captivating visual effects, and a talented ensemble cast. In addition to the eight formal performances during the U.S. tour, the theater will also host seven thematic workshops and a panel discussion, showcasing Taiwan's intricate puppetry techniques and exquisite puppetry for audiences of all ages.
Performance Information
First Venue: Green River College
Performance Time: 2024/05/11(Sat.) 13:30, 2024/05/11(Sat.) 18:00, 2024/05/14(Tue.) 18:00
Workshop Time: 2024/05/13(Mon.) 12:00, 2024/05/14(Tue.) 16:00, 2024/05/15(Wed.) 10:00, 2024/05/18(Sat.) 13:30
Panel Time: 2024/05/16(Thu.) 12:00
Location: Green River College（12401 SE 320th St . Auburn, WA 98002）& First Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Seattle（3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040）
Website for the Green River College:
https://greenrivertickets.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx?cid=172
Website for the First Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Seattle:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoGj2qGiBnJUEWDkX4Qm2lFP21c0G-Q7q3k0wi3ZVnrKD5ew/closedform
Second Venue: Center for Puppetry Art Center
Performance Time: 2024/05/24 (Fri.) 19:00, 2024/05/25 (Sat.) 11:00, 2024/05/26 (Sun.) 14:00
Workshop Time: 2024/05/11(Sat.) 13:30, 2024/05/11(Sat.) 18:00, 2024/05/14(Tue.) 18:00
Location: Center for Puppetry Art Center（1404 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309）
Website: https://puppet.org/calendar-of-events/
Final Venue: Asia Society Texas Center
Performance Time: 2024/06/01 (Sat.) 19:00, 2024/06/02 (Sun.) 13:00.
Workshop Time: 2024/06/1(Sat.) 13:00
Location: Asia Society Texas Center（1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004）
Website: https://asiasociety.org/texas/events/selfish-giant-puppetry-performances-taiwans-puppet-its-double-theater