"Riverbank" sings by the Zhonggang River, watching theater along the river
"Heba" means river in Hakka, and it is also an environmental theater production that young people in Nanzhuang, Miaoli, plan to launch at the end of the month. The whole play is expected to tell the story of the bygone days along the Zhonggang River, when women washed clothes, water lanterns were released, and people played in the water, while walking, performing, watching and talking, so that the audience can reflect on the relationship between people and the river and take action to prevent and control pollution.
The entire performance is led entirely by a "storyteller," guiding the audience to walk along the banks of the Zhonggang River, breaking the traditional format of simply sitting in a seat and watching a stage performance. Zhou Yaxuan said, "We perform rain or shine, because that is also the most natural scenery of the Zhonggang River."
"Heba" is an environmental play created through cooperation between theater artists and local groups. The performers are all local residents and children. There is no ticket for this play, but through online crowdfunding funds are raised to pay for the professional theater troupe and related costs, allowing art to continue taking root in remote rural areas.
(Photo provided by Chen Boquan)
"Heba" Builds Up Participation Momentum
Zhou Yaxuan admitted, however, that the number of participants originally hoped for "Heba" was still "far off," "maybe because it has only been a little over a year since Dananpu Studio moved to Laoliao, so the number of community residents that can be mobilized is limited, but perhaps after "Heba" produces results, it will be more able to attract local people to participate."
And because it emphasizes locality, the troupe members are also much more "fluid" than those of ordinary troupes. "Very often everyone's practice times just cannot be coordinated, and we are still thinking about what to do." Zhou Yaxuan said, however, that this is also the practical situation faced by local and community work, so there is no need to worry too much; it is just that the working funds for the director and music performers still need to be obtained through the crowdfunding platform in order to continue.
Even so, "Heba" still received help from many enthusiastic people. For example, the script creation actually came from "old photos" provided by local residents, including clothes-washing women and water lanterns, all of which were incorporated into the play's subject matter; "there were also elderly women in Nanzhuang who said they were willing to help us cut costumes, and some brought their old clothes and bamboo baskets to use as performance props."
"Heba" is scheduled to hold 2 performances on the afternoon of October 24 in Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County "Heba" Online Crowdfunding: Let the River Keep Singing