J-emine's reflexionando

Last week in Taipei, I ushered in the weekend by attending a local production by the People’s Theatre (全民大劇團).  Knowing that my Friday schedule won’t allow me to get on the last SQ flight home  – I decided to make the best use of my Friday evening – by dating myself :).

The name of the play is 《小三與小王》and I was lucky to score ticket for the opening night. No where near a seasoned theatre goer or an able critic of theatric assessment, so won’t go up that alley. Yet, I like to think watching a play or reading a nice novel is an ephemeral and personal experience and with that let me share some of my ‘during-and- post’ play reflections (not restricted to the play itself):

• The ‘a-ha’ *hehe*  moment when I finally realised the definition of 小王  <Xiao Wang> , which refers to the man that commits adultery with another man (and for those that aren’t aware -小三 <Xiao San> refers to the (other) woman who commits adultery with a married man
• The lady next to me is there on her own – oh wait, there’s a lot of solo theatre goers here tonight! Ahem, said lady next to me can’t stop taking a selfie of herself and the program booklet – which of course has a picture of the main actor, Roy Qiu (T-drama’s pop idol – must say he’s transition out of that pop image very well)
• Thirty minutes into the play and I am there linking the script to Ang Lee’s Wedding Banquet (1993) – with a funnier stance and intertwined with the current/evolving stand of LGBT acceptance in society
• The role of the psychiatrist in the play has such a pivotal and centering effect – as she guides the main characters through the 7 stages of grief and loss (well, in this case more of 5) through her counselling dialogue with Xiao San and her teenage son. Personally, I felt her role enabled the audience to connect to each of the main characters and their outpour of emotions (i.e. Xiao San, Xiao Wang, and the teenage son of Xiao San and Teacher (the equivalent of Wai-Tung in Wedding Banquet, but less fortunate because he’s dead – oh yes, shit hits the ceiling  only when he’s gone)
• The teenage son of Teacher and Xiao San – comes into the scene as a rebellious, troubled kid, that one may quickly attribute it to his Father’s death and accepting he’s gay. On hindsight , he seems to be the one that has it all together – he misses his Father dearly and can’t stand his Mother’s way of dealing with the loss (or betrayl: the Father did not name her or their son as the beneficiary to his insurance policies) and not accepting the fact – that his Father love Uncle Jacky (i.e. Xiao Wang) and that Uncle Jacky has been a loyal, devoted partner to his Father (oh yes,  to his Mother’s dismay , he knew all along and has fostered his own kinship with Uncle Jacky)
• On Teacher’s deathbed, he left a voicemail for his son – with a parting advice “爱你说爱” (love what you love ) 
• The drinking scene between Xiao San and Xiao Wang – towards the end of the play, for me was symbolic of the last stage of the grief and loss cycle: acceptance and hope – as both came to terms with their own skeleton in the closet (i.e. Jacky ‘s mother’s realisation  of her son being gay, and the scene of the old lady coming to term was simply a heart tug) and the family that they have found in each other with Teacher’s departure
• The appreciation call by the director to his whole crew (those on stage and off) and his little message of ‘love what you love’ with references to society’s acceptance and the country’s endeavour. No tears on or off stage were spared when he profusely thank the outpouring of support to the company with the ongoing struggles they need to conquer to protect their art

It was raining heavily when I stepped out to hail a taxi back to the hotel, my thoughts were afar as it circled on ‘love what you love’ – and sensing the thoughts may ruin my date tonight,  the stomach quickly intervene and called out for a hot bowl of porridge with chye poh omelette and Taiwanese pickle.

(After a hot shower and slurping up the porridge) Hmm, I think tonight’s solo date deserves a 7/10.