Introduction
Theater continues to look ahead seeking to create something new while at the same time preserving the eloquent character of Chinese singing, dancing, and theater and infusing the vocabulary of the contemporary theater of the west with the glorious culture of the east.
Wu Hsing-Kuo, the founder and the Artistic Director of Contemporary Legend Theater, believes that to make traditional topics more meaningful they must be given, in addition to a change of style, a new spirit, new thinking and new attitudes reflecting contemporary society. Wu is well trained in traditional Chinese Opera and well-versed in modern dance forms, and he is clearly able to interpret the Chinese voice, color, costume and body movements in the contemporary theater.
Sung Jiang accepted 16-year-old Yen Shi-Jiao as his concubine due to Yen’s poverty. To hide Yen Shi-Jiao, Sung Jiang built a big and luxurious residence to make Yen comfortable. However, Yen cannot bear the loneliness and the old man Sung Jiang, then she started to have another relationship with Sung’s apprentice Zhang Wen-Yuan. To be the perpetual couple with Zhang, Yen decided to set Sung up regardless of consequences. Yen threatened Sung that she would exposure Sung’s illegal rascality with the outlaws in Liang-Shan. However, Yen was killed by Sung due to his anger while they were fighting.
Yen Shi-Jiao was not aware of that she became the spirit, and she traveled from earth through hell, and she asked the fair judge. The ghost judge gave her one chance to take either Zhang’s life for romance or Sung’s life for revenge. What would Yen finally decide for the ending for this romantic story?
History
2002: The Hidden Concubine, originally called The Black Dragon Courtyard, was premiered, Taipei.
2003: Legends of China Festival, Hong Kong
