I Wan Jan Puppet Theater Visit

About I Wan Jan Puppet Theater

Founded by the Taiwanese puppet master Li Tien-Lu in 1931, I Wan Jan (pronounced yi-wan-ran) Puppet Theater is among the oldest puppet theaters and the most acclaimed one in Taiwan. The name "I Wan Jan" refers to the remarkably lifelike glove puppets. Master Li died in 1998. The story of Li Tien-Lu and his traditional Taiwanese puppetry were the subject of a movie titled "The Puppetmaster." Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

Celebrating 2005 Taiwanese Cultural Heritage

Presented by TAAMN and Minnesota Taiwanese Foundation

Co-sponsored by University of Minnesota Taiwan Student Association

What: I Wan Jan Puppet Theater 2005 North America Tour

When: Saturday, May 14, 2005, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where: St. Paul Student Center Theater, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Admission:

TAAMN and TSA members, free; but ticket required
Volunteers at the Festival of Nations Taiwanese booths, free
Non-members, $5.00 before May 10; $10.00 at the door
Children, 5 and under, free

Tickets: Jenn-Feng Yan (763) 559-9079 and Tsan-Kuo Chang (651) 633-6183

I Wan Jan Performance in the Twin Cities

The six-member team of I Wan Jan visited the Twin Cities as part of its North America Tour to help celebrate the Taiwanese Heritage Week in mid-May. They arrived on May 11 and performed on Saturday, May 14 at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Center Theater from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The two plays were in Taiwanese with English subtitle. The show was well attended. A reception followed the show. The performance was sponsored by the Taiwanese Association of America-Minnesota Chapter and co-sponsored by the Taiwan Student Association at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

How to Get to the St. Paul Student Center Theater
Click here for directions to the University of Minnesota campus and parking.

Play 1: A Chance Encounter

Play 2: Raiding the Crystal Palace

Hsiao Chin-chun is both a talented intellectual and a Kung-fu expert. He likes the beauty of nature and often travels to various scenic spots. Old Pan Jung has a beautiful, young daughter, Pan Yu-chih. One day, they leave home together to stroll leisurely on the streets. Tu Hsing is a wealthy spoiled brat. Accompanied by his servants, he happens to go out to watch street performances on the same day. Seeing the stunning Yu-chih, Tu first harasses her, then abducts her. Hapless and unable to protect his daughter, old Pan runs along the streets, crying out for help. Hearing Pan's call for help, Hsiao manages to rescue Yu-chih from her abductor. Tu and his servants storm back, only to be beaten handily by Hsiao. They flee for their lives. Yu-chih has a crush on the handsome Hsiao and they express passion for each other through body language. Thanks to this chance encounter, old Pan urges the two love birds to get married.

Traveling across the earth, Tathagata Buddha stumbles on a rock, leaving some blood stains on it. After years of impregnation by the sun and the moon, the rock suddenly splits open one day and gives birth to a stone monkey. Highly intelligent, this stone monkey is anointed by his fellow monkeys as the king of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. The monkey king soon embarks on a journey to pursue enlightenment and the secret of immortality. Bodhidharma takes the monkey king as his disciple and names him Sun Wu-kung. The monkey king masters everything he can learn and often shows off his skills in front of other disciples.

Upon learning of this, Bodhidharma dispatches the monkey king back home. After returning to his kingdom, the monkey king discovers that his fellow monkeys have been haunted by demons. He borrows a variety of weapons by raiding the Crystal Palace and sets out to battle the Ox Demon.