Corn-Complex
Visual & Physical theatre performance created by Vera Chen, Taiwan
空控 Corn-Complex
導演/演出: 陳雪甄
2008 兩廳院表演藝術新人新視野戲劇類獲選作品
Reviews
The performer converse with corns dropping from the ceiling using her distinct movements, thus created magnificent visual effects. ~~ theatre critic, Hung-hung, Taiwan
It was an excellent solo performance. ~~ theatre critic, Fu,Yu-hui, Taiwan
The actors’ energy and dynamic were to the full volume. The theme of “losing control” was manifested in an extremely well-controlled surrounding, which defines the pace and layers of this performance clearly. ~~ stagenet theatre company, Huang, Hsuan-yu, Taiwan
The Creator：Vera Chen
Vera is an unusual performer with her wild body movement style , rational technological ways of thinking, and ever changing emotion like an amoeba.。
Majored in Bio-tech in the university, she later pursued a post-graduate degree in solo-performance, and was trained in Brunel University, UK in 2005. Before then, she was part of the Golden Bough Theater Company, where she received Grotowski actor training course. During her stay in the UK, she was also trained in JohnWright school learning Jacques Lecoq’s physical theater system. She had several collaboration with local theater groups in London as well.
She has a diverse experience in theater, dance, films and life sciences, which helps her to integrate different materials in her creative works. While doing so, she manages to draw the touching moments of everyday life and weaving these bits and pieces into her works that shows the emotions of life in a humorous way. Her solo performance “drop suspended” received good reviews when performing in London, and was invited to showcase it in Portugal. In two consecutive years, her works were seleted to be showcased in the National Theater Performance Arts New Comers Program, Taiwan. Her work used the process of scientific experiments as a simile to life experiences, and the dynamic yet witty and humorous performance has left deep impressions for the audience. Now she work as director, performer and teacher in Taipei.
Synopsis:
Life is like a lab, and the people inside are like corn grains that was stuck between explosion and numbness.
Life is like a lab, and the people inside are like corn grains that was stuck between explosion and numbness.
A black experiment table, and a live experiment is on-going. The researcher has to conduct the experiment according to the set timetable and process in order to get the best result The time, however, is infinite. Will there be any result with an end that is unreachable? Or is it just a repeated process without and end? The researcher struggles between the verge of controlled and chaotic state of mind. The real controlling power, however, is beyond the reach of you and me. It’s a life-time experiment that we can not escape, but has to continue it forever.
About the performance:
When conducting most of the bio-tech experiments, we need to deal with the reaction process that can’t even be visible to human eyes as well as the accumulated waste produced by the experiments. The so-called data gathered are nothing but hypothesis that we used to convince ourselves. The seemingly precise and organized experiment process is in fact a cover for anxiety and uncertainty, which is similar to the modern way of living. The creator appropriates the scientific experiment process as the concept of this performance. And the black stage becomes the experiment table. The camera installed on the ceiling is also broadcasting in real-time, which creates an effect like the microscope point of view. The researchers who repeat their movement are the real object of this experiment being watched helplessly on the plain glass. The corn grains dropping from time to time is a metaphor of the constant pressure in the mind.
The performance style put more emphasis on the physical movements then on the text. The work combines mime, dance theater, and live art, and explores the movements and behaviors in the daily life. The actor’s performance is the main subject of this work, and the simple design of lighting, visual images the existence of objects are all smartly linked together, creating a stage of massive power and excellent ideas.
Show Lenth: 40-50mins (No interval)
** The production was supported by National Culture &Art Foundation and National Theatre Hall.
Performers and Production Team
Director/Scriptwriter/Choreography : Vera Chen
Director/Scriptwriter/Choreography : Vera Chen
Actors: Vera Chen, and Zi-Hau Fu
Lighting Designers: Yen-KU Ou (So Bright Lighting Company)
Music Designer: Huan-Fu YU
Video Designer: Tzu-Lung Kuo
Object Designer: Wei-Kuang Lai
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空控Corn-Complex演出內容介紹
故事情節:
生活好比一座實驗室，而在裡面的人就像顆悶住又爆不開的玉米粒 ~~ 一個黑色實驗台，一場即時檢測正在持續進行。生物體為了得到結果，一切必須依照制定的時間及步驟過程不斷進行。然而時間是個無限值，看不見盡頭的過程，讓生物體的活性慢慢失去，並且肉眼看不見的非產物開始堆積，實驗真的會有結果嗎? 還是只是一種長期的重複存留狀態呢? 生物體的自我意志因此拉扯，逃離或待著? 然而事實卻是，真正的操控者在你我之外，生物體逃離不出這場生命實驗，再如何的壓迫，也只能一直作下去。唯一可以擁有的，是小小的期待，期待可以改變，期待所有的壓力可以瞬間爆離。
本創作在型式上，非從文本出發，而以肢體劇場的編創方式，結合現代默劇、舞蹈劇場及臨場藝術的表現方式，從欲表達的概念衍生結構，再高度探索相關生活及情緒中的動作及行為。並以演員表演為主體，利用精簡設計，完整連結燈光、影像及物件的存在關系，創造出帶有意像及能量的舞台畫面。
空控Corn-Complex 創作團隊:
導演、編劇、動作設計、演員/ 陳雪甄
演員/傅子豪
燈光設計/歐衍穀 (有夠亮燈光公司)
音樂設計/余奐甫
影像設計/郭子榮
動畫、物件設計/西堤王國之賴韋光演出長度
40分鐘，無中場休息。
演出紀錄:
2008/11/23-25 於 國家戲劇院實驗劇場
本節目由國藝會及兩廳院補助製作演出。