2020年將在我們的表演藝術史寫下一個特別的紀錄：這一年，世界上多數的劇場暫停演出，表演團隊無法出國巡演，原定的演出計畫被取消、或展延……，然而在臺灣，我們在六月初回歸劇場，因此「遇見更多精彩的國人展演」！

今年「遇見巨人」三大主軸，以 Being、Soul 及 Core 來標籤我們的策展。

Being 標籤「大師之為大師，是無畏而有為」，四檔製作的核心人物：白先勇、曾道雄、白建宇與林麗珍，儘管「從心所欲」多年，仍不斷提出創見。白先勇大師在2004年以青春版《牡丹亭》重啟崑曲的生命力，2014年舞臺劇《孽子》以虛實交錯的意識流手法，震撼劇場界；2020年同名小說發表的40周年，臺灣同婚專法通過的周年，「《孽子》回來了！」從「人倫」中探訪「離開家、重建家」的故事。臺灣「歌劇教父」曾道雄在歌劇演出上「從不重複自己」，每每以歌劇的「臺灣首演」刺激後輩，此番法雅的 double bill 是他與法雅胞妹的50年之約，讓我們看到佛朗明哥舞、樂的熱力與深沈。貝多芬250週年是期待已久的盛事，雖然 COVID-19 攪局，幸好鋼琴大師白建宇以「32首鋼琴奏鳴曲看貝多芬一生音樂創作軌跡」的計畫還在！白大師的琴音與貝多芬的音樂一樣，都是人生與智慧淬煉出來生命之詩。在 Being 中「最年輕」的林麗珍卻是「最深沈內化」的藝術家，天地人三部曲《醮》、《花神祭》與《觀》，一部比一部更緩行；因為自然四時的更替，不知不覺的來、不知不覺的去，卻讓我們感受時間的強大能量。《花神祭》以四季為體、蟲鳥花木為喻，歌詠自然的生命之禮。

以 Soul 喻「直指初心、澄透的作品」也有四檔：德國導演荷穆齊以當代觀點演繹浦契尼歌劇《波希米亞人》，以不落幕手法將三幕一氣呵成，探訪年輕藝術家們大膽而強烈地追逐自由心靈的生活態度；歌劇院第一屆駐館藝術家王靖惇「從思念開始」，跟我們分享他與父親的相處，我們若能因此走進家裡長輩們的生命，該是多麼的《如此美好》！總以故事寓人性眾生相的明華園，為《鯤鯓平卷》這部百年老戲換上新風貌，講述的仍是亙古不變、永存人性的慈悲心與赤子之心；雲門新掌門鄭宗龍以古佛「錠光」為發想的新作《定光》，從身體及聲音的本質出發，以身體接近自然，尋找聲音的起點與身體更多的可能性，希望人人都可以更自在忘我、無拘無束。

每年「遇見巨人」總有「從經典（巨人陰影下）出走，以衝撞表達當代視角」的 Core 作品，今年我們期待他們能「遠道而來」：法國交界劇團《隨處─伊底帕斯的旅途》，以希臘悲劇英雄伊底帕斯為題，藉冰塊偶刻畫伊底帕斯王在放逐的旅途上尋找救贖，在冰化水、形體不存時，是否就解脫了？追求以演員集體創作轉繹經典的比利時無．名劇團，重啟契訶夫經典《櫻桃園》，在兼顧悲、喜、鬧劇的同時，帶出兩代人價值體系的遽變與世代交替的無力；法國大網路之子劇團《魚缸小天地》，以精妙的舞臺設計，自嘲又諷刺地將困住在蝸居的生活百態，藉由純熟的肢體劇場，讓我們一窺荒誕寫實又哭笑不得的生存藝術。

且讓我們記下2020年，與起伏無常如戲劇般的生活大小事！

The year 2020 will surely enter the annals of performing arts history as an unusual time: Most theaters around the globe were temporarily closed, performing groups had to abandon international touring, and programs originally scheduled at home were forced to cancel or postpone…… Yet here in Taiwan, we were able to reopen our theaters in early June. Because of these circumstances, we have been blessed with a wealth of exciting performances showcasing Taiwan’s own artists!

This year’s Fall for Great Souls series is programmed around three main themes: “Being,” “Soul” and “Core.”

Being: “Masters are masters because they are fearless and adept.” Within this theme, we present four productions from such central figures as PAI Hsien-yung, TSENG Dau-hsiong, Kun-woo PAIK and LIN Lee-chen. These four masters have followed their hearts, generating amazing output for years, yet never tire of reinventing themselves. In 2004, PAI Hsien-yung breathed new life into the Kunqu opera tradition with his Young Lovers’ Edition of The Peony Pavilion. A decade later, his Crystal Boys astounded the theater world by using stream of consciousness to juxtapose reality and illusion. With 2020 marking both the 40th anniversary of PAI’s original novel and the first anniversary of Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law, the revival of Crystal Boys — a story of human relationships and leaving and rebuilding one’s home — meaningfully marks this historic moment. TSENG Dau-hsiong, hailed as Taiwan’s godfather of opera, is known for never repeating himself, with each of his Taiwan premieres having inspired the younger generation. This season’s Falla double bill is a long-awaited reunion between director and composer 50 years in the making, igniting the fire within flamenco music and dance. While the classical music world had been anticipating this year’s 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, COVID-19 threw a wrench into celebratory plans worldwide. We are fortunate that pianist par excellence Kun-woo PAIK will grace our stage in a complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas! In many ways, PAIK’s artistry matches Beethoven’s monumental output, each embodying an intense inner poetry distilled by a lifetime of wisdom. Meanwhile, the youngest of the four masters, LIN Lee-chen, is an artist devoted to answering the deepest calling. Her Heaven, Earth and Man Trilogy — Miroirs de Vie, Anthem to the Fading Flowers and Song of Pensive Beholding — unfolds with each work becoming progressively more measured, the powerful force of time marked by a gradual and almost imperceptible transformation as the seasons change. Guided by the structure of the four seasons, Anthem to the Fading Flowers extols nature and life through images of insects, birds, flora and fauna.

Soul: This part of the program offers four works revealing humanity at its most pure and original. German director Andreas Homoki views Puccini’s La Bohème through a contemporary lens, never closing the curtains between the four acts and shining a different light on the free spirits of daring young artists. NTT’s first Artist in Residence Daniel WANG shares a personal tale about living with his father, a story stemming from a profound sense of longing. Entitled Wonderful, this stage work reminds us how “wonderful” it is to engage in the lives of our elders. Celebrated for using fables to reflect on the good and evil of human nature, Ming Hwa Yuan bestows a fresh look on the time-honored classic The Khun Island, about compassion and dedication. CHENG Tsung-lung, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s new Artistic Director, was inspired by the Dipamkara (lamp-bearer) Buddha’s evocative Chinese name in creating Sounding Light, a new work exploring the essence of body and sound. Dancers’ physical bodies commune closely with nature, capturing that very moment when sound emanates while exploring more potential from the body, encouraging us to overcome our self-consciousness and to break away from mundane restraints.

Core: Every year, Fall for Great Souls contains bold contemporary works referencing yet challenging the classical canon, valiantly breaking away from the shadows of giants. This year, we have invited three troupes from abroad. Théâtre de l’Entrouvert from France brings to Taiwan Anywhere, a refreshing take on the Oedipus story portraying the Greek hero’s tragic travails through ice puppetry, where the metaphor of ice melting to water becomes truly thought-provoking: When the body ceases to be, will all be redeemed? Belgium’s tg STAN, renowned for the troupe’s collective creativity, brings a unique retelling of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard combining tragedy, comedy and farce, at the same time highlighting contemporary issues such as the generation gap and our powerlessness in halting the continual march of time. France’s Le Fils du Grand Réseau Theater Company presents the satire Fishbowl where the stage set becomes a symbol of the vicissitudes of urban life in cramped quarters. This is physical theater at its best, weaving realism with the absurd and leaving us unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Let us acknowledge all that is 2020, the unpredictable drama inherent in every part of life!

臺中國家歌劇院2020「遇見巨人」系列【節目異動公告】
Special Announcement on Program Cancellation

因COVID-19疫情影響全球，導致部分國外演出團隊及藝術家無法來臺，臺中國家歌劇院2020「遇見巨人」系列將取消下列節目：
Due to the global impact of the COVID-19, some of the artists and performance groups from abroad are unable to participate in Fall for Great Souls series as scheduled. We hereby announce the cancellation of the following programs:

✦ 12/4-6 無．名劇團《櫻桃園》tg STAN The Cherry Orchard
✦ 12/11-13 大網路之子劇團《魚缸小天地》Le Fils du Grand Reseau Theatre Company Fishbowl
✦ 12/17-20 交界劇團《隨處─伊底帕斯的旅途》Theatre de l’Entrouvert Anywhere