Words by Artistic Director- 2025 NTT Summer Fun Time
Let There Be Light
In the opening verses of the Book of Genesis, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
But what we perceive as light is not light itself. It is the reflection we see, the way light touches the world around us. Only when everything fades into darkness do we begin to recognize its presence.
In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, light represents truth and liberation. During the Renaissance, painters often rendered light as a symbol of hope, revelation, inspiration, or a bridge to the divine. In the Enlightenment, light came to embody reason itself, dispelling the shadows of ignorance.
Light gives birth to creation. In Lighthouse, different forms and sources of illumination are plotted in five rooms awaiting for exploration. Visitors follow the journey of an astronaut, cast shadows with a searchlight, and interact with mirrors and special effects to witness how light breathes life into the theater. As long as there is a child within you, you can speak to the light, and it will speak back.
A childlike heart is the beginning of play, where games are born, stories unfold, and the spark of creation takes flight. Creativity asks for no guide, and the world of performing arts sets no threshold. Simply follow your heart, and it will lead you into the theater. This is where the curatorial journey of this year's Summer FUN Time begins.
As innocence gives way to impulse, we enter the rebellious years of youth, begin to challenge the rules, and push against every boundary. Elements of Freestyle brings together ten world-class extreme sports performers who refuse to obey the laws of gravity. They defy limits, question what is possible, and discover new forms of creativity through play.
In the next stage of life, we grow into adults who have learned the art of playful mischief. The Play That Goes Wrong is a beautifully orchestrated mess, where professional actors fail on purpose with exquisite precision. It isn't about breaking the rules, but rather about gently teasing the grown-up world and all its seriousness. In the past, animated films like Ratatouille and Finding Nemo introduced anthropomorphic animal characters shaped by human traits. This year's Oscar-winning Flow moves in a different direction. With no dialogue and no human presence, the film allows animals to appear just as they are, within the quiet beauty of the real world.
LIFE OF PI also takes a step away from anthropomorphism, portraying the tiger not through speech but through the raw expressiveness of its body. Shifts in perspective guide the flow of the story, at times lifting us into a god's-eye view, looking back at a turbulent Earth from above. The Peony Lantern centers on eastern classical puppet theater and shadow play, yet it reimagines the relationship between performer and puppet. Its unusual form reflects a strange and haunting romance between the living and the dead. Both works exemplify unconventional forms of puppetry.
This summer, four musical productions highlight a rich diversity of musical styles. Each began with a staged reading, followed by audience feedback and revisions, and on-route to enter full-scale production. The process reflects a shift toward greater scale and professionalization in Taiwan's musical theater scene. September Dreams is a jukebox musical filled with iconic hits from the 1990s, telling a story of friendship and romance among members of a girl group. PLANET: A Boy-Band Theory follows a group of men in their early thirties as they reunite their high school band, rediscovering the fire of youth through music.
In traditional Chinese opera, there is a saying: “Male performers fear Into the Night, while female performers fear Longing for the Mortal World.” These roles are renowned for testing both the technical and emotional limits of their performers.
Into the Night is a well-known Kunqu opera excerpt, and this new adaptation blends narrative fiction with the form of musical theater. It tells the story of Lin Chong from Outlaws of the Marsh, capturing the turmoil and inner conflict that drive him to take refuge on Liangshan. Meet tells the love story of a boy with Asperger's and a girl with a physical disability. Developed over five years, this musical thoughtfully weaves together live video chat and real-time streaming, creating a moving and contemporary theatrical experience.
These are the nine summer productions we have lovingly prepared. We hope that audiences at every stage of life will find a piece to call their own, and within the theater, discover a light that speaks to them.
—Joyce Chiou, General and Artistic Director