124
Smile
May2016
song.Theymovewith impeccablegrace,
eachflickof thewristandeach tiltof the
headaddingdepth to this time-honored
presentation.
I lookout to theaudience, andsee
ameresmatteringof faces.There’sa
smallnumberofold folkssittingon the
plasticchairs, theireyesandears trained
eagerlyon theshow.At thesidelines, a
fewcurious touristsandcasual observers
standby.Theywatch fora fewminutes
beforegoingoff into thenight.Nodoubt
theyare fascinatedwith thespectacle,
but theexclusivelyChinesedialogue
keeps them from fullyappreciating
it.This isa farcry from theolddays,
when trafficstopped towatchwayang
performanceson thestreets.
Close tomidnight theshowends ina
rousingclimax,with theelderwayang
showcasingstylizedkung fumoves ina
finalfight scene.Under theglaringstage
FINDOUTWHERETO
WATCHTHEWAYANG IN
ACTION
Catchashow
Checkout schedulesand
updates forperformances
of theLaoSai TaoYuan
troupeat theirFacebook
page; facebook.com/lao.
saitaoyuan
Elaborate
costumesarean
integral part of the
traditional opera
Streetart
