Theater takes children on a fantasy adventure
Welcome to the Whale Library!
Theater Above has invited children and their parents to join them on a magical journey to a library placed in the belly of a whale.
Written by Taiwan playwright and director Stan Lai and his daughter Lai Xianyun, the creative children’s drama “The Whale Library” will be staged late this month.
The story features a fisherman’s daughter named Mi’er who accidentally finds a library containing a variety of books in the belly of a whale. However, her father believes it is a trick played by the whale whose real purpose is to eat children.
Meanwhile, mischievous monkeys from a nearby island, who are ignorant of the books’ value, steal and burn them. Mi’er is devoted to saving the Whale Library and showing the public the magical power of knowledge.
“The drama not only focuses on children but also parents. We want to let them know the significance of reading and the way to guide their children to read,” says Luan Lan, director of “The Whale Library.”
The children’s drama, which evolved from a bedtime story, was created by Stan Lai, his daughter and granddaughter.
“I have two daughters myself, and when they grew up, they, like other girls, asked me to tell them stories. So I’ve been telling them improvised stories that kept going forward. This has been a process of discovery for me,” says the father.
“I found out that what they wanted to hear was the sincerest story. It was the purest emotion and the most unbound imagination that they were expecting,” he says.
In the last two summer vacations, director Lai’s first children’s play, “The Blue Horse,” attracted a large number of children who were taken to a mysterious desert and a beautiful oasis in the show. It encourages children to pursue their dreams.
“From ‘The Blue Horse’ to ‘The Whale Library,’ the Theater Above intends to foster values in children and inspire their imagination,” says Nai-chu Ding, Lai’s wife and a producer of over 60 plays.
Apart from the play, a related picture book created by Lai Xianyun is available, which helps children to understand the story.
Performance details
Date: August 25-September 2, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm
Ticket: 100-380 yuan
Tel: 6050-7009
Venue: Theater Above
Address: 5/F, 1111 Zhaojiabang Rd
Playwright and director Stan Lai
