Two large-scale creative works in different art forms--dance and the theater--appeared on Taiwan within half a year of each other, creations of a young husband-and-wife team, Wu Hsing-kuo and Lin Hsiu-wei. Married for seven years and the parents of a cute little boy, Wu and Lin fuse their love for art and their love for each other in artistic works charged with true feeling.

The Kingdom of Desire, staged in Taipei at the end of last year, was the premiere performance of the Contemporary Legend Theatre. Kingdom boldly presented Shakespeare's Macbeth through the conventions of Peking opera, earning enthusiastic accolades from the nearly 1,000 theatergoers who saw it.

Overnight, director and lead actor Wu Hsing-kuo and theater manager Lin Hsiu-wei became the focus of attention of the Taipei art world.

The excitement over The Kingdom of Desire had not yet died down when Wu and Lin collaborated at the New Aspect International Arts Festival on another creation in a different genre--Lin's creative dance Myth of the Late 20th Century, based on the ancient Chinese legend of Fu Hsi and Nu Wa--husband and wife using the most primitive and essential body movements to interpret this timeless love story.

Their academic credentials and production experience are nothing to boast of The one guideline they scrupulously follow in all their work is "sincerity": honestly confronting their feelings, conscientiously perfecting every detail of production, and candidly examining their works in the face of adverse criticism.

In a tea house near the New Aspect Arts Center, petite Lin Hsiu-wei, her waistlength hair a trademark, spoke first. "Quite frankly, whether Kingdom of Desire was a success or not doesn't matter. It was just another experiment, another step forward."

In their original conception the couple had hoped to create a completely new form of performance, and in this respect The Kingdom of Desire had fallen short. Drawing inspiration from a Peking opera version of Ionesco's The Chairs performed in Taipei earlier and from Kurosawa's Throne of Blood and Ran, they fused concepts from Western drama and traditional Peking opera techniques in their production. "It wasn't 'new' enough," Lin said in critique. "It didn't have an original script and it didn't break away from Peking opera to create new methods of singing and acting. This will take more work."

In fact, Kingdom of Desire was in many ways original, breaking the barriers of dramatic genre, combining East and West, the traditional and the modern.

Lin and Wu both believe that the contemporary performing artist must maintain an open mind. "The performing arts have much in common the world over," Wu said. "Why close yourself off?" Wu Hsing-kuo, himself an outstanding Peking opera actor, added that although some fans of traditional Peking opera may have found it difficult to accept the complicated lighting and sound effects used in Kingdom, the attempt was to let younger people recognize the possibility of "modernizing" and "internationalizing" China's traditional art.

Having said so much, Wu was quick to stress the following: "Peking opera is already an art form perfect in itself, which I have no intention of trying to 'improve.' At the same time, Western drama has its own traditions that we needn't think about turning into Peking opera. What we're trying to do is merely to keep an open mind about finding a method of performing most appropriate for the 'contemporary Chinese.'"

The open minds Wu and Lin have toward art are related to their background in the Cloud Gate Dance Ensemble. In the ensemble's early days, dancers were trained in the most traditional and provincial Chinese forms of dance as well as the most avant-garde Western ones in addition to attending a variety of classes in literature, art, and music.

Wu and Lin are both most grateful for their experience at Cloud Gate. A graduate of the Fu Hsing Chinese Opera School and a drama major at Chinese Culture University, Wu knew nothing about modern dance before joining Cloud Gate in 1974 on the recommendation of a teacher. Yet, relying on his firm foundation in kungfu, he was able to master even the most difficult dance movements. Although in looking back on it now he feels himself to have been perhaps no more than a "tool" of the choreographer, he still maintains that his four years with the company immensely enriched his entire artistic life.

Besides artistic nurture, Cloud Gate means something more to Wu and Lin: it was there that they met, fell in love, and got married.

In 1978 Wu entered an army Chinese opera troupe to discharge his military service. After the challenge of Cloud Gate, he found the routine there unfulfilling, but he stuck with it and in 1984 and 1985 won two successive "golden statue" awards as Chinese opera's best actor in sheng roles.

Not satisfied with this, Wu still hoped to do more for Peking opera--he hoped to found a new troupe. But the one who really put things together, who brought his idea to fruition, was Lin Hsiu-wei.

Lin is a young woman of great charm, whose eyes sparkle and whose gestures became animated when discussing any question related to the arts and who throws herself completely into any project she takes on until it is accomplished. For her, the meaning of an effort lies all in the "process"; success or failure is another matter. Because of this, her artistic road has taken many turns.

After being a dance instructor at Cloud Gate for eight years, she became manager of the Contemporary Legend Theatre. Then last June she won a Fulbright scholarship to study in New York at the Jose Limon Dance Center. Painful as they felt the separation would be, Wu supported her fully and encouraged her to go, taking care of their six-year-old son in her stead.

Lin had studied dance over twenty years, including Western ballet and contemporary dance as well as Chinese traditional folk dance and Peking opera, and had choreographed some works herself, but her five months in New York still proved enlightening. She was struck most by her teacher's parting admonition during her final performance before her classmates. As Lin basked in the applause of her fellow students, her teacher warned her, "Everyone thinks you're good, and you really did dance well. But in my view you're only repeating yourself from five months ago."

Back in the ROC, Lin immersed herself in Kingdom of Desire, but at the same time began to conceive Myth of the Late 20th Century, which would involve only two dancers, her and her husband, abandoning all the techniques they learned over the years to rely solely on feelings and intuition to express the human body's most primitive and natural movements.

"That was really difficult," Lin said, almost as if to herself. "It was like forcing yourself to give up your mother tongue and learn another language."

Myth tells the story of Nu Wa, who gave birth to Fu Hsi, married him, and together created the universe. Although Wu had long ago given up contemporary dance, he was attracted by his wife's creative concept, which allowed him to express himself without feeling he was merely a "choreographer's tool."

How did audiences react to this bold endeavor?. "Like Kingdom of Desire, Myth was just an experiment, a step forward," Lin answered. "The most important thing is whether it can bring contemporary dance here some new concepts, whether it can point out a new road."

Wu recalled that his wife had urged him to go forward with Kingdom when he was hesitant and felt the time had not yet arrived. And Hsu Po-yun, the director of New Aspect, had said, "What does that mean--'the time hasn't arrived'? If you don't do it now, when the time does 'arrive,' you'll be too old to have the urge to do it!"

Discussing art and creativity, this young couple are eloquent and unrestrained in their conversation. Until suddenly Lin Hsiu-wei calls out with a start: "The child care center's about to close. We've got to pick up our son!"

The two rush off hand in hand, their road home yet another road to art.

[Picture Caption]

Wu Hsing-kuo and Lin Hsiu-wei charge the myth of Fu Hsi and Nu Wa with energy.

Lin Hsiu-wei's beauty is ever-changing.

Tranquil and relaxed: Lin Hsiu-wei guest teaches at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts.

Lin instructs her husband in a movement from Myth.

Wu Hsing-kuo played the Macbeth-like role of Au Shu-cheng in The Kingdom of Desire.

Linked hand in hand and heart to heart, they are opening a new road for contemporary Chinese dance. (photo by Wang Chih-hung)

Playing with their son at kungfu and Chinese opera is a favorite amusement at home.

Tranquil and relaxed: Lin Hsiu-wei guest teaches at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts.

Lin instructs her husband in a movement from Myth.

Wu Hsing-kuo played the Macbeth-like role of Au Shu-cheng in The Kingdom of Desire.

Linked hand in hand and heart to heart, they are opening a new road for contemporary Chinese dance. （photo by Wang Chih-hung）

Playing with their son at kungfu and Chinese opera is a favorite amusement at home.

Wu Hsing-kuo and Lin Hsiu-wei charge the myth of Fu Hsi and Nu Wa with energy.