Most people have seen a play, but now many are going to view a stage, and an uncompleted one at that. This unusual spectacle is taking place on Shenlung Street in Tainan, where flocks of the curious gather to peer at a special theatre platform ordered by a group of university professors. The price for this work is said to come to NT$800,000 (US$20,000), the equivalent of four new Yue Loong cars or raising a child from birth into puberty. Tainan master craftsman Ch'en Maohsiung, in charge of design and engraving, scoffs at those who question the cost, "If it wasn't worth the money, why are so many people coming to see it?"

This April a group of professors from various departments at National Taiwan University founded an association to preserve classic Taiwanese puppet theatre. They had three objectives, being to collect old stages and puppets, gather scripts and musical scores, and record the memories of old puppet masters. Building the stage was the first important step of the organization.

In the late 1940s Taiwan counted over four hundred classic puppet theatre troupes, but today only five remain. They have their own stages, but owing to generations of wear and tear and the cost of maintenance, the platforms lack their original elegance.

In their construction, old stages closely resembled the temples of south China, having heavy beams, colored tablets, a base, and inlaid doors. Yet given the smaller size of the puppet platforms, the carving had to be finer and even more exquisite, posing a greater challenge to the craftsman's skill and imagination.

Finding a stage which could serve as a blueprint for the new theatre proved to be difficult. Books were consulted and artifacts considered, but most were found to be unacceptable. Finally the group selected what was the oldest puppet theatre platform in Taiwan, copying everything except the design of the roof.

Shaped like a hexagon, the stage had four pillars, two shaped like a dragon and two like a phoenix. In the rear hides the puppet master, "selling his sound and skill but not his looks." According to Ch'en Mao-hsiung, the pieces of the stage, the beams, tablets, window frames, platform, and curtain frame, numbering over 200 in all, were made entirely from camphor wood. The size of the theatre exceeds an ordinary one only by fifty centimeters, but its price is five times greater. Ch'en Maohsiung will tell the inquisitive that the cost of hiring over twenty craftsmen, whose daily fee runs from NT$800-1000 (US$2025), played a major part in the creation of such a bill.

Design decisions are not easy. Should this door have engraved on it a tiger ready to pounce or would the Eight Immortals crossing the sea be more suitable? Does this spirit make a good match with the mythical hero facing it? All of these matters were handled by Ch'en, who has been carving for temples for 26 years and is the picture of experience and self-confidence. He is said to have a remarkable memory for landscapes, animals, and phantoms, which is well-evidenced by his work on the theatre.

The theatre is scheduled for completion sometime in November, and at present several Tainan craftsmen are busy putting together the over 200 finely carved pieces. When this stage is finished, however, there still remains the roof. Three of four craftsmen will take approximately a month to assemble its 3000 miniscule tiles.

In December the stage will be moved to Taipei, where it will be formally unveiled and ready for puppet theatre performances. It remains to be seen whether the main attraction will be the play or the stage itself.

[Picture Caption]

The design of the stage closely resembled that found in the temples of South China, with similar roofs, tablets, window frames, and platforms. The sketch above is that of the stage used by the troupe of Li T'ien-lu, the oldest in Taiwan. Below is that commissioned by the professors at National Taiwan University. Note the difference between the roofs and the greater complexity of carving in the stage below.

This stage, which cost NT$800,000 (US$20,000), has a roof with a design based on the Taipei North Gate.

Ch'en dispenses with preliminary sketches and designs directly on the wood. (Photo by Liu Huan-yueh).

Ch'en Mao-hsiung is proudest of this chrysanthemum flower, with its three finely carved layers.

Puppet stage carving requires infinite skill.

The design of the stage closely resembled that found in the temples of South China, with similar roofs, tablets, window frames, and platforms. The sketch above is that of the stage used by the troupe of Li T'ien-lu, the oldest in Taiwan.

Ch'en Mao-hsiung is proudest of this chrysanthemum flower, with its three finely carved layers.

Ch'en dispenses with preliminary sketches and designs directly on the wood. （Photo by Liu Huan-yueh）.

Puppet stage carving requires infinite skill.