The Curse of the Forbidden Palace is based loosely on the dramatic life story of Empress Dowager CI XI, a concubine-turned-despot who ruled over the last years of the Qing Dynasty, and was considered responsible for the downfall of Imperial China.
Recalling the many power-mad individuals in today’s society, this production presents the Empress in three tableaus: a strong-willed puppet-master in the court, a lady at play in her private garden, and a woman standing on the roof of the Forbidden Palace, surveying all that she has – and hasn’t.
This multi disciplinary production is curated by experimental arts troupe Nyoba Kan. The members of Nyoba Kan have invited artists from various discipline, each acclaimed in his own field, to search for new possibilities in performing arts in this production. The Curse of the Forbidden Palace features butoh dance, performance art, original music, light installation, art installation, video and other artistic possibilities.
