Home > Qing Fa Wu's Interview Record > Interview Record I
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
My mother was the supervisor, and my grandfather was the leader of Shui Qiao Lan Lan Troupe (水橋欄籃壇班). At that time, my father lived in Changhua. He was there to play trumpet and drum. When I was still an infant, they took me there and left me in the backstage when they were performing, so I had been listening to the traditional opera since then. Until the World War broke out, my father went back to farm.
After Taiwan's recovery, my father decided to go back to perform in Taiwanese opera at my grandfather's place. I have seven siblings and it was hard to raise so many children depending on the money made performing in opera, so my father went back to farm. But then, he finally made his comeback in traditional art by performing Glove Puppetry when many of the traditional artists decided to quit.
When I was around seven or eight years old, my father could only play trumpet and drum, so he had to hire a master to operate the puppets. I had been learning from the master how to operate puppets from seven to ten years old. I followed him to perform Glove Puppetry and when I was not performing, I went to study at Ching Shan Elementary School. I had been an apprentice assisting the performance of Glove Puppetry until I was thirteen and I began to play the leading role in the puppetry.
I had been doing it for quite a long while and finally around my sixteen or seventeen years old, I established a troupe on my own named New Paradise Glove Puppetry. I became a leader when I was sixteen, but there were many things that were still under my father’s surveillance. My knack had ripened with time and then, I never quit.
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
1.Could you please tell us about your story growing up, Mr. Wu?
When I was little, my parents were performing, but they were not performing Glove Puppetry; they were performing Taiwanese opera –played by real human beings.My mother was the supervisor, and my grandfather was the leader of Shui Qiao Lan Lan Troupe (水橋欄籃壇班). At that time, my father lived in Changhua. He was there to play trumpet and drum. When I was still an infant, they took me there and left me in the backstage when they were performing, so I had been listening to the traditional opera since then. Until the World War broke out, my father went back to farm.
After Taiwan's recovery, my father decided to go back to perform in Taiwanese opera at my grandfather's place. I have seven siblings and it was hard to raise so many children depending on the money made performing in opera, so my father went back to farm. But then, he finally made his comeback in traditional art by performing Glove Puppetry when many of the traditional artists decided to quit.
When I was around seven or eight years old, my father could only play trumpet and drum, so he had to hire a master to operate the puppets. I had been learning from the master how to operate puppets from seven to ten years old. I followed him to perform Glove Puppetry and when I was not performing, I went to study at Ching Shan Elementary School. I had been an apprentice assisting the performance of Glove Puppetry until I was thirteen and I began to play the leading role in the puppetry.
I had been doing it for quite a long while and finally around my sixteen or seventeen years old, I established a troupe on my own named New Paradise Glove Puppetry. I became a leader when I was sixteen, but there were many things that were still under my father’s surveillance. My knack had ripened with time and then, I never quit.
2.When were you first exposed to Glove Puppetry related activity?
In 1945.3.What was your primary motivation to learn Glove Puppetry?
Back then, it was different from now. Fathers were the bosses at home. It was not about what I wanted to learn. We had to obey him no matter what.4.Is there any taboo when performing Glove Puppetry?
The taboo in this realm is that we can't see snakes. We can't even say the word, and that is why when we are performing, we never say that word.5.Could you share with us some experience or gains that impressed you the most during your long experience in Glove Puppetry?
The most unforgettable is when I saw the audiences were mesmerized by my performance. If they like it, they would come to watch the performances for many days.
One of the audiences were so indulged when she was watching the performances, so whenever she was watching, she asked her husband to take care of the kids. The kids cried when they didn't see their mother, and the husband didn't know how to deal with them, so he asked her to go home. The wife refused because it was the climax of the performance and she had to watch it.
The husband got mad and pulled her hair and slapped her in the face. They had a fight. Then the chief of village showed up and told us to cancel the performance.
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
One of the audiences were so indulged when she was watching the performances, so whenever she was watching, she asked her husband to take care of the kids. The kids cried when they didn't see their mother, and the husband didn't know how to deal with them, so he asked her to go home. The wife refused because it was the climax of the performance and she had to watch it.
The husband got mad and pulled her hair and slapped her in the face. They had a fight. Then the chief of village showed up and told us to cancel the performance.
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
Source: taken by Jing-Siou Vanguard
