UTOPIAZOO: The Bubbletea Incident

Actor +Puppets+ Shadows+Mask／70mins

Text: Jung-shih Chou
Director: Pei-Yu Shih

Premiere
9 Jul. 2022 Weiwuying Children’s Festival 
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Playhouse

Integration is a very complicated issue in the current multicultural society. Ranging from large groups such as ethnic and cultural groups to small groups in schools and companies, we face the problem of “how to get along” every day. In what ways should we coexist in all these different “relationships”? How should we tolerate, consider, and understand?

Through a fable of two ethnic groups living together, this play hopes to provide a platform for parents and children to hold discussions, whether superficially or in-depth. A child’s world may be relatively simple, but the understanding of “individual and group” and “minority and majority” is a very important experience in their growth and development.

The armadillo father and son enjoyed the exhibition “The Bubble Tea Incident”, which displayed many odd objects, including housing models of the “New Utopia” residential area, huge bags, huge muzzles, some slideshows, and documentaries. It seemed like the incidents that happened before Little Armadillo was born were related to Father Armadillo. Little Armadillo thought his father’s “legendary animal friends” were bad people, but unexpectedly, Father Armadillo told a different version of the history.

After fleeing from the natural disaster, the homeless Utopia Zoo clan arrived at the Armadillo Kingdom and pleaded for the King to take them in. In order to gain permanent residency, they tried hard to express their goodwill, hoping to impress the King. In return, the King also responded kindly and offered them jobs. However, to ensure the safety of the people of the Armadillo Kingdom, the Utopia Zoo clan has to follow some “rules.” Everything seemed to end up being perfect until an incident happened in front of the bubble tea shop. One day, after the Utopia Zoo clan finished their grueling day’s work, they thought of having a cup of the sweet bubble tea to soothe their weariness. However, a misunderstanding panicked the people of the Armadillo Kingdom, which eventually lead to the clan’s death…