From the Editor

by Ruth Giordano

Welcome, Dear Readers, to the August/September edition of Red Room Reflections, where we look back on key events of the past month at the Red Room in Taipei.
But before we jump into this month’s offerings, take a moment to enjoy another in a series of contributions in response to a questionnaire distributed by one of the Red Room Interns Leah List, who asked a variety of Red Roomers: What is your favorite memory of Red Room?

Ruth Giordano
Editor for Red Room

“The Red Room was my safe haven, my place of reflection and quiet thoughts. The act of sharing my work and listening to others recharged my battery every month which is probably why I tried
 my best not to miss any session. The warmth and support from the community that is Red Room is without equal. The anticipation of waiting to read 
and then finally getting to share and having everyone listen, enraptured in what you’re saying -only to be met with a genuine applause afterwards – is something everyone should experience and they can because Red Room exists.”

Stage Time & Wine XClI 紅緣寄詩酒92 – August 2017

紅緣寄詩酒92

紅坊在2009年11月9日創辦紅緣寄詩酒,只有因為颱風停辦過一次,這個原本只是大家一個月相聚一次的讀詩會,連續舉行了七年,源源不絕的才華在紅坊寫下來自各方的故事。

今天的紅緣寄詩酒已發展成更多面向的活動,從詩、藝術、故事、分享、音樂,舞蹈,等領域都充滿了樂於分享的人。而我們總是鼓勵每個參與者都上台,哪怕你只是上台跟我們分享一分鐘的靜默,兩分鐘的大吼,只要是你在台上,我們就在台下,專注,傾聽。

傾聽的文化不斷地在紅坊、紅坊活動中出現,提倡透過傾聽,我們能察覺自己,察覺他人,並留意我們周遭一切事物,學習去感受,學習以這樣的狀態尊重欣賞萬事萬物,於內心入定。

92屆,這次最難得的是所有的參與者幾乎都來到台上分享,有熟面孔也有初心者,也是這些人的參與,我們才有辦法在這裡建立連結,創造一個沒有界線,不評斷與多元化的空間。

詩人能使世界的聲音變的和諧,將人生在文字溫潤的力量中詮釋出藝術,將生活裡部支微末節娓娓道出,再請世界慢慢品嚐,細嚼滋味。

By 張悅安 Eann


Stage Time and Wine was a surprise banger this month. Six names on the list turned into ten turned into fourteen, and finishing at 9:30 turned into 10:00 turned into 10:45. When people don’t want to stop the Stage Time train, don’t stop it. You just might have to make friends with the security guard and turn down the mics.

But when you turn down the mics on a night like that, you only get more energy. Those who are still here are in it, one hundred per cent. The listeners lean in a bit more and the poems get a bit longer and everyone’s speech gets a little less filtered and the world outside the Red Room gets a lot less pressing.

On a night like that, the difference between the people who go up on stage and the people who watch them gets smaller and smaller and then there’s no more you and me, just us.

From Addie Eng, MC ST&W 92 – 08/19

Improv for the Stage Time and Juice, August 2017

by Sharon Landon, Volunteer, Red Room

Sharon Landon, core Red Room volunteer, has been capitalizing on her theater background lately by launching a series of classes in improvisational theater (Improv) for the Stage Time and Juice community.

When we asked her to share her impressions of teaching improv to the kids so far, she responded with the following, in which she writes as if one of her own students!

So, this is my first time taking an Improv class…Ever! My mom told me it would be fun and that I’d meet new people and learn how to communicate better and think quicker on my feet. What does that even mean? What is Improv anyway? I heard it’s kind of like acting but I don’t know how to act. What are we supposed to do?

Oh, great, it looks like those two guys know each other. I don’t know Anybody here!! I wish my friend could have come then I wouldn’t feel so nervous. Oh, no! The teacher is starting the class. I hope I don’t make a fool out of myself in front of everyone.

Ok, so we did some warm-up exercises. I don’t know about the “Big Face, Little Face” thing…Sharon was really getting into it. If she doesn’t mind looking silly, I guess it’s ok. I liked the “Space Walk” one though. We had to pretend like we were walking in a big huge typhoon, then like a two-year-old kid, then like we were wearing super tight jeans and a bunch of other stuff. Everyone was laughing – maybe I’ll be ok after all.

After the “Name Game” I thought I knew everyone’s name. Whew! But then when we played “Mr. Hit”, and things got complicated again. But Fun!!

Then we had to learn how to keep a beat (like in music) at the same time we were speaking and doing 2 different actions AND teaching them to another person. At the Same Time. At least I wasn’t the only one! Then “Zip, Zap, Zop!” for concentration + quick reflexes + how team work.

When Sharon called “Break time”, I was like “Wow, already?”

I still didn’t know anybody real well, but I felt more comfortable during break. I guess it was because we had lots of laughs together. And no one seemed to care if I looked silly. Everybody looked silly!

After the break, we started with the word games. First, Categories. I could not believe how many different boys’ or girls’ names there are. And how many things are actually blue. Or round. It wasn’t as easy as it might seem because we couldn’t hesitate or repeat anything. Then there was “Word Ball”. One person has to “throw” a word – with their voice – to another person and that person had to “throw” a related word to someone else and so on. Like I threw “Cat” and that person threw “Cuddly” (they could have also thrown “Meow” or “Fur”…Hey, I’m getting good at this!). We had to be creative without No Time to Think. Spontaneous! (There’s a good word 😉

Then we made up stories one word at a time. So, at the start, nobody knew what the story would be about or how it was going to end or Anything! Some of them were silly, sad or completely crazy. Like Sharon said: we had to really listen to what each person said if we were going to create a story that – at least sort of – made sense.

Before I knew it, class was over. Mom was right. It was cool to meet some new kids and hang out for a couple of hours. Improv is pretty interesting. It’s…I don’t know…Different. Sharon said it takes more classes to develop Improv skills that we could use in our daily life. It would be great if I could just talk to people without being so afraid of what they might think.

Hmmm…I wonder when the next class is?

IMAGINATION IS THE BEGINNING OF CREATION 『創造始於想像。』

Coming up soon! Red Room’s 8-Fest… 紅坊八年祭… 即將展開!

Coming soon
11/18 Articulate 釋放趴

11/19 Narrate 述說趴

SAVE THE DATE
Coming soon
Stone Soup: Red Room Fundraiser, 10/ 21/17 / 石頭湯:紅坊募款晚會

Coming soon
11/25 Create 創造趴

11/26 Elevate 提升趴