August 2019 Red Room Reflections
By Empress
In the summer of 2018, I came to Taiwan for a sabbatical from a comfortable life in Southern California. Most people know me professionally as Professor or Dr. Fu. Those who know me well have been known to refer to me as “Empress,” a nickname affectionately given to me by friends during a travel abroad program in Taiwan. Empress personally believes in radical self-expression and enjoys bringing this out of others as well. Red Room has become like a second home for Empress in Taiwan, thus complicating the original plan to work on a textbook as Visiting Professor of NTU while learning Mandarin and rediscovering my roots as an ABT (American Born Taiwanese).
Although I’ve had a passion for the performing arts since my youth, my parents usually discouraged my pursuit of the arts (even threatened to stop supporting my college education when I declared my intentions to double major in psychology and theatre). Be careful what you wish for, as I offered an intention to the universe that I would love to meet fellow creatives and perform during my sabbatical year in Taiwan (prior to flying out, I had already begun scoping out potential venues for a multicultural improv troupe that I formed back in Los Angeles: Stinky Tofu).
On September 9, 2018, I volunteered for WARMs Suicide Awareness Day as a photographer and realized what a special place the Red Room was. Later that month, Formosa Improv Group (FIG) would begin hosting our Monday evening open practice bilingual improv workshops for the community as well as hold our debut performance – our first of many future monthly mainstage shows to follow. As a dancer, it meant a lot that my first time dancing in Taipei during this past year was to learn Irish folk dancing in the Listening Space. I began to feel like part of the Red Room family when given the opportunity to assist with the Diwali (festival of lights) celebration. Since then, I became a Red Roomer. I was proud to be able and sing a couple of times during Taipei’s longest standing open mic: Stage Time and Wine (including during my last Stagetime and Wine appearance in July 2019 when I sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as a duet with Tobie Openshaw). I loved working with an all-female cast during one of the Taipei Shorts “Your Country Needs You.” Shashwati was such a supportive director and the rest of the cast were a delight to play with.
One of the theatrical challenges that i will cherish forever was the opportunity to be in “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit,” the secret one-person play when the actor is handed a script in a sealed envelope before a live audience. It was also during this time that I realized the lengths Red Room goes to protect their own, making me forever grateful to literally be allowed a safe space to play.
Red Room provided the space to collaborate with others for performances such as when FIG worked with 23 Comedy’s Sam Yarbs to help a family in need with a benefit evening. Likewise, i was honored to share the stage with talented musicians and storytellers during Black Lives Matter Taipei at the Red Room.
It made sense for this feminist to observe International Women’s Day by helping to coordinate Celebrating Women in Taipei. I got to meet incredible women through the programming that Roma had pulled together. Likewise, friends I’d grown to admire for their own talents thankfully agreed to participate by boothing (did you make a tiny hat or upcycle a. T-shirt), demonstrating products for her pleasure, co-creating a safe space for a sex-positivity writing and arts workshop that would culminate in Taipei’s version of the Vagina Monologues. CWT was one of my most memorable events during my year in Taiwan.
Did you know that Taiwan had its very own regional version of Burning Man? Red Room made this possible by giving Burners in Taiwan a safe space to meet on a weekly basis in order to prepare for Spark (a pre-burn event in April) as well as Turtle Burn (Taiwan’s fully fledged Burning Man Regional Burn in June). I was proud to be a part of a community trying to promote principles intended to improve our ways of living.
Stage Time and Juice has always had a special place in my heart. Ive been grateful to its coordinator, Carol Yao, for entrusting FIG to perform at three Stage Time and Juices. However, even more meaningful was the opportunity to directly work with select actors to bring to life four of Aseop’s Fables, courtesy of Ruth Giordano’s adaptation. I originally went into psychology to work with children. Therefore, i enjoyed teaching basic foundations of self-confidence, communication, collaboration, etc. through Stage Time and Juice’s Summer Theatre and Arts Camp. I loved working closely with Qori Moore and Carol to help the children flourish after all of their hard work during the week-long summer camp.
The Bloom Within IV event was my last time performing at the Red Room. This was especially meaningful since Empress debuted at the 2018 Bloom Within. Last year, I tried my best to give life to the lived experience of someone who would become one of my dearest confidantes in Taiwan. This year, I dug up the courage to share my own lived experience as a loved one who tries to cope with the effects of mental illness of a close family member. Art is such a cathartic vehicle and I wish to thank the Red Room for providing a unique space to explore such personal issues.
One day I wish to have a wellness center that will similarly allow others to experience healing through expression, community, creativity, etc. in a safe space. I will incorporate many of the things I’ve learned during my time as a Red Roomer, including empowering members of the community to co-create the change they would like to see in the world. Naturally, I hope to be able to partner with Red Room for future wellness-related activities.
I’d like to thank the Red Room for embracing Empress and her ideas. I look forward to returning one day to the Red Room in order to create, perform, collaborate or volunteer again.