‘A Chance Encounter’ with Taiwanese Hand Puppetry Master Chen Hsi-Huang

Performance by Taiwan Puppetry Master Chen Hsi-Huang brings traditional hand puppetry to Atlanta stage.

Led by a fifth-generation master puppeteer, Chen Hsi-Huang Traditional Puppet Troupe is bringing Taiwan’s mesmerizing, traditional hand puppetry to Atlanta with A Chance Encounter, June 15-16. Presented solely through movement and music, the performance is a dazzling showcase of puppet martial arts and acrobatics. This story of a brave, young student who rescues a young lady from a gang of hoodlums, includes intricate, difficult movements that reveal the personalities of the characters and their relationships to one another. In addition to the skilled puppeteers, the performance will be accompanied by five musicians playing traditional instruments.

Patrons are encouraged to attend a post-performance discussion with Master Chen and the company after each show. Master Chen is the only glove puppeteer in Taiwan to be recognized by the Ministry of Culture for two fields in puppetry, including his contributions to the preservation of traditional glove puppetry, costumes and props. He is also subject of the 2018 documentary film, “Father.”

The special performances are sponsored in part by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Culture; the Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO); and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta (TECO in Atlanta). The presentation celebrates the 40^th anniversary of the Atlanta-Taipei Sister City relationship.