Fairy Godfather
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 2:20 AM
Iron-crutch Li (李铁拐/李鐵拐, PY: Lǐ Tiěguǎi, WG: Li T'ieh-kuai, Japanese: Tekkai) is sometimes said to be the most ancient and popular of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon. He is sometimes described irascible and ill-tempered, but also benevolent to the poor, sick and the needy, whose suffering he alleviates with special medicine from his gourd (calabash ). He is often portrayed as an ugly old man with dirty face, scraggy beard, and messy hair held by a golden band. He walks with the aid of an iron crutch (t'ieh kuai) and often has a gourd slung over his shoulder or held in his hand (Encyclopædia Britannica). He often is depicted as a clown figure who descends to earth in the form of a beggar who uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy (Ho and O'Brien, pg. 1)Lantern Festival - used to serve as a day for love and matchmaking, on which an unmarried girl was traditionally permitted to appear in public unescorted and thus be seen by eligible bachelors. It was one of the few nights in ancient times without a strict curfew. It is sometimes regarded as another Chinese Valentine's Day. Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples.
One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it as one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
Taiyi Zhenren (Chinese: 太乙真人; Pinyin: Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén) is a famous character in Chinese folklore. Taiyi (lit. "great 2nd Celestial stem) means "primordial unity of yin and yang" and Zhenren (lit. "true person") is a Daoist term for "Perfected Person".
So mainly, the Fairy Godfather in our show is going to be a God of Matchmaking. He uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy especially ladies. That explains the "feminine side" in him. He controls the
Director: All
Playwrights: Isaac
Secretary: Rachel
Costume: Wenzhen
Set: Priscilla
Lights/Sound: Priscilla
Movement coach: Saad
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