Taiwan Goodwill Mission — A Good Show Lost in Translation

By Beatrice Lee, bostonese.com, photos by John Tsou

All new programs started in September and we reviewers have been very busy in the theatrical world. Being an independent IRNE reviewer, I could go to see a new show every single night this month but still won’t be able to cover all. By the end of the month that I still won’t be able to finish …..
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A scene from the Chinese opera during the Goodwill Mission show, photo credit: John Tsou.





Phyllis and I went to see the Taiwanese Goodwill Mission at Regis College and it was much better than I had expected. I like the Chinese Orchestra better than anything else. They were expert for sure.

I was happy at the second row center VIP section. Behind the Taiwan officials, the local “politicians” and the so called “social climbers”.


We sat next to Wei-San and Tony Chen , the head organizers of Beijing Opera and “Taipei -Tokyo ” owner , this year’s TAIWAN BUSINESS ASSO’s Jim Ling, the terminus guy, Roger Tsai and the VIP big shot architect , Ben Wang and his wife were at the same row with us. I was kind of upset they didn’t let the Yi-wen young girls in. She had just as much right like others to sit there. Just because she was not from Taiwan and not “pushy enough”. I would have been insisted on sitting there. Too bad.

The programs were great, The English translations were not good at all. I know the person was nervous, and they couldn’t afford a professional one but they should pick some young people who could do a lot better than that person last night.

I was really embarrassed about that translation, just because she had donated some money and got the job “on stage”and did a undesirable job. Many friends have agreed with me. The worst part was she had translated “the ladders into stairs and steps.” If I didn’t get it, no one would had gotten it. After I told the “head”, the big shot, the response was even more ridiculous. “You expect me to donate more money? You must be kidding.”
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After I got home, this story I heard about that 911 matter in the last row from Bewah. I was even more upset. How could you run the program without security such as that? Regis and the organization would have a large lawsuit on their hand if something had happened to that woman that night.