Beach Opera “Sun & Sea” Sends Ebbing Messages About Climate Crisis

This summer, the award-winning opera “Sun & Sea” made its debut in Taiwan, marking it as the first Asian destination on its tour. The highly-anticipated opera from Lithuania envelopes the island with its breathtaking melodies, while calling out for ecological harmony.

Sense of Wander: ★★★★★

Sun & Sea held at the former taxi park in Vilnius, Lithuania, which towers at over 31 meters with eight cascading floors. Image source: We Love Lithuania.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — As soon as you arrive the entrance outside Taipei Performing Arts Centre’s Blue Box, an immediate sensation of stifling air envelops you. This warm air carries a faint touch of sea salt, hinting at what’s to come. It turns out that this temperature — 30 degrees Celsius — was a deliberate choice.

Inside the Blue Box, one of the city’s foremost experimental theatre space, a faux beach scene is simulated with sand, setting the stage for Sun & Sea, a widely acclaimed opera by Lithuanian artists Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė.

When Sun & Sea graced the Lithuanian Pavilion at the 58th Venice Art Biennale in 2019, it drew the attention of over 85,000 spectators spanning a period of six months. In the play, spectators stood from the scaffolding above the performers, looking down on carefree vacationers basking on a sun-kissed beach. What began as their nonchalant chatter about daily affairs gradually morphed into dialogues on looming environmental crisis. This vertiginous spectator experience, coupled with its overarching concern for the planet’s well-being, earned the play the Golden Lion Award for best national participation.

Since then, Sun & Sea has embarked on a global tour. This August, the opera landed in Taiwan as the first Asian destination on its tour, enveloping the island with its breathtaking melodies while calling out for ecological harmony.

Amidst the vibrant mosaic of vacationers on the beach, spotting the opera singer is no easy task.

The show in Taiwan follows a 4-hour loop, with each ticket-holder granted a 1-hour experience in the Blue Box. As you step into the theater, the performance is already on full swing. In the first few minutes, though, most spectators find themselves adjusting to their surroundings, as the decision on where to position yourselves — whether standing, squatting, or opting to sit — brings about distinct viewing experiences.

Looking down, a vibrant mosaic unfolds — vacationers donning sunglasses, colourful swimsuits, and an atmosphere that exudes pure holiday bliss. Among them, solitary figures and couples create a spectrum of vignettes. Some are absorbed in reading, while others lose themselves in badminton, beach ball game, or gather in clusters for a chess match. A few recline gracefully on towels, while others relish the sun's caress from beach chairs.

Guided by curiosity, I wander along the scaffolding tracing the rectangular layout of the Blue Box. With no assigned seats in sight, you’re encouraged to roam at will, shifting your viewpoints as you please. This setup offers a voyeuristic window into the lives of leisure-seeking beachgoers below.

Such unique spectator experience was inspired by a trip to New York's Guggenheim Museum, where the Lithuanian artists envisioned watching a performance in the atrium from the museum’s ascending spiral ramp. The fluidity of vantage points transcends passive observation, as if evoking the perspective of an omnipresent creator watching over humanity.

While most spectators opt to stay put in one spot, I track the “singer” as they shift from one performer to another. Curiously, this wandering blurs the boundary between spectators and performers, immersing audience members in this artfully orchestrated “vacation”.

A seemingly relaxed lady on the beach reading her book is, in fact, a singer in Sun & Sea.

Among the limited number of male singers in Sun & Sea, this duo stands out prominently in the play.

From above, the beach appears somewhat crowded, with just inches between each towel spread across the sand. Yet, the occupants of each towel seem to inhabit a world of their own, distinct from their neighbours. This differentiation becomes even more pronounced when a soloist takes the spotlight, while others continue their activities unaffected.

Amidst the play's original cast, local volunteers also weave their presence in this beach scene — some in tranquil repose, others in lively motion, engaging with one another. Occasionally, spoken Mandarin wafts through the air, infusing a touch of both local intimacy and foreign allure to the Lithuanian opera. In fact, hints of Taiwanese culture can be observed among the props scattered on the sand, ranging from the Taiwan traditional bag in its iconic red, green, and blue stripes to emptied bento boxes often used for takeout.

Sun & Sea graced the Blue Box at the Taipei Performing Arts Centre in Taipei, Taiwan. The rectangular scaffolding invites spectators to freely observe the vacationers from above.

Scores and librettos constitute the very core of the opera, weaving the seemingly irrelevant beachgoers on stage. The nonchalant ambiance that permeates the play also acquires greater depth thanks to its musical accompaniment. Certain moments remain etched in memory — even as I write, those melodies continue to echo in my mind.

The librettos, starting as casual musings, gradually evolve into profound reflections on disappearing coral reefs, long-lost mammoths, and the shifting hues of the sea and sky. "O the sea never had so much colour," a soloist's voice resonates.

These various threads paint a vivid picture of the climate crisis that our planet is facing. By presenting such a weighty topic amidst this laid-back seaside ambiance, the opera brilliantly harnesses the power of storytelling to engage its audience in pressing environmental issues. While the play centers on ecology, urging us to focus on our shared climate crisis, the use of 30 tons of sand to recreate the faux beach at its Venice staging has ignited controversy.

“And we, as spectators, resemble those sunbathers idly lounging on the beach, conveniently ignoring the havoc we’re wreaking on our world. “

Praised as the best play in the last 10 years by the New York Times, Sun & Sea is a must-see for art enthusiasts and theatre aficionados. Nevertheless, I was slightly disappointed to find that the Blue Box's scaffolding is only two floors high — a somewhat scaled-down experience compared to the awe-inspiring vision originally conceived for this production.

In Sun & Sea, there were lights, but not the sun. The beach sprawled before us, but the sea stood us up. In the absence of both elements — the sun and the sea, which ironically gave its title — it's as if we’re being told that what we are witnessing is already a glimpse of the world's end. The carefree demeanour of these beachgoers — a representation of humanity at large — casts a reflection on our indifference in the face of a global crisis.

One thing about artworks and plays addressing ecological or environmental issues is that once it’s finished, life resumes as usual. And we, as spectators, are no different from those sunbathers idly lounging on the beach, conveniently ignoring the havoc we’re wreaking on our world. But if the world is indeed gearing up for a curtain call, perhaps there's wisdom in embracing nonchalance over panic.

Reference:

Farago, Jason (May 13, 2019). “The Don't-Miss Shows and Pavilions at the Venice Biennale“. The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
Farago, Jason (Sept. 16, 2021). “Review: In 'Sun & Sea,' We Laze Away the End of the World“. The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
Program notes for Sun & Sea. August 19-27, 2023, Taipei Performing Arts Centre, Taipei.

Sun & Sea was staged at Blue Box, Taipei Performing Arts Centre from August 19 to August 27, 2023.