"The Elephant Is Coming..." attracted more than 150,000 people to watch the performance in Taipei in two days. The director clarified that the interaction with the authorities was not confrontational.

Director Jacob (right) greets the audience on the main stage during the final performance of "Here Comes the Elephant..." in Taipei yesterday. (Provided by Beijing Art Center)

[Reporter Dong Baiting/Reporting from Taipei] The Taipei Performing Arts Center invited the French Oposito Theater Company to perform "The Elephant Is Coming..." in Taiwan. It attracted more than 150,000 people to take to the streets of Shilin in two days. However, before the performance, director Jean-Raymond Jacob mentioned in French on the troupe's official website that this type of large-scale street performance was traveling through Taipei for the first time. When discussing safety measures with the competent authorities, it was sometimes like a "wrestling", and relevant screenshots were circulated on the Internet. After the performance ended, Jacob specifically clarified that there seemed to be "a little misunderstanding" from the outside world and that the sparks between the two parties were not confrontational.

The French Oposito Theater Company's "The Elephant Is Coming..." attracted more than 150,000 people to watch the performance on the streets of Shilin. (Photo by reporter Chen Yiquan)

Jacob previously wrote on the official website that Taipei lacked experience in handling such large-scale street performances in the past, and the team and relevant units are still continuing to discuss safety measures. He also described that "a city is a person" who must be listened to and dialogued with, and he also affirmed the assistance of the Taipei Performing Arts Center team.

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"The Elephant Is Coming..." was performed on a rainy night, bringing a fantastic scene to the streets of Taipei. (Photo by reporter Chen Yiquan) The two-day performance of "The Elephant Is Coming..." attracted more than 150,000 viewers. (Provided by Beijing Art Center)

Faced with the discussion triggered by the word "wrestle", the Beijing Art Center issued a press release today stating that director Jacob explained that the city and the theater troupe are like people with distinct personalities, each with their own ideas. When the two parties start a dialogue, sparks will naturally fly. "These sparks are not confrontation." The key is to listen to each other and find a way to complete the performance together. He also cited the first performance as an example. Originally, the team had hoped to reduce some of the fences. However, after facing an unexpected crowd at the first show on the 5th, he re-understood the role of safety facilities and believed that fences "may not be a bad thing" and allowed the audience to maintain order in the large flow of people.

Director Jacob recently recorded the production process of the Taipei version of "The Elephant Comes..." in French on the theater company's official website. (Photo taken from the official website of Oposito Theater Company)

"The Elephant Is Coming..." was performed on Shilin Jihe Road on September 5 and 6. On the first day, more than 100,000 people poured in, and some sections of the road were temporarily blocked. The city government adjusted diversion and dispersal measures the next day. On the 2nd, the cumulative number of people on site exceeded 150,000, which was a spectacular sight.

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