Yi-Hsuan (Ant) Ma's Portfolio 2017-2021

YI-HSUAN (ANT) MA SET DEAIGN FOR STAGE AND FILM

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THEATER SCENIC DESIGN

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FILM PRODUCTION DESIGN

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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THEATER SCENIC DESIGN -

SPRING AWAKENING (MUSICAL)

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ANTIGONE

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DEATH AND THE KING'S HORSEMAN

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PAGLIACCI (OPERA)

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DROWNING

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A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

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SEVEN DEADLY SINS (BALLET CHANTÉ)

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Spring Awakening -

MUSICAL WITH MUSIC BY DUNCAN SHEIK

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A BOOK AND LYRICS

BY STEVEN SATER.

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BASED ON THE 1891 GERMAN PLAY SPRING AWAKENING BY FRANK WEDEKIND

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½” SCALE MODEL @ ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Spring Awakening (musical) I SET IT IN TAIWAN AND AT THE PERIOD 1970-80 WHEN IT WAS UNDER THE AUTOCRACY CONTROL AND STARTING THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION TWISTS TEENAGERS’ PERSONALITY. SCHOOL IS SOMEHOW LIKE A FACTORY. THERE IS AN UNBALANCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIFFERENT CLASSES AND POSITIONS. WE CAN ONLY OBEY AND BECOME A SCREW LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I’M COMBINING THE IDEA OF GREEN HOUSE AND MY HIGH SCHOOL. PLAYING AROUND THE LOCKERS WHICH HIDE STUDENTS’ SECRET AND THEIR STORIES.

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Spring Awakening (musical) MAIN RESEARCH

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BEGINNING WENDLA ARGUES WITH MOM

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ACT1 SCHOOL SONG ”MY JUNK”

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ACT1 WENDLA AND MELCHIOR IN FOREST

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ACT2 SCHOOL PRESIDENT’S SPEECH

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ACT2 ILSE INVITES MORITZ TO COME

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ACT2 MORITZ’S FUNERAL

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ACT2 REFORMATORY

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ACT2 REFORMATORY & HOSPITAL

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ACT2 GRAVEYARD

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GROUND PLAN

CHAIR

CHAIR LOCKER'S DOOR

CHAIR

CHAIR CHAIR

window

CHAIR

PIANO

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Antigone -

GREEK TRAGEDY BY SOPHOCLES

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½” SCALE MODEL @ ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Antigone by Sophocles I KEEP THINKING ABOUT “HOLE” AND “CYCLE” WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT. CHORUS MENTIONED ZEUS, POWERFUL AND FATEFUL BELIEF. BUT THEY ALSO MAKE ME FEEL THEY ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS. EVEN THEY ALL WANT TO BE GOOD, STILL MISTAKE. I CREATED LAYERS TO COVER THE COUNTRY. ALSO, IT REMINDS ME OF THE CELLAR WHERE PRISON ANTIGONE.

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ANTIGONE AND ISMENE

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HAEMON ASKS CHORUS WHAT CAN HE DO

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CREON’S MONOLOGUE

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ANTIGONE PRISON IN CELLAR

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ENDING

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Death and the King‘s Horseman -

A PLAY BY WOLE SOYINKA

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½” SCALE MODEL @ NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP.

Death and the King‘s Horseman

by Wole Soyinka AFTER READING THE PLAY, I RELATED TO THAT WE HAVE SO MANY AFRICA ARTWORKS THAT ARE PROTECTED PERFECTLY IN THE MUSEUM NOWADAYS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THOSE ARE ALL EVIDENCE OF HOW CRUEL WHITE CULTURE DOMINATES THE WORLD IRONICALLY. ALSO, WHAT'S THE "ENTRANCE" OF THE TIME MACHINE/ BOUNDARY, LEADING THE AUDIENCE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THEY ARE REALLY ALIVE IN SOMEWHERE BUT ALSO DYING SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO, I DECIDE TO SET IT IN MUSEUM, REPRESENT THEIR FATE IN AN IRONIC WAY.

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BEGINNING

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MARKET

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COLONIAL OFFICE

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WEDDING RITUAL

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BALL (DANCING PARTY)

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PRISON

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HIS SON DEAD NEWS

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ENDING

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Pagliacci -

AN OPERA BY RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO

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½” SCALE MODEL @ GLIMMERGLASS THEATER

Pagliacci

by Ruggero Leoncavallo PAGLIACCI WHICH WAS PERFORMED BY THEATER TROPE AGAIN AND AGAIN, AUDIENCE STILL LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND EXCITED TO WELCOME THEM. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VILLAGERS AND TROPE IS SPECIAL AND THEY ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER. I CONNECTED THE FEELING TO TAIWANESE OPERA IN MY HOMETOWN. EVERY TIME WHEN WE HAVE AN EVENT NEAR TEMPLE, THERE IS A TRAVELING THEATER TROPE WILL COME TO EVERY SMALL TOWN IN TAIWAN AND HAVE A PERFORMANCE TO VILLAGERS. TAIWANESE OPERA COME FROM CHINESE OPERA ORIGINALLY. BUT BECAUSE TAIWAN WAS COLONIZED BY JAPAN FOR LONG TIME DURING 2ND WORLD WAR, WE DEVELOPED VERY UNIQUE AND ROOTED ON TAIWAN’S CULTURE OPERA GENRE.

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Prologue “A horde of memories was one day running through his head, and he wrote, shedding real tears, with sobs to mark the time! So you will see love, as real as human beings’ love: You will see the sad fruit of hate.”

ACT1 “Long live Pagliacci! You are the prince of clowns.”

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ACT1 _ Nedda’s solo song “What fire there was in his look! I lowered my eyes for fear he should read my secret thoughts.

ACT1 _ Canio’s furious “I want his name!”

ACT1 _Before Intermezzo “Laugh, clown, at your broken love, Laugh at the pain which poisons your heart!”

ACT2 _ villagers gathering “Let’s go with this comedy!”

ACT2 _ THE PLAY

ACT2 _ Murder

ACT2 _ THE PLAY IS OVER!

THE END

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Drowning -

A PLAY BY MARÍA IRENE FORNÉS

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½” SCALE MODEL @ SIGNATURE THEATRETHE GRIFFIN

Drowning

by María Irene Fornés HOW CAN I KNOW WHO AM ?

CAN I DEFINE MYSELF OR AM I DEFINED BY OTHERS? WHEN MY EXISTENCE WASN'T RECORDED/ REMEMBERED BY SOMETHING (EX: NEWSPAPER) THERE ARE THREE PROCESSES OF KNOWING THE WORLD / KNOWING HOW TO RECORD HIMSELF BUT IT'S A PARALLEL NOT LINEAR PROGRESSION.

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BEGINNING

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SCENE1 PEA: IS IT A WOMAN?

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PEA: SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT HER. IN FLESH.

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SCENE2 ROE: I DON’T WANT ANY HARM TO COME TO HIM

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SCENE3 POE: IS THIS WHY WE HAVE SOME TO LIFE?

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SCENE3 POE: TO LOVE LIKE THIS? HURT LIKE THIS?

SCENE3 ROE: HE IS DROWNING. HE HURTS TOO MUCH.

MUSIC: THE END OF THE WORLD SKEETER DAVIS VERSION

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A view from the Bridge -

A PLAY BY ARTHUR MILLER

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½” SCALE MODEL @ STUDIO 153 (SITE SPECIFIC PROJECT)

A view from the Bridge

by Arthur Miller

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EDDIE IS STRUGGLING. I FEEL THE STORY IS ABOUT A MAN IN A CLOSE COMMUNITY, HOW HE COMPRESSED HIS EMOTION AND TRY TO ESTABLISH HIS AUTHORITY IN THIS HOUSE. WALKING IN BETWEEN CRAZINESS AND GUILTINESS. STUDIO 153 LOCATED JUST A BLOCK FROM VALENTINO PIER IN RED HOOK, BROOKLYN WHERE HAS IMMIGRANTS‘ HISTORY WITH SO RICH CULTURE AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. I SET IT IN NOWADAYS AND RACE BLENDED CASTING. USING INDUSTRIAL ELEMENT AND CHARACTER OF OUTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD. WELCOME AUDIENCE TO WALK AROUND THE WHOLE SPACE.

AUDIENCE ENTER THE SPACE SIT DOWN AND WAIT FOR SHOW BEGINS.

GROUND PLAN

LAWYER'S MONOLOGUE.

ROLLING GATE OPEN AUDIENCE ENTER THE SPACE

LAWYER'S OFFICE

EDDIE'S HOUSE

EDDIE’S MONOLOGUE (PHONE BOOTH)

EDDIE WALKED ON THE STREET LONELY

LAWYER TRIES TO HELP MARCO AND RODOLFO (IMMIGRANTS OFFICE)

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Seven deadly sins -

A BALLET CHANTÉ

COMPOSED BY KURT WEILL GERMAN LIBRETTO BY BERTOLT BRECHT -

½” SCALE MODEL @ NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP.

Seven deadly sins composed by Kurt Weill German libretto by Bertolt Brecht IN SEVEN DEADLY SINS, BRECHT USE EXAGGERATED WAYS TO DESCRIBE OUR DAILY LIFE. I WANT THOSE SINS ACCUMULATED BY “PEOPLE” (HER FAMILY MEMBERS AND WHOLE SOCIETY). AND THEY GRADUALLY PUT THE SINS (GARBAGE) ON ANNIE, DESTROYING ALL ANNIE’S FANTASY OF THE WORLD, BECOMING HER NIGHTMARE. I CHOOSE GUMBALL MACHINE, RESPONDING HOW THE WHOLE CAPITALISM WORKS, BECAUSE WHEN WE WANT TO GET SOMETHING, WE NEED TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING TO EXCHANGE IT. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE CANDY FALLING, YOU NEED TO GET A COIN, THEN INSERTING THE COIN, THE GUMBALL MACHINE START TO FUNCTION. HOWEVER, WORLD IS CRUEL AND NON-REASONABLE. BEING GOOD DOESN’T ALWAYS RETURN GOODWILL. WHAT ANNIE BELIEVES ABOUT NO PAIN NO GAIN, IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS HOW THE GUMBALL MACHINE WORKS.

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S0 AUDIENCE ENTER THEATER BLACK PLASTIC MATERIAL COVER THE STAGE. ANNIE IS EAGER TO GET THE CANDY FROM GUMBALL MACHINE, BUT SHE DOESN’T HAVE COINS.

S1 PROLOGUE

S1 PROLOGUE-MUSIC IN

S1-2 PROLOGUE- ANNIE II START TO SING

S2 SLOTH

S2 PRIDE

S4 WRATH

S4 GLUTTONY

S6 LUST

S7 AVARICE

S8 ENVY

S9 EPILOGUE

GROUND PLAN

A NUMBER WAITING FOR GODOT

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See more my design in yihsuanma.wixsite.com/ant-setdesign

HECUBA

WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

FILM PRODUCTION DESIGN -

HESTER STREET

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WAITING FOR TOMORROW

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Hester street -

A FILM BASED ON ABRAHAM CAHAN'S 1896 NOVELLA YEKL: A TALE OF THE NEW YORK GHETTO, -

ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY JOAN MICKLIN SILVER

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½” SCALE MODEL @ STAGE 3 AT STEINER STUDIOS

Hester street screenplay by Joan Micklin Silver

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THEIR MARRIAGE ISN’T STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THEIR DIFFERENT DREAMS. MARRIAGE, ALSO A METAPHOR OF THEIR PAST MEMORIES, TIES THEM TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING. THEY EACH MAKE NEW MARRIAGES AT THE END OF THE FILM. WITH PEOPLE THEY HAVE MET IN AMERICA. PEOPLE FROM THE OLD COUNTRY. BUT PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO BE AMERICAN – WHAT TO KEEP, WHAT TO LOSE, HOW TO ADAPT. WITH GITL’S FIRST STEP INTO AMERICA, SHE BRINGS HER MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND HER DREAM OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE. THIS WEIGHTLESS PAPER IS THE SYMBOL OF HER HOPE. SHE IS AS HELPLESS AS THE OTHER IMMIGRANTS AT ELLIS ISLAND WHILE SHE SITS, STILL, LOOKING OUT FOR JAKE, JOEY’S FATHER -EVEN THOUGH JOEY COULDN’T POSSIBLY RECOGNIZE HIM ANYMORE. AND GITL BARELY CAN. HE’S CHANGED THAT MUCH. JAKE IS NO LONGER YANKEL. AND GITL CAN NO LONGER SATISFY HIM.

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Waiting for tomorrow 美珠肉圓 -

SCREENPLAY AND DIRECTED BY TSUNG-YEN LIN -

SHOT IN TAIWAN, TAIPEI

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LOGLINE:

A WOMAN MUST STRUGGLE ALONE WITH PREGNANCY NEWS WHILE THE FUTURE OF HER NATION IS BEING DECIDED.

SYNOPSIS: A DAY BEFORE THE 2020 TAIWANESE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, YU-ANN LEARNS THAT SHE IS TEN WEEKS PREGNANT — NEWS SHE MUST HANDLE ALONE, GIVEN HER HUSBAND’S PREOCCUPATION WITH HIS WORK FRUSTRATIONS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS. WHILE PRIVATELY CONTENDING WITH HER FEARS FOR THEIR FAMILY’S FUTURE, SHE JOINS HER HUSBAND AT A CAMPAIGN RALLY, AND SEES IN HIM A PASSION AND OPTIMISM WHICH ENCOURAGES HER. ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION, HOURS BEFORE HER HUSBAND SHARES THE DETAILS OF HIS ENTREPRENEURIAL AMBITIONS FOR A BAWAN (DUMPLING) STORE, YU-ANN, OUT OF NOWHERE, SUFFERS A MISCARRIAGE. NO ONE KNOWS BUT HER.

See more my photography in yihsuanma.wixsite.com/ant-setdesign contact: yhm224@nyu.edu