Acrobats of Taiwan flip
By Brad Gamin(
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
btgl2s@psu.edu
Who doesn't think of Tai
wanese acrobats on St. Patrick's
Day? Sure they might not be
Irish, but isn't everyone today?
Tonight at 7:30 in Eisenhower
Auditorium, the National Acro
bats of Taiwan will perform their
feats of amazment in front of a
green clad audience.
Eisenhower's administration
is well aware of the draw of other
customary traditions on this par
ticular day.
"It's a good alternative for stu
dents to do something different
on St. Patrick's Day," said Laura
Sullivan, Eisenhower director of
marketing and communications.
She added that there will still
be time for students to partake in
other celebratory customs today.
"The show is at 7:30 and usual
ly lasts about 2 hours," Sullivan
said.
Sullivan's trepidation is well
founded as Kelly Morgan (sopho
more-English and communica-
olesy of www.conceitseries.otg
llhoilcrobsti otTallwat are a. group of professionally trained acrobats that have extensively toured throughout_ China and the rest of the world.
tions arts and sciences) assum
iney sums up Penn State's atti
tude toward the performance.
"I'd love to go if it were any
other clay," Morgan said.
The advertising team at Eisen
hower has combated this position
with a more aggressive ad cam
paign seen in the Daily Collegian.
"Our ad in the Collegian is
much more edgier than what
we've done in the past," Sullivan
said. "We usually have a picture
of the acrobats but since it's St.
Patrick's Day, we did something
a little different"
Sullivan said ticket sales have
obviously been affected by the
holiday and will be available up
until showtime.
Program Director Amy
Vashaw has also set up an oppor
tunity for any ticket holders to
speak with some of the perform
ers.
"At 6:30 in the Eisenhower con
ference room we're holding an
artistic viewpoints session," she
said. "It's a great opportunity to
gain insight into what you are
about to see."
Eisenhower tries to have an
artistic viewpoints session before
every show but this one requires
something unique.
"We had to get a translator
that speaks Mandarin," Vashaw
said. "For this, it's great to have
access to a university"
The Taiwanese acrobats are a
company of 40 performers
decked out in colorful attire uti
lizing objects such as chairs,
tables, poles, ladders, bowls,
plates, bottles and jars.
"The show really has a circus
feel to it with spinning plates and
giant ladders," Sullivan said.
The show ensures to keep an
audience's attention with fire jug
glers and contortionist.
"I'm bringing my 8-year-old
daughter and I just can't wait to
she how she'll react," Sullivan
said.
The acrobats will be doing a
second show in Eisenhower
tomorrow morning, to a sold out
crowd of kids from preschool to
high school from the area. Penn
State students are unable to
attend this performance.
into town
If you go
What Acrobats of Taiwan
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Eisenhower Auditorium
Date: Tonight
Details: Tickets are $l5 for stu
dents with a valid ID and $27
for adults.
The performers are all profes
sionally trained at a number of
Art institutes in China and have
toured extensively throughout
the world.
"This is the third season in a
row that we've had acrobats and
it's always a sold out show," Sulli
van said.
University Park Allocation
Committee offers a student dis
count to the show so students
can get tickets for $l5, $27 for
adults.
"I have faith that not all Penn
State students are in to drinking
green beer and those that aren't
have an amazing opportunity,"
Vashaw said.