Hsin Ho Hsing Opera Troupe's "Three Waters Reflecting the Heart" (2 Performances)

Program Introduction:
"Three Waters Reflecting the Heart" uses the Water Prefecture Judge A-ti (阿滴) as a guide to unfold a millenia-spanning trial between mother and son. A yin-world officer mistakenly escorts the living Chiang I-hsuan (江怡璇) into the underworld, pulling out three unresolved old cases: Ting Lan (丁蘭) scolding his mother, Nezha rebelling against his father, and Ch'in Ying (秦英) kicking the emperor's father-in-law to death. Led by A-ti, she travels through three temporal spaces—the pond water of the mortal world, the waters of the Eastern Sea, and the golden water of the imperial city—witnessing the rupture and cost of three mother-son relationships. Ting Lan loses his mother in a moment of anger; Nezha severs familial ties through extreme rebellion; Ch'in Ying's arrogance leads to disaster, forcing his mother to bow and plead for mercy. Three lives, all moving toward regret due to not understanding love. When the trial extends to the modern era, the scene shifts to daily city life, where a mother and son quarrel over trivial matters, reflecting the unchanging distance between hearts across time. Chiang I-hsuan gradually awakens between drama and reality, re-understanding the meaning of "filial piety" and "love." The entire play uses "three waters" as a metaphor, reflecting three kinds of human confusion, ultimately completing a spiritual journey about understanding and letting go in the act of seeing oneself.