According to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department Web site, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (above) is scheduled to open in autumn 2000. Now that the Mid-Autumn Festival has come and gone, doors of the 28,500-square-metre museum in Sha Tin remain firmly shut. A department spokesman says the new 'museum of history, art and culture' is now likely to open in December. So what is causing the delay? 'It is quite simple,' the official explains. 'Because we need to have the admission fees approved by the Legislative Council first before we can open the place to the public.' But why hadn't the LCSD taken this into consideration before setting the deadline for the museum opening? The official replies: 'Well, the time it takes for anything to pass through Legco is completely beyond our control. However, we now hope it will be plain sailing form now on and the Heritage Museum will be opened at the end of this year.' We will now add this item to our ever growing 'Whatever Has Happened To' files, alongside the Bruce Lee 'memorial gallery' and plans to build a cultural centre in West Kowloon.
I can hear the Eurythmics singing Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves in my head as I write this. Four productions that are written, produced and directed by women for women (and men who are intrigued by their curious titles) are set to take centre stage next month. And you will find more female private body parts being discussed than you would in a gynaecology lecture. First in the line is Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues by New Voice Company at the Fringe Club (October 3 to 14). The Fringe's Catherine Lau, who recently saw the show in Manila, says the four performances there at a 700-seat venue were packed and a re-run is already being planned. The Hong Kong version, which is in English, is billed to feature 'lusty, outrageous, poignant and brave stories based on interviews with women'.
Then there are two shows about the female breast: Australian-born physical theatre performer Peta Lily's Topless at the Fringe (October 19 to 21) and Making Boobs by local writer Sally Dellow at the Arts Centre (October 18 to 22 and then October 25 to 27). Both shows use drama as well as humour to look at the serious issue of breast cancer. Making Boobs will be staged by Square Peg Theatre to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last but not least is American Community Theatre's The Women at the Arts Centre (October 19 to 21). With an all-female cast, this Clare Boothe Luce play deals with how women living in a social circle full of Henrys and Pansys handle love and infidelity.
