Wednesday, November 10, 2004
My Words for Destination Nowhere
Today I have my last performance class, we had to give comment to the show and this subject. The show is something everyone of us precious a lot, it is an unforgettable moment in our life. We enjoy the uncomfortable feeling and the unpredictable response, not even mention how much we love the opportunity to experiment and burst the mainstream middle-class theatre stereotype.
Most of the people really love our short plays, and some of them seriously did come back on the other night. But we know few of the audience did not like our play, which we have expected that already, and we don't give a shit. I still think our play is excellent, Sisse and Jordy did a very great job in playwriting and directing. The point is that, Australian theatre rarely put on compelling play to challenge their viewers. Do not take it as a grant that theatre play is supposed to be entertaining and comfortable to watch, it is supposed to make you think.
"Art is not a mirror held up to reflect reality, it is a hammer with which to smash the mirror which is reality."
Therefore, if you are shocked by the content and the context of our play, don't run away. Think! What is that in this play making you feel so uncomfortable to watch? Why did you rejecting/ in fear of those conventions? This is the successful dimension, in which people watching a play and how a play can explore people's mind. A rape scene is not a marketing strategy to attract people to watch us, please don't be so superficial. Every action and line in a theatre has its intention and reason behind, rather than to entertain you. This is art.
Overall, this is definitely my most favorite subject ever in these 3 years, which is just 1 inch over the advance radio production. Michael is a very intelligent performance production teacher, who always encourages experiments by giving us an enormous space to sketch our creativity. He is the director of King Lear that I watched last June, which I had mentioned in the blog before, it was an amazing production in the aspect of the context. On the other hand, I'm very lucky to be in this team, which is probably the best team in all the classes. We all like to try and give chance for everyone, of course a good friendship has also developed. Indeed, I feel like if now was just the beginning of the class, it would be awesome!
Emilia and all her lovely lines will be living inside of me, always, as a momentous memory - "One day you will be sitting in your lounge room on the other side of the world, the next finding yourself in the company of strangers, like old friends." ; "What is the worst thing you have ever done? Something completely fucked up?" ; "Kiss me, Touch me, Fuck me, Hold me, Love me, I am..." ; "Drink Anyone? To pleasure and pain, existence and death, may we all be released."; "We are all a bunch of liars, rotten to the core, rotten all."
Some people said my character is a victim (because of the rape probably...), but some of them think Emilia is the villain (because she's playing game and fucking up Jake's mind). My response is, every character in this play also has their innocent side, there's no hero or villain. If you really have to set this formula in, then everyone is hero, everyone is villain. See beyond the character, the intention of Emilia is definitely related to the scum, which is the picture that she tear off in the beginning of the scene. Trying to get away from the past, trying to forget by searching a new situation, trying to trust and begin. Sometimes I think... maybe that is not a rape. (if you know what I mean!) Emilia is absolutely a very interesting role to be performed.
OK, these are what I wanna say about my production.
Cowboys & Cowgals! Dance with me in Coles!
Today I was shopping food in the Coles. I put on the best Japanese HipHop/FunkRock band Dragon Ash in my CD player with maximum volume, and something really kool had happened. People around me, they danced! Well, not high energy dance-dance, but like subtle feet-tapping-dance.
I think this is very kool, especially my head flashed back with some vague deja vu visions. Ya'know there're quite a few of music videos in 90s, they have some people doing normal things on the street, and all in a sudden they dance crazily with the singer/ the band. Imagine me and those people dancing in the Coles... (in Har Mar Superstar style/ maybe Austin Power?) LOL. That's gonna be hilarious.
P.S. My bracelace is broken, it's my lucky charm. Does it mean the bracelace has blocked some bad luck for me?
[[audio: Dragon Ash - Deep Impact]]
Today I have my last performance class, we had to give comment to the show and this subject. The show is something everyone of us precious a lot, it is an unforgettable moment in our life. We enjoy the uncomfortable feeling and the unpredictable response, not even mention how much we love the opportunity to experiment and burst the mainstream middle-class theatre stereotype.
Most of the people really love our short plays, and some of them seriously did come back on the other night. But we know few of the audience did not like our play, which we have expected that already, and we don't give a shit. I still think our play is excellent, Sisse and Jordy did a very great job in playwriting and directing. The point is that, Australian theatre rarely put on compelling play to challenge their viewers. Do not take it as a grant that theatre play is supposed to be entertaining and comfortable to watch, it is supposed to make you think.
"Art is not a mirror held up to reflect reality, it is a hammer with which to smash the mirror which is reality."
Therefore, if you are shocked by the content and the context of our play, don't run away. Think! What is that in this play making you feel so uncomfortable to watch? Why did you rejecting/ in fear of those conventions? This is the successful dimension, in which people watching a play and how a play can explore people's mind. A rape scene is not a marketing strategy to attract people to watch us, please don't be so superficial. Every action and line in a theatre has its intention and reason behind, rather than to entertain you. This is art.
Overall, this is definitely my most favorite subject ever in these 3 years, which is just 1 inch over the advance radio production. Michael is a very intelligent performance production teacher, who always encourages experiments by giving us an enormous space to sketch our creativity. He is the director of King Lear that I watched last June, which I had mentioned in the blog before, it was an amazing production in the aspect of the context. On the other hand, I'm very lucky to be in this team, which is probably the best team in all the classes. We all like to try and give chance for everyone, of course a good friendship has also developed. Indeed, I feel like if now was just the beginning of the class, it would be awesome!
Emilia and all her lovely lines will be living inside of me, always, as a momentous memory - "One day you will be sitting in your lounge room on the other side of the world, the next finding yourself in the company of strangers, like old friends." ; "What is the worst thing you have ever done? Something completely fucked up?" ; "Kiss me, Touch me, Fuck me, Hold me, Love me, I am..." ; "Drink Anyone? To pleasure and pain, existence and death, may we all be released."; "We are all a bunch of liars, rotten to the core, rotten all."
Some people said my character is a victim (because of the rape probably...), but some of them think Emilia is the villain (because she's playing game and fucking up Jake's mind). My response is, every character in this play also has their innocent side, there's no hero or villain. If you really have to set this formula in, then everyone is hero, everyone is villain. See beyond the character, the intention of Emilia is definitely related to the scum, which is the picture that she tear off in the beginning of the scene. Trying to get away from the past, trying to forget by searching a new situation, trying to trust and begin. Sometimes I think... maybe that is not a rape. (if you know what I mean!) Emilia is absolutely a very interesting role to be performed.
OK, these are what I wanna say about my production.
Cowboys & Cowgals! Dance with me in Coles!
Today I was shopping food in the Coles. I put on the best Japanese HipHop/FunkRock band Dragon Ash in my CD player with maximum volume, and something really kool had happened. People around me, they danced! Well, not high energy dance-dance, but like subtle feet-tapping-dance.
I think this is very kool, especially my head flashed back with some vague deja vu visions. Ya'know there're quite a few of music videos in 90s, they have some people doing normal things on the street, and all in a sudden they dance crazily with the singer/ the band. Imagine me and those people dancing in the Coles... (in Har Mar Superstar style/ maybe Austin Power?) LOL. That's gonna be hilarious.
P.S. My bracelace is broken, it's my lucky charm. Does it mean the bracelace has blocked some bad luck for me?
[[audio: Dragon Ash - Deep Impact]]
