Viewpoints Point to Global Theatre

The day we visited the thrust to do our viewpoints workshop was one of my favorite endeavors of the semester as a class. As we began to move about the space and respond to one another through various physical/kinesthetic response techniques (directed by Dr. Steiger), I realized that the multiple forms of theatre that we’d been studying throughout the course of the semester were present within consciousness of physicality. Not being able to randomly play with the different forms made me feel like a child not being able to play with a new toy, and in this restriction, I found the motivation to search, create, and play within the activity. I found myself constantly fighting the urge to break into an improvisational attempt at the Butoh form, or declining my instinct to move purposefully and rigid as in the Kabuki form.

After several minutes of responding to my fellow actors moving through the space, I began to let go of the need for control and understanding of what my actions might be conveying to the audience (Dr. Steiger). It was in this release that I found the greatest tool for global theatre, as well as my own personal necessity to relinquish control of my physicality onstage, therefore allowing myself to act and respond freely. Through release and true existence in the moment and interaction of the exercise, the work began to show me how diverse exposure to forms and content greatly increases an actor’s ability to express and create. Knowledge of global theatre techniques brings about a greater understanding of the human condition and progression, therefore the best tool for an actor does not rest within the knowledge of other world theatre forms, but rather in that actor’s awareness and understanding of how the other forms of theatre throughout the globe define the unique traditions of that people’s and region’s history.

Another tool to be taken away from this workshop is the strong connection that should be placed on the interaction and connectivity of the actors to each other as they physically move within the space. We were directed to “let that person affect you” as they passed by us or crossed our paths… Expressing affectation through immediate physical response or change forced me to be conscious in the “here and now”, and there is nothing more useful to the actor in learning how to focus and channel his/her energy for performance.

I took away many skills from this workshop, both in acting and in composing a piece. Having knowledge of diverse forms around the globe unlocks the potential within an actor to express the profundity of human existence, both physically and mentally. A viewpoints workshop is a wonderful way to begin to conclude the semester’s work and embraces the idea of multiple perspectives. It gave us insight as to how the different forms we’ve studied can be applied and demonstrated the value in being exposed to intercultural theatre. It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it, and this workshop helped me explore the infinite realm of creative skills that rest within the actor.

To Provoke, or To Inform? One in the same?

The Couple in the Cage had a profound impact upon my view of global theatre. During the viewing, I found myself unsurprised by the ignorance of the masses of people taking pictures and misinterpreting the statement about European colonization of indigenous peoples – particularly that of Mexico and Central America. The tool that is used is satire, although I am uncertain of its use on a global theatrical scale. My primary concern rests with the negative connotation that satire can often times bring with it…

An intelligent person could instantly recognize the exaggeration and extravagance of Fusco and Gomez-Pena, and indeed that person would both understand the message and possible enjoy the “performance.” However, this person was most likely already aware of the power imbalances and cultural influences placed upon indigenous peoples, and the performance would only serve to help resurface the issue in the mind of that person. What global theatre must do is bring attention to the issue while also helping to propose a solution through demonstration of action. Those audience members/viewers of The Couple in the Cage who did not grasp the satirical meaning (taking photos, pointing and laughing, etc…) merely became reminders of the mass ignorance, or lack of awareness, that the general world populace maintains about the different cultural experiences around the globe and the effects of European colonization.

The message portrayed in this is terrifying... It proves that human beings can be manipulated and made fun of directly without knowing it or desiring to change it. It demonstrates the very nature of people to categorize and label that which is different as “other.” Indeed, the form of satire does reveal the ignorance of information, and I was surprised by the artists’ claim at the end of the video stating that they were surprised to be so misinterpreted. They knew some would understand and that many would not; they knew that satire would highlight the lack of awareness and knowledge of the situation. Their use of satire as a global theatrical tool was provocative, and I believe intentional, and although the form may bring about awareness, it does not create an environment in which intercultural exchange can occur. It some sense, it is retaliation. Righteous, and needed, but not necessarily progressive in its ability to develop a global theatre consciousness.

Semester Reflections...

As we prepare for our final presentations I can’t help but look back at all of the amazing things I have learned this semester. I must admit, compared to my other classes this one challenged me the most academically. As a result I was challenged the most intellectually. The plays, articles, videos, assignments and discussions all help to broaden my understanding of theatre. Moreover, I learned a lot about myself as a theatre practitioner this semester as a direct result of taking this class. After having taken this class I feel like I have the tools to be a conscious and responsible global theatre artist.

The most valuable thing I learned about myself this semester was how I had allowed my westernized theatre training to cloud how I looked at theatre. In a sense I valued only what I knew and dismissed what the world had to offer. By being exposed to so many other theatre styles, forms and texts in such a scholarly environment I was able to see the beauty, power and relevance of theatre from around the entire world.

The most valuable thing I learned overall in this class was that if I want to consider myself a global theatre artist I have to not only be knowledgeable about theatre from around the globe, but I have to be able to expand my understanding of people from around the globe. Theatre artists are very special people. We entertain the masses, challenge the institutions, and nurture the spirit all the while doing what we love. This class has taught me to value, appreciate, embrace and support theatre form all over the world making me, in my opinion, and global theatre artist!

The Role of The Couple

I recall in our last class we were having a very energized discussion about "The Couple in the Cage". For the most part it seemed like all of us had very strong opinions about this piece of performance art. Some of us thought it was done the right way and some thought it was all wrong. Some of us thought it was theatre and some of us thought otherwise. Regardless of how we felt about the piece there is no denying the statement it made about truth, lies, and performance politics. This being said, how then does the piece relate to our understanding of global theatre?

The first reason this piece is important is because it forced us to ask ourselves, what do we consider theatre and how is that difference form perfomace art? My definition of theatre is a performance venue where the audience has come with the full understanding that they are about to see a performance. In performance art this is not always the case. In the Couple in the Cage only the performers and the most observant audience members understood that it was a performance. This in my opinion makes it strictly performance art and not theatre. However someone could easily disagree and make the opposite argument. This piece floats on the fine line between theatre, art and performance. I was able to better understand global theatre because it forced me to identify what exactly it is that I look for in a performance to consider it theatre.

I also think this piece made social commentary on how easily we exoticize cultures and people other than ourselves. furthermore, it highlights the responsibility of theatre practitioners. If all the observers watching the performance had been more concerned about the cruelty of caging people up and putting them on display and less about the spectacle of the piece they would have been able to see the meaning of it. Moreover, if the performers would have allowed the audience understand what was going on better the impact of the piece could have been greater. A piece like this to some people may not be theatre however, it opens up a discussion about the responsibility and role the audience and performers play in understanding global identity and performance politics.

Embracing the Cycle

The presence of ritual and religion upon the stage is something I feel to be very powerful and effective as a means of performance. While reading "Shango de Ima" I constantly observed parallels between the human characteristics of the Roman gods and the different Orishas present in Shango… I find spiritual and existential truth within this play because it acknowledges the duality of life that enables perception.

Obatala: And this compliance will be your punishment, Shango de Ima. The joy which makes suffering possible, the birth which leads to death will be your punishment and the punishment of all men… (Carril, 89; passage from "Shango de Ima")

I grew up Christian and fell in love with the concepts of different Eastern philosophies as I studied at the University of Kentucky. Although I now claim no specific religion outside of my own perceived spirituality, I still linger closest to Christianity due to my respect for the religion’s commitment to forgiveness… But its dependence upon the idea that Heaven and Hell are punishments outside of this realm drove me to seek other concepts and beliefs. Heaven and Hell exist in this realm on Earth; they are conditions of mind, or physicality, or any form that can be perceived as pain or joy, suffering or pleasure.

In observing Shango’s interactions with the other characters of the play, I see the possibilities and consequences of life’s choices unfold. I see how the joys and pains he experiences bring forth a greater consciousness that most fully justifies a meaningful existence. We should choose to live life over and over again, with all the suffering and happiness, because it is through this journey that all things come to existence… all things can be seen. The cycle of knowing and then not-knowing, of birth and death, is that which humans are caught within… My only concern is that Obatala seems to only view life as the eternal punishment that man must face… Is it not also the great reward?

Theatre Seeking Spirituality

As evolution continues to gain prevalence in the minds of many around the globe and science and faith begin down a path that remains open to intersection, a new enlightened spiritualism has taken up the occupancy of my thoughts.

Jah Orisha: Son, your Gods are what you make them. Gods answer the names that you give them. It’s the power you have, son. To name, even your Gods! Don’t give up that power. Don’t give up that glory to name and create your own world.
Traveler-X: What? Did I hear you right? Did you say power to create my world? But I have no such power! (Onwueme, 20)

As I’ve come into adulthood over the past decade I have found myself disconnected from the religious traditions and ideas I grew up with. The world of theatre has become a place to question and pursue a new definition for spirituality and enlightenment in my life. Tess Onwueme’s "Riot in Heaven" has given rise to a new sense of power in my being. God(s) have always been the object of human worship, praise, and justification, yet how often do we acknowledge our own role/power in creating the God’s/Gods’ status? This is precisely what the above selection forced me to confront, and I realized that something I’ve begun to believe resonates boldly in the above passage from "Riot in Heaven."

We are not created in the image of God, but as God, here in this realm called the Universe. With both the power to create and destroy life, as well as give shape to that which we experience in our consciousness by naming, we can no longer lead an existence that releases responsibility to something we’ve named ourselves – God.

God exists within each and every creature of the universe – it is energy. Our study of Yoruba culture and performance makes me feel less awkward about the crazy improvisational movements I do to music in the privacy of my home that I claim to be exercise/aerobics. It’s expression. It’s me getting out that which is within…

We live a spiral existence, infinitely continuing along a path that we call time… yet indeed time does not exist. No past or future, only present choices that shape the now. This is where I wish to live, instead of a distant future. How could releasing the idea of an external God(s) encourage the citizens of planet Earth to take greater responsibility for their lives and choices? The path of one is the path of many, and we must see the importance of global community – theatre can help us to create that unity.

Suzuki, Shingeki, and Western Theatre

The way Japanese Theatre has evolved over the years is a very interesting global theatre discussion. The chapters we read for class today took us, as reads, comprehensively through the journey of modern Japanese Theatre. For me, the most interesting aspect of the reading was the Japanese desire for a more westernized theatre, its reception, the actual works theatre artists like Osanai and Suzuki produced, and the ways in which they challenged traditional Japanese Theatre practices.

The article opens up with a short anecdote about the Japanese Theatre artist Osanai and his desire to explore and produce realistic plays based on the work Stanislavski was doing at the Moscow Art Theatre. Osanai’s theatre, Shingeki admired, “the dramaturgy based on the dialectics of conflicting powers, the acting style aimed at the life like portrayal of individual characters…and the underlying assumption that the ultimate standard of reality is logical explicability. His travels to Russia allowed him to study Stanislavski and bring those methods back to Japan and in turn a brand new way of approaching theatre gave birth to a new Japanese theatre movement.

Suzuki jumped on this boat when he started producing theatre in mid-twentieth century. His early adaptations of plays like Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, and The Trojan Women had mixed reviews. However his merging of the traditional Kabuki with Realism gave way to a new “collage” theatre form that was widely received earned him the attention of the International theatre community.

As far as Global theatre is concerned Suzuki’s efforts are truly monumental. He found an interesting way to blend tradition Japanese theatre styles with a westernized theatre approach making him, in my opinion, the essence of what a global theatre artist should be. His efforts have helped to bridge the gaps between theatre styles from two completely different cultures and uses aspects of both to create a new. If we want to be successful “global” theatre artists we have to steal a page from his book and challenge ourselves to bridge gaps between more and more cultures.

Yellowface?

The goal of this class is to make us global theatre practitioners. One the best ways we can do this is by performing of producing plays from other cultures. The question that always has to be asked before a project is started is; who can perform this play? For today’s class we read Kanjincho. The question I ask is how would this play read if it was done by a typical American university?

This university, like most in the twenty-first century, prides itself on diversity. So it is very practical that in an effort to expand its ideas of theatre, said universities would want to produce, for example, a Kabuki play. We can assume that the university will have the means and money to acquire the sets, costumes, and properties to produce a Kabuki play, but would they have tradition? What I mean when I ask this question is even though an American university has the means to produce a Kabuki play does it have the same effect when the actors and design team are not trained in Kabuki like the Japanese traditionally are?

These questions bombarded my mind as I read this play because I worked make-up crew for a Kabuki play at Western Illinois University while completing my undergraduate degree. There were a number of things that I noticed about Kanjincho that I did not see in Samurai( WIU’s kabuki production).

The differences that stand out are the movement of the actors, the set, the chorus, and the ritual in starting the play. The stage directions take the reader through the ritual done by the orchestra and stage manager to signal the beginning of the play. Wiu’s production did not have this. The very precise movement of the actors was lost and it has to be assumed because they did not have the proper training. There was not chorus or orchestra which tells me that the director cut them. And lastly the set lacked the curtains and other Kabuki elements established by Kanjincho.

It may not be fair to take one random university and use it to define how any other university would approach Kabuki, but why not? American theatre programs have differences that range from subtle to drastic but are all victims of the westernized we and thinking and approaching theatre. When it comes to Kabuki in the American university, maybe it should be studied more and performed less.

Who???

In this class we have asked a number of questions about global theatre in an effort to better understand how to approach it. One of the questions we asked was who can do what? The article we read for class today was about a British man who has devoted his life to the Beijing Opera. As far as Chinese theatre and the Beijing Opera are concerned, can this man be considered a legitimate Chinese theatre artist because he is not of Chinese decent?

In this particular case the answer is a resounding yes! This man is not you every day theatre practitioner longing to find a generic way to add diversity to his craft. Ghaffar Pourazar has devoted his life to the Beijing Opera. He trained at a Beijing Opera school for five years to perfect his craft. “Pourazar spent five years undergoing punishing training at a school so dirty he describes it as a big toilet. He was decades older than the other students, and he tested his body on a daily basis, starting at dawn with unbelievably painful contortions.”

The way Pourazar approaches global theatre is a way we could all learn from. If we want to feel closer to art forms and cultures other than our own we have to find ways to get firsthand experience with those art forms. Waking up one day and deciding that you want to perform Chinese theatre is one thing, but actually taking the time to train like traditional Beijing Opera performers is another. Although it is not realistic for regular theatre artist to pack up and spend five or so years of their lives training for Beijing Opera, the idea that putting yourself in to someone else’s shoes to experience their art form the way they meant it to be experienced is priceless.

Viewpoints

The best thing about the view points workshop is that it pulls you out of your left brain. It gives you the structure to create and then there is nothing left to do than to just do it. As a beginning actor one of the major notes I received on a regular basis was that I was in my head to much and not in my body. Viewpoints allows the performer to get in her body. I liken it to being a painter but your body is the brush and the stage is the canvas. The tempo, topography, architecture and other components are the medium for the creation.
Spatial relationship and architecture have a profound impact on me. I believe I experience the most dramatic energy shifts when I change spatial relationship and architecture. I am not even really sure why it is. I just know if I put myself close to the audience, close to other actors, or away from the audience or other actors the mood shifts. The relationships shifts . How I feel about other actors and how I feel other actors feel about me are influenced through my spatial relationship.
Architecture feels the most like child’s play and that may be why I enjoy it so much. As a young one I was told countless times “Don’t stand in the chair. Don’t play on the railing. Don’t climb that pole.” Well using the viewpoint of architecture I can do all of those things and more and it is considered art. There is a lot of power through the play of architecture. One major reason I like architecture so much is because I can affect height really dramatically through changing architecture.

When Your Body is the Vessel of Art

I recently had a conversation with a modern dancer who also practices belly dancing. I asked her in what style she concentrates: Turkish or Egyptian. She stated that she basically studies the fundamentals of the different styles and has created a style that is specifically her own. She said as an American she would never be an expert on Turkish, Egyptian or any other form of belly dancing. The dancing has become something new because her American body is the medium through which this dance is created. With this understanding she has abandoned the concept of trying to emulate a specific Turkish or Egyptian style.
This conversation reminded of some points made in “Indigenous Bodies and Contested Texts” When the indigenous population took on the dramas of the Catholic plays the plays were transformed from the original intentions of the Spaniards. That transformation makes me believe that the art is truly in the hands of the performer. Within theatre hierarchy one can only hold the playwright as the highest point if that playwright’s words are being interpreted through performers with the same interpretation of the world as he. The performer of a different culture takes the text and transforms it. This transformation may be intentional or unintentional.
I believe that the merger of the different cultures’ art through the performers is the very height of creativity. A new art form that is neither old world or new world is born and this is the soul of art. No idea is ever independent of each other and so the creation of new forms from merging of cultures is a very significant phenomenon.

Rethinking Ingendismo When Cultures Clash

In Garro’s La dama boba the concept of the less sophisticated and superstitious indigenous person is confronted. When Lupe’s father mistakes the actor Francisco as a real life teacher, the initial reaction of many is of that the people of Tepan are infantile and backwards in their beliefs. In Indigenous Bodies Conested Texts it say
“Garro deftly exposes the nationalist illogic underlying indigenismo by linking it to the still unresolved question of indigenous self-representation. For the cultural emissaries in the play, the indigenous communities exist as people to be acted upon; when these people act, as does the mayor the mayor of Tepan, they may as well not exist for all the attention they get. But they are not powerless as illustrated through the figure of Lupe. “(p35)

I think La dama boba reacts to the phenomenon of when the oppressor takes a paternalistic view of the oppressed. In the indigenismo genre of literature the Indians were shown in a sympathetic light and injustices were criticized. In La dama boba the clash of the two worlds is more sharply illustrated. However the convergence of the two worlds is represented in the character of Lupe. Through Lupe’s direct access to the system of the Mexican state through Francisco she can see clearly short comings of the city and the rural world views.
As Lupe is able to live in the duality of the indigenous world view and the urban world view we see the acceptance of the various approaches to viewing the universe. The play provides a scenario where neither form is rejected or elevated. This phenomenon is important when different concepts of the world collide.

The Revolution of Suzuki:

In Takahashi Yasunari’s “Suzuki’s Work in the Context of Japanese Theatre” he discusses Suzuki’s . He states how
“Suzuki also drew much of his nourishment from the traditional popular theatre forms of Japan. No other director has learned and stolen so much from Noh and Kabuki, and certainly none has utilized so effectively the popular folk songs (enka) which have entered the mechanism of the psyche of the nonelitist Japanese populist. (Yasunari p 3).

Suzuki honored the traditions of Noh theatre and Kabuki theatre as well as the influences of Western theatre to create a new art form. I believe that this method is truly the basis for innovative theatre. I think theatre that does not acknowledge and borrow from the traditions of the artists and the legacy that artist inherits will not have a lot of resonance. This need to embrace our old customs and traditions and yet move on to the next new thing is a very big battle in America. Creative expression is very much like procreation. The genes of my most ancient ancestors are still in me and will be passed on even to my children. My point is that it is prudent for all artist who wish to be innovative to first examine and embrace the legacy of their artistic traditions.
Yasunari’s also states that Suzuki also subversively undermined the priority of the written text at the top of the theatrical pyramid. Yasunari asserts that Suzuki “triumphantly succeeded in transferring the priority from the text to the actor.” (Yasunari p3) With the power in the actor a revolution has taken place with Suzuki. This revolution embraces the past but also acknowledges that the power for the play is within the hands of the actor.

Comments on what makes a play an African American Play

When Lorraine Hansberry commented on her masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun she commented that her play was an American story as opposed to an African American story. The basis for this assertion rests in the fact that most of the family in this play could have been Italian, Polish or Spanish and the play still would have worked. There is something distinctly American about the struggle for upward mobility. The problem I have with this assert is the implication that the African American experience is divorced from the American experience. This idea leads to the question of what makes art specifically African American.
Bill T Jones stated that no matter the form or style of the art he does it is black art because the artist is black. There is a universal language in art that does allow forms and styles to be adopted by people other than those who originated it. This story about an American family struggle to get ahead is told through realism. The style of realism may be why the play was so well received. If the same story had been told through the style of Yoruba performance ritual or Noh theatre would it have worked for American audiences? In the 1950s the play probably would not have been as well received or well understood had it been told in a style deemed more “ethnic”. I contend that Lorraine Hansberry choice to tell this story through realism is very justified.
First off, what is an African American style? Not all African Americans are Yoruba descendents so that is not our style. Also, let us not deny the affect the African American culture has had on the larger culture as a whole. Therefore, any American style or story is by its very nature part African American due to African American influence in this culture.
Lorraine Hansberry had no need to describe her story as an “American” story. Any African American story will be an American story. Most of the struggles of African Americans have their roots in class struggles which cross race lines.