The Heroes Reborn in Our Everyday Stories:

Transcription

1 The Heroes Reborn in Our Everyday Stories: An Exploration to Integrate a Chinese Classic Myth and the Use of Shadow into Playback Theatre Bin TU and Le ZHAO 1 Inspirations A truth is revealed. We only encounter it again. In the winter of 2013, we met Anna Chesner in Guangzhou and participated her workshop organized by Friends Playback, The Use of Myth, Legend and Metaphor in Playback Theatre. A new window was opened, and an appealing view is unfolding for the first time we clearly see how deep and sophiscated Playback Theatre could possibly be, and how many resources from traditional literature we could draw to use. That trip is the starting point of quite a few journeys, including this one we are recording. In the spring of 2015, we met Raffia Li, a lady who had been working on traditional and innovational shadow theatre, and later Evan Hastings, an American lives in India, using shadow theatre, playback, and forum theatre to explore gender issues. Evan did a workshop with our company members for a night, and two days later, we did our first shadow playback performance with the theme of Shadow. The magical effect of light and shadow are so attractive for the audience as well as for ourselves. We feel the call to do more. Evan and Raffia suggested to do a parallel shadow theatre project in India and China in the same time, using traditional myths in both cultures, and we said yes to this invitation, not knowing at all at that moment about what and how exactly we are going to do. A few weeks later, when we got the news that the Indian team had started to work with Rāmāyaṇa, we also decided the text we were going to use Journey to the West 2. This is the most famous myth in China and based on a real story in the history. It describes a heroic journey of the master, Sun Wukong, and other two disciples. They experienced all the difficulties and fought with numerous monsters on their way, finally got to the West (India) to bring Buddhist scriptures back to China. There are a few reasons to choose this work, most of which we only realized during the process of creation. First, the story in Journey to the West is so well- known in China since it was firstly written, even a child knows the story and has his/her favorite character, usually Sun Wukong, firstly the Monkey King and later becomes the most powerful and smart disciple of the conservative yet determined master. Also, the content of the text is incredibly rich and has lots of components and layers personal, social, spiritual; authority and rebel, brotherhood and friendship, family relationship, personal transformation, etc. 1 This article is written based on the collective work of Trust Playback Theatre, with the special technique support of use of shadow from Raffia Li and Evan Hastings, and training support from Larry Ng. For further communication the authors can be reached at bin.tu@foxmail.com. All the photos are from the shadow playback performance Adventure by Trust Playback Theatre, April 10, (Conductor: Bin Tu; Actor/Shadow: Le Zhao, Yibei Hu, Tianhao Wang, Hongyi Liu, Maomao Zhong; Musician: Xiao Chen; Lighting: Linlin Zhang; Special shadow actor: Raffia Li) The names of the storytellers have been changed to preserve their privacy. 2 Wiki provides a good summary for more content and background of Journey to the West. Please see

2 Last but not the least, when thinking through the most significant Chinese traditional literature, Journey to the West is the one that most reveals the universal themes of adventure, hero s journey, as well as freedom and responsibility, therefore sufficient potential for cross- cultural communication and understanding to be explored. (Actors from the left: Hongyi, Tianhao, Yibei, Maomao, Le) Finally, two years after the window was opened, we started this challenging while exciting journey. After another six months, we did this playback performance Adventure, integrating shadows and mythical elements from Journey to the West through the whole performance. When the shadow version of I remember was done, all the actors got on the stage and bowed to the audience, literally thrilling and experiencing the tremendous joy of fulfilling the journey, knowing this also implicates the beginning of another one soon. Artistic presentation of the performance In a performance of Playback Theatre, all elements happen here- and- now. Therefore the performance also includes the process of telling stories, constructing stories, and working with light (and shadow, in this experiment). It is a highly condensed experience to integrate all the preparation work at a short period. We need to remind ourselves all the time of the purpose of using techniques and introducing myth elements underneath which the core values of playback theatre always remain: for the personal stories to be told and shared, for the dialogue of the community to be initiated, and for the invisible transformation to happen. Work on narratives: new and old In the performance, we use a few ways to integrate myth elements and real stories. As Figure 1 illustrated, there are always two narrative lines weaving together personal story on reality level, and myth elements on metaphorical level. Appearance of the enactment of

3 stories may vary depending on the content and nature of stores, as well as the choice and impulse of actors. Figure 1 The pattern of personal and myth narrative weaving together First, myth elements can be used at the beginning and end scene of the enactment as metaphor to highlight the hearts of the story. This is a relatively simple and clear way in practice, and is also our starting point to explore in our preparation work. This is not completely new, either. Before we did occasionally use fairy tales or simply some imaginary figures at the beginning and the end. Eva, a young lady, told her story in the performance. She is committed to introduce traditional theatre art to more people, not only the elderly, she said, though she was struggling whether she wants to corporate with others, and how to do so. She has strong opinions and high standards; the best companion she found is a special puppet. At the beginning of the scene, actors took the roles of the master and the emperor with shadow behind the screen: The emperor gave the mission to the master to find Buddhist scriptures to the west. The master took the mission, but said, I do not know how to work with other people together. A horse is enough for me. And then the light was on, actors came before the scene entering the real story, which was still the major part of the acting. At the end, the shadow of the master appeared again, praying to the Buddha, said, The way to the west is too long it seems hard to travel with only a horse. The Buddha (also appears as shadow on the side) responded, You need to believe in heaven s mercy, and you will have companions on your way. This approach can be illustrated by Figure 2. What are shown on the stage are the mythical beginning and the end, while real stories in the middle. The dotted- line area (of the personal story) and the grey area (of the myth) mean the part are not shown on the stage yet still exist in an invisible way.

4 Figure 2 Option: Use myth in the opening scene and ending scene for personal story in Playback Theatre Sometimes, we can also weave the real story and myth elements together to form the narrative certain parts of the personal story are replaced by the myth, as illustrated in Figure 3. Will, another teller, shared his recent depression he lost interest in what he had passion before, could not see the values any more, and often tended to go to bed. He even went to therapy, talking his early childhood experience with the therapist. The teller s actor first took the role of the master, telling his experience from the childhood: Cutting firewood, cleaning the temple, chanting the sutra, day after day, year after year Someone came for help, though the master could not do anything. Another one came saying he lost interest in his life and only wanted to sleep. Then the master said, so am I, and he slowly took off his monk hat and lied down, calling Therapist! the scene shifted back to the personal story hereafter. However, when the actor, continued to perform as the teller and struggled, he cannot decide to put on or get rid of the monk hat a symbolic object in the myth for the master as well as something real for the teller. Here the personal story and myth were integrated together, emerging alternatively. There is also another option use the myth all the way through the enactment. This is the most risky way, while sometimes it works well and can create a special atmosphere in the theatre. In a rehearsal before the performance, Emily shared she could not help to criticize other people, but did like this part of herself either. The teller s actor played Sun Wukong, who complained all the things about the master and other disciples. The actors, however, were drawn to the improvisation with fictional plots and not able to shift back to the real narrative. Afterwards, Emily did not feel it quite right it felt somewhat familiar, but it was not really her story.

5 Figure 3 Option: Weave myth and personal narrative throughout the scenes for personal story in Playback Theatre However, this is still an option. The last story in the performance is a quite cheerful one, about a crush the teller had on someone. The actors used characters from a film A Chinese Odyssey, or An Alternative Journey to the West (a word- by- word translation), which is a famous modern adaption of the original work. During the whole process the actors were behind the scene taking the roles of the film and used shadows, but also added some narrative elements of the real story from time to time. (Actors from the left: Maomao, Le) As shown in Figure 4, the major part of the visible narrative are formed by myth elements, however, personal stories are not missed and cannot be missed. It emerges occasionally to

6 fulfill the whole narrative and ensure the story acted, although mythical and full of imagination, still belong to the teller. Figure 4 Option: Use myth through the performance with certain elements from the personal story in Playback Theatre It is must noticed that there are abundant comedy elements in Journey to the West, and lots of characters, including a few major ones are animal- like. On one hand it makes it easy to bring the humor and laugh; on the other hand we need to particularly pay attention to not overuse these elements. It largely depends on how actors go in to the roles Are they present? Are they aware of their job to serve the story? Are they compassionate enough to feel the inner world of a most funny character? If so, the depth of humor itself can also be opened to make us encounter in the laughter, rather than the superficial entertainment to please the audience. Work on artistic expression: adding lighting and shadow to acting As said, the purpose to use lighting and shadow is to serve the stories instead of self- display. Keeping that in mind, techniques can be well harnessed to create imagination, open the time and space, and connect souls in a profound level. With this guideline, the use of light and shadow becomes simple to help with the acting of the story. The actors take the lead; light and shadow are used to follow and support. However, when the group are more skilled with shadow and light, and have more sense of togetherness, the person using shadow can become another actor can lead the story and change the scene, as what the musician could do. Before that, it is a safer way for light and shadow to follow the actors in general. For instance, the light behind the screen is not on all the time. For now, only after an actor goes after the screen and give a posture, the light will be turned on. However, the light and

7 shadow can also offer impulse. When the people using shadow feel an opportunity to shift to the imaginary world, s/he can turn on the light after the screen and put on some background to give actors clue and move the story forward. One might question, in our regular playback performance before, we did not use shadows, and it seems not to affect how we enacted stories, so why do we want to use shadows? The truth is that for certain elements, such as memories, dreams, fantasies what are remote or beyond reality, the use of shadow can bring special effects: time and space are expanded. Also, some strong emotions and significant moments, which may create dramatic or artistic expression, are also suitable material to integrate shadow behind the screen in order to create aesthetic distance. (Actor: Tianhao) Healing power of myths and archetypes To offer a potential completion for the glimpses of ordinary life event When the audience tell stories in playback theatre, for lots of time they tell a life event happened in a certain period of their lives. The conductor may ask about some relevant information in the past, or occasionally, the possible direction of the event told in the future, which the teller may or may not be sure about. As Jo Salas said in Improvising Real Life, what are told in Playback Theatre are glimpses into the lives of real people. The use of myth, however, offers a sense of completion even though the life event told is not completed, and can instill hope and vision in a subtle way. At the end of Eva s story, where she feels ambivalent about committing to the traditional theatre without companion, actors shift back to the story of myth the master starts his journey to the west alone, determined while with some uncertainty. And the Buddha responded to him in an ambiguous way. The scene ends there. However, all of the audience

8 including the teller did know what happened afterwards in the original text: the master meets his three disciples on his way one by one, and they finally achieve the goal after overcoming all the difficulties. The well- known story offers a possibility which can happen in the teller s real life, or which the teller can make happen to find some companions on the way. Therefore, without explicit expressing it, a truth is revealed, the teller is encouraged, and the personal story is expanded to connect with the collective journey. No one is likely to feel preached, because there is a fine line in the enactment between where is the real story, and where is the myth. However, everyone may be aware to some extent that there is a bigger story behind the stage. To connect personal stories with historical (time) dimension A largest comfort for someone in Playback Theatre is to know that s/he is not alone in his/her story someone is here to accompany and share a similar experience. When we bring myths and legends to the theatre, the collective stories over thousands of years also enter the community. Whoever present do not only feel the connection with the story happen here- and- now, but can also connected with the eternal theme and feel to be a part of there- and- then. (Actors: After the screen from the left: Hongyi, Yibei, Tianhao; before the screen: Le) In his story, Will experienced deep doubts and struggling and felt to be stuck in the dark. This feeling is not strange for most of the people. It can happen at any moment, maybe the next corner. Actors took the role of the master to share the powerlessness and the role of Sun Wukong to share the struggling. There was a moment that the body (of the master and the teller) and the shadow (of Sun Wukong) overlapped on the stage. It was a powerful moment, like the dilemma of thousands years are gently revealed. So I am not alone and you are not alone in fact, no one is alone, because the heroes in the history and in the myths also share this dilemma, this struggling, and this pain. It awakens a tremendous power in the theatre, to support, to resonate, and to accompany this journey a similar

9 journey the heroes experienced. Here we want to go back to the model of personal stories and myths proposed in the last section (Figure 1) to further demonstrate. We suggest that behind every personal story there is always a myth an archetypal story in existence. And around every archetypal story are numerous personal stories. We use the black to represent the archetypal story, which is also the color of Yin in Chinese culture the subconscious and the shadow, also a part of an eternal circle; white is the color of Yang the world of conscious and light. It constructs a beautiful counterpart in the shadow playback theatre. No matter which part of the curve the actors chose to show on the stage, other parts remain invisible. Even when we do not use myths at all there is always a myth to be discovered behind the personal story (Figure 6). Knowing this and with more practice, we will be able shift between the two curves with more freedom the personal and the collective, the world of conscious and subconscious. Figure 1 The pattern of personal and myth narrative weaving together Figure 6 A personal story with a relevant to- be- discovered myth

10 A cultural comparison: archetypes and allusion The whole system of Playback Theatre was originated in America. However, it does not necessarily mean it is only enriched by the western philosophy and art. Instead, if looking into the details of Playback s appearance, one can see primitive rituals, Buddhism from the eastern world, as well as strong influence by psychodrama and improvisation rooted in western culture. This may be an important reason that Playback can flourish in diverse culture what behind stories are universal: making sense of life, connecting with community, creating art and beauty, these are needs of human. During the process of preparation, the only concept we can think of is archetype, which is also from the western world. Although we took some workshops 3, it is still not a so accessible concept for the group in general. Until one day after the performance, we realized that Chinese did take a parallel path to reach the same purpose: allusion. Traditionally, Chinese authors and poets are used to apply allusion in their works, sometimes even addicted to it. In one single poet allusions could be used for every word, from the beginning to the end. If the reader is familiar with what are referred to, s/he will be able to access a much richer and deeper meaning; while s/he can still enjoy the literal meaning without knowing all the literature underneath the words. When we look at archetypes, we see the essence of different lives and attitudes in this world. When we use allusions, we bring the experience in the past to the presence. This reflects the characters of both cultures and it gets together somewhere. Only because this tradition, as lots of others, is diminishing in the modern world, we stopped feel connected with them as before, sadly. However, we are still lucky, since Playback Theatre creates a space for the traditions to be reborn, just as the heroes reborn in our ordinary life. (Actor: Le) 3 The Use of Myth, Legend and Metaphor in Playback Theatre, by Anna Chesner, in Guangzhou, December 2013; Archetypes in Playback Theatre, by Igor Liubitov, at APPTC in Hong Kong, November 2015.