戲劇製作《暴風雨》
資料類型：製作背景
作者：依維察‧西米奇
題名：導演的話 － 為什麼是《暴風雨》的三個理由
出處：《暴風雨》節目冊
出版地：臺北
出版單位：九歌兒童劇團
日期：2012/4/20
語言：英文
摘要：導演就歷史、兒童及青少年和戲劇三個面向說明為何選擇演出《暴風雨》。臺灣的島嶼地形及歷史為《暴風雨》提供一個理想的背景，導演有信心讓年輕觀眾享受這部結合歐洲留傳的精神和亞洲傳統的戲劇作品。
Three reasons for The Tempest
I became acquainted with The Tempest long ago, in 1980, when I played Ariel, the air spirit, as an acting student at the Theatre Academy in Zagreb, Croatia. It was my first big professional role in a professional theatre, and it marked my whole professional artistic life. Later, as a director, I came back twice to this wonderful play that offers an unlimited number of interpretations and discourses, and every time I was fascinated with the richness and beauty of this last Shakespearian play.
It was late fall of 2010 when I was holding a workshop for actors and teachers at the Song Song Song Theatre in Taipei, and when, in one special moment I recalled The Tempest. In that special moment a thought stroke my mind: - The Tempest is a play about Taiwan!!!
Everything is there – the magical island with extreme beauty:
“…the island is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again …”
... as Caliban, the local aborigine from the play describes it bringing us a picture of Arcadia, a utopist island.
The History
Not only aborigines that live in the island, but more history of the island itself offers so many possibilities for comparison with the play itself. In that comparison one can easily exchange fiction with reality, asking oneself – what was first – the play or history. The past itself is the introduction The Tempest: - it is the history of Kings and rulers in which the drama continuously repeats, in which brother expels brother and the usurper throws away the legal ruler. And throughout history the island was an escape and an asylum for many of the rulers, as it was for Prospero, the main character of the play. In The Tempest, history is repeated on stage, but this time it comes to its end and finishes in forgiveness and reconciliation offering us a new possibility and inviting us to do the same.
This evident similarity between the play and the history of the island brought me to the idea of putting The Tempest on stage again, here, In Taiwan, in this ideal context for Shakespeare's play ... and to do it for children. I am grateful to Song Song Song Theatre for giving me this opportunity.
Young People
The Tempest is not only about history. It is also about the future! It is about love and it is about young people. It is about the traditional values that we all keep forgetting in the everyday rush for profit. Miranda, the daughter of Magician Prospero, a young girl of 15, for the first time in her life encounters love and is introduced to society. Being educated in isolation makes her pure and not affected by the poisonous influence of mass media, and so she accepts the newly discovered world with excitement and joy that every young person feels when entering the world. So she cheers “The brave new world!!!!” Isn' t that the message for all youngsters who are going to see the performance - the world, the beautiful big world is waiting for you and is inviting you to enter into it without fear. Yes, this world is not black and white, it is not only beautiful, but it is also not only bad and ugly. It is not colored in pink and light blue, and there many problems you have to try to accept in your journey that is called “growing up”, but be brave!! The Tempest is telling children the truth about the "adult world", but is also offering a solution for them - love and honesty - that can win over the lies and treacheries.
Theater
Last but not least, The Tempest is about theatre itself, and about theatre for children. It is about the illusions of the arts that can heal us, and the whole society ... at least that's what we artists believe. Prospero, the director in his theatre, uses the actors led by Ariel, the “spirit connected with his mind”, as a marionette that is connected with the puppeteer's hands. He conducts the final act of his life with preciseness and wit. He pulls all the strings and everything goes perfectly according to his wishes and plans - Some might say - as in the theatre. Indeed, there are so many indications in the play that this “magic island” is the theater itself, and that everything is happening during the performance time of 2 to 6: this is probably the time that most plays, such as The Tempest were performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
For the last two years I have been traveling in Asia intensely, visiting not only Taiwan, but also Mainland China, Hong Kong and other countries. During my travels I have been fascinated with traditional theatre, both puppet and opera. Therefore I decided to explore the possibilities that European legacy and Asian tradition offer when put in an intercultural dialogue on stage. I have no doubts that this mixture will give a birth to something beautiful and original that can enlighten the hearts of young audiences for whom this performance is made. I truly believe that our children and young people will accept and enjoy this performance with the same excitement with which Shakespearian audiences accepted his plays. Our children deserve the best, and what can be better than Shakespeare!! Only Shakespeare!
I do hope you will enjoy the show.
I became acquainted with The Tempest long ago, in 1980, when I played Ariel, the air spirit, as an acting student at the Theatre Academy in Zagreb, Croatia. It was my first big professional role in a professional theatre, and it marked my whole professional artistic life. Later, as a director, I came back twice to this wonderful play that offers an unlimited number of interpretations and discourses, and every time I was fascinated with the richness and beauty of this last Shakespearian play.
It was late fall of 2010 when I was holding a workshop for actors and teachers at the Song Song Song Theatre in Taipei, and when, in one special moment I recalled The Tempest. In that special moment a thought stroke my mind: - The Tempest is a play about Taiwan!!!
Everything is there – the magical island with extreme beauty:
“…the island is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again …”
... as Caliban, the local aborigine from the play describes it bringing us a picture of Arcadia, a utopist island.
The History
Not only aborigines that live in the island, but more history of the island itself offers so many possibilities for comparison with the play itself. In that comparison one can easily exchange fiction with reality, asking oneself – what was first – the play or history. The past itself is the introduction The Tempest: - it is the history of Kings and rulers in which the drama continuously repeats, in which brother expels brother and the usurper throws away the legal ruler. And throughout history the island was an escape and an asylum for many of the rulers, as it was for Prospero, the main character of the play. In The Tempest, history is repeated on stage, but this time it comes to its end and finishes in forgiveness and reconciliation offering us a new possibility and inviting us to do the same.
This evident similarity between the play and the history of the island brought me to the idea of putting The Tempest on stage again, here, In Taiwan, in this ideal context for Shakespeare's play ... and to do it for children. I am grateful to Song Song Song Theatre for giving me this opportunity.
Young People
The Tempest is not only about history. It is also about the future! It is about love and it is about young people. It is about the traditional values that we all keep forgetting in the everyday rush for profit. Miranda, the daughter of Magician Prospero, a young girl of 15, for the first time in her life encounters love and is introduced to society. Being educated in isolation makes her pure and not affected by the poisonous influence of mass media, and so she accepts the newly discovered world with excitement and joy that every young person feels when entering the world. So she cheers “The brave new world!!!!” Isn' t that the message for all youngsters who are going to see the performance - the world, the beautiful big world is waiting for you and is inviting you to enter into it without fear. Yes, this world is not black and white, it is not only beautiful, but it is also not only bad and ugly. It is not colored in pink and light blue, and there many problems you have to try to accept in your journey that is called “growing up”, but be brave!! The Tempest is telling children the truth about the "adult world", but is also offering a solution for them - love and honesty - that can win over the lies and treacheries.
Theater
Last but not least, The Tempest is about theatre itself, and about theatre for children. It is about the illusions of the arts that can heal us, and the whole society ... at least that's what we artists believe. Prospero, the director in his theatre, uses the actors led by Ariel, the “spirit connected with his mind”, as a marionette that is connected with the puppeteer's hands. He conducts the final act of his life with preciseness and wit. He pulls all the strings and everything goes perfectly according to his wishes and plans - Some might say - as in the theatre. Indeed, there are so many indications in the play that this “magic island” is the theater itself, and that everything is happening during the performance time of 2 to 6: this is probably the time that most plays, such as The Tempest were performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
For the last two years I have been traveling in Asia intensely, visiting not only Taiwan, but also Mainland China, Hong Kong and other countries. During my travels I have been fascinated with traditional theatre, both puppet and opera. Therefore I decided to explore the possibilities that European legacy and Asian tradition offer when put in an intercultural dialogue on stage. I have no doubts that this mixture will give a birth to something beautiful and original that can enlighten the hearts of young audiences for whom this performance is made. I truly believe that our children and young people will accept and enjoy this performance with the same excitement with which Shakespearian audiences accepted his plays. Our children deserve the best, and what can be better than Shakespeare!! Only Shakespeare!
I do hope you will enjoy the show.
