PRODUCTION The Tempest [Baofengyu]
Data Type:production background
Author:Wu, Hsing-kuo
Title:Looking for Utopia: A Contemporary Legend's Journey Through The Tempest
Source:The Tempest 2008 Performance Program at the New Vision Arts Festival of Hong Kong
Publisher:Contemporary Legend Theatre [Dangdai chuanqi juchang]
Date:2008/10
Pages:8-9
Language:English
Abstract:The artistic director of the Contemporary Legend Theatre recalls the troupe’s productions over 23 years as well as the process in making The Tempest in 2004.

A creative process is like conjuring up a tempest. Retracing the creative journey of a director is just like the author of The Tempest appropriating the soliloquy of the protagonist, Prospero the sorcerer, at the end of the play: “Now my charms are all o’erthrown” - all that can be said is said and done on stage.

Shakespeare’s powerful text goes straight to one’s heart with the impact of a surging tide. Its brimming poetry interacts with the scenographic aesthetics to evoke the freest of imagination and creativity. It also inspired me to invite Tsui Hark, directeur extraordinaire, to inject perspectives from another medium of art into the play, as well as to add more variety to traditional Chinese opera.

Since it was founded 23 years ago, Contemporary Legend Theatre has never repeated itself, always challenging itself for continuous breakthroughs. We have adapted Shakespeare, Greek tragedies and Samuel Beckett; we have created crossovers of drama, musical, experimental theatre, avant-grade theatre and environmental theatre; and we have even created hip hop Peking opera, electronic rock’n roll Peking opera and neo-Kunqu. At the same time, we have also recovered traditional operas lost in time long age, such as Yin Yang River, and given new interpretations of the older repertory such as The Hidden Concubine and The Last Days of Emperor Lee Yu (in an attempt to reinstate the good name of this last emperor of the Tang regime). We even built a replica stage of the Song Dynasty for The Drunken Beauty and Farewell My Concubine as they were originally staged over a thousand years ago. As the name of our company suggests, we work in two creative directions and two dimensions of space and time, which can be at odds with each other, but not quite. We have only one mission, and that is, to continue the bloodline of Peking opera.

When our adaptation of The Tempest was in progress in 2004, Taiwan was in pandemonium because of the presidential elections. The entire island was thrown into a dog-eat-dog frenzy that was to split the community apart. Despite continuous progress in history, Man’s primordial lust for power, greed and struggle never cease. Despite the fact that Mother Ocean, in her magnanimity, has given this island its birth, we have turned this paradise into a prison of our minds, locking ourselves in this “lonely island full of noises”.

It is fortunate that our director Tsui Hark was there, constantly reminding us that the universal value of this Shakespearean masterpiece actually transcends geographical or political entities. He put forward more than five possible interpretations of the play for discussion, and we discussed them one by one. Should the emphasis be magic (the auteur theory), a voyage of fantasy (the navigation theory), or the no man’s island of Caliban (the indigenous theory)? Finally we decided unanimously that we should be faithful to the original, with nothing added but to uphold Shakespeare’s hidden “holistic concern for the Earth”. Quite contrary to the story itself, Tsui does not advocate the use of technology or visuals to illustrate magic on stage. Instead, he encourages the actors to fully utilize their Chinese operatic training to create magical wonders on stage.

Then, Tsui began working on the image of the characters, and his sketches inspired Tim Yip on his set-and-costume designs. Tsui also drew up storyboards as a working guideline for the executive producer. My job was to actualize the outcome of the meeting discussions and the storyboards, a feat which reminded me of what Gonzalo sings in the play: “words of beauty can be illustrated on an empty piece of white paper”. On this empty stage we will put the lines, music, singing, dancing and the characters portrayed by the actors together into a holistic world of abundance, into a play full of deep meaning yet fit for audiences of all ages.

With its high quality and visionary programming, the New Vision Arts Festival of Hong Kong has been escalating in importance for its contribution to the arts. Following on its 2003 production at the Legends of China Festival, the Contemporary Legend Theatre further strengthens the Hong Kong-Taiwan cultural connection with The Tempest. The involvement of the Hong Kong director, Tsui Hark, has added further dimensions to the staging. Since its premiere in 2004, it has been constantly reinventing itself with higher and better goals.

With such a big cast as fifty, the rehearsal and production schedules demanded the most stringent attention and a watertight insistence on adhering to schedule. Contemporary Legend Theatre is fortunate to have a dedicated cast and crew. All of us adopted a “better than best” attitude and set self-imposed, ever-rising standards for acting and singing. And Ariels are we – as we braved the tempest, we managed to build the utopia of our dreams.