Tellus Theater 104

4th Class--March 25th--2nd Group Reading of "Six Characters in search of An Author" by Pirandello
Upon my invitation, the 4th class fell on the last Sunday in March at Brother Jimmy's place. We had a big dinner after class. Brother Jimmy prepared a full table of authentic Chinese dishes. Eric brought the most famous Brownie from Piemonte in Yung-ho. Daniel brought a bottle of rum from Cuba. An ocean of thanks to them!

During the 4th class, we took turns reading ACT II of "Six Characters in Search of an Author". Everybody was eager into the performance when Daniel instructed us how to put feelings and emotions into the play. Sometimes we were instructed to speak in various dialects, sometimes we were instructed to play in various roles of people from all walks of life, especially those in the margins of the society, not to mention the flirtation, seduction, outrageous scenes.

After class, I have more to study on my desk. I feel like a Ph.D. Candidate in Drama. I need to know as much of the world of drama and theater as soon as possible. I want to be ready before the rehearsals. Whenever Daniel mentions a play, I want to know exactly what character he is talking about, and I can play the role to his satisfaction. Isn't it like the defense of a dissertation?

In order to know the spirit of Pirandelllo, I have the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri in my hand. It is time I finished reading the difficult to read book this week. Among the Italian literary works, I like the Decameron, the 14th-century medieval allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio the best. All 100 tales from the erotic to the tragic told by ten young people were inspiring and exciting.

PS:Daniel recommended the list of a dozen plays last Christmas. They are (1)A streetcar named desire by by Tennessee Williams, (2)The glass menagerie by Tennessee Williams, (3)Long day's journey into night by Eugene O'Neill, (4)Miss Julie by August Strindberg, (5)A doll's house by Henrik Ibsen, (6)Three sisters by Anton Chekhov, (7)Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, (8)Salome, (9)The importance of being Earnest, (10)Ulysses, (11)The tricycle, (12)Picnic on the battlefield.

Daniel mentioned six plays during the 4th workshop. They are (1) What The Butler Saw by Joe Orton, (2) The Balcony by Jean Genet, (3)My Beautiful Laundrette by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi, (4)Nuovo cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore, (5)Miss Julie by August Strindberg, (6)Decadence by Steven Berkoff, (7)A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick.

PS:Toastmaster Piao Lin called me in the pharmacy at noon Wednesday, March 28th. She asked me if I would be interested in a coffee gathering with her after work at the Bean Work recommended by Daniel. I was delighted that Piao asked, and I loved the Portuguese cheese cake Piao bought for me from Piemonte, upon my request.

After the afternoon coffee adventure, Piao and I headed for the Central Library Taiwan Branch across the street. Being a card holder of the old library in Taipei, I haven't used the card for more than 15 years. I was excited to know where the new library is in Yung-ho. The building is big and modern with a marvelous view of the Park No. 4. I plan to visit the library after work every Monday and Wednesday afternoon.

With Piao's library card, I borrowed two books, (1)Four Great Play (A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People) by Henrik Ibsen; (2)Plays (Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vania, Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Bear, The Proposal, A Jubilee) by Anton Chekhov.

In the evening, I watched the movie of "My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)" by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. It was an inspiring movie about the Pakistani immigrants from Karachi seeking their new lives in the city of London. It reminded me of my business trip to Lahor for a week in 1995.

Toastmaster Piao Lin will start her graduate school in Autumn. My best wishes to her admission to National Taiwan University. With her encouragement, I'm thinking seriously about going to the graduate school of drama and theater at National Taiwan University!

Tellus Theater 103

3rd Class--March 18th--1st Group Reading of "Six Characters in Search of An Author" by Pirandello
"After keeping a web diary for three years, I wish I could have a change, maybe a playwright if I know more about the theater" just when I thought to myself, I received an invitation from Toastmaster Bill Wan to join a new play of Tellus Theater.

Wow! what a serendipity! It would be a just-in-time learning experience to work on the script line by line by a famous playwright with the actors, actresses, and the Director. Yes, learning the secrets of a playwright by acting in a play! Isn't it a motto of the Toastmasters--Learning by Doing?

After two warm-up audition workshops at the O Space in the previous Sunday afternoons, we gathered at MRT Ximen Exit 1 at 2PM. Director Daniel couldn't wait to bring us to his favorite coffeehouse, the Sol Cafe', behind the Red Building this afternoon, March 18th. On a huge outdoor coffee plaza, there were only seven of us, six green hands and Director Daniel of Tellus Theater.

I was excited to know what we were about to read today. It was one of the master pieces of the Nobel Prize-winning dramatist Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936). While Daniel instructed us to take turns reading Act I of "Six Characters in Search of an Author", he told us stories of Pirandello and his ideas to change the theater form to intervene reality and illusion, to interplay the real and make believe, among actors and characters on stage.

It was the first time I visited the Sol Cafe'. Sol means sun in Spanish. It was the perfect place for us to study a play written by a Sicilian. I liked Sol's Okinawa Black Sugar Cappuccino recommended by Daniel, and I loved Sol's brownie with ice cream. It was another intellectual and theatrical Sunday afternoon with Gourmet Director Daniel and theater enthusiasts to satisfy our bodies and minds.

On my way home, I pondered upon my wishful thinking. I want to be an author, but I don't have a story in me. Funny and hilarious it was when I received "Six Characters in Search of An Author" by Pirandello from Director Daniel. In stead of an author creating the characters, it was the characters who looked for an author. It was an extraordinary experience to see the relationships between the author and the characters.

The moment I arrived home, I found the e-scrip of the play and an unabridged audio script in mp3 on the internet. As promised, I e-mailed them to my classmates. And I finished reading and listening to the "Six Characters in Search of an author" overnight.

PS: Toastmaster Piao Lin and I watched the DVD of "Six Characters in Search of an Author" (1976) adapted Paul Avila Mayer, directed by Stacy Keach at the CKS Arts Library Wednesday afternoon, March 21st. I borrowed the script by Rober Brustein of American Repertory Theater at 1995 Taipei International Festival of the Arts. I finished reading the Chinese script overnight.

How lucky I was to run into Pirandello, one of the most innovative playwrights of the twentieth century and also one of the most complex. Like many first-time audiences and readers, I was confronted and overwhelmed with the difficulty associated with such a radical and aesthetic experience.

When Daniel asked us what roles we would attempt at the Sol Cafe', I concluded that all characters and actors of Pirandello were hard to play. If I could change my mind, I thought it would be easier to be a playwright because those who can't play, write the play. Just like those who can't do it, teach it.

Who knows, maybe Daniel will give me the role as the Director! Ha! Ha! Ha! 不能寫作, 就寫劇本吧! 不能演戲, 那就導戲吧!

Arbor Day

It's rainy and chilly on Arbor Day (植樹節) in Taipei, Monday, 2012. Arbor Day has a special meaning to me, because my parents got married on Arbor Day in 1955 and I was born in 1955.

Arbor Day is a traditional holiday in the Republic of China since 1927, to commemorate the passing of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Arbor Day in the spirit of Dr. Sun has been celebrated on March 12 for this purpose.

If not for the rain, I would invite family and friends to see the cherry blossom at 無極天元宮. It's a perfect hanami day to appreciate the Yoshino Sakura in Taipei on Arbor Day.

Tellus Theater 102

2nd Class--March 11th--Neutral Masks, Clowns, Red Light, Green Light
Toastmaster Piao Lin of Formosa Toastmasters Club spotted me on my scooter just when I turned to Alley 34 of Yuan-chou Street. "Where is the O Space?", Piao asked. "Just follow me," I responded.

Piao and I were the first two students at the second audition workshop at the O Space at 1PM sharp. In no time, a group of young and beautiful women led by Toastmaster Nate Murray Alvarez from Sunrise Toastmasters Club walked in. I saw a few familiar faces among them, including a couple of members from Legacy Toastmasters Club. It was a full house of 20 attendees this afternoon, March 11th.

We started with warm-up staging exercises with music, followed by the killers and victims games. Then we played Red Light, Green Light and learned to freeze. We played the French version by calling out "Un, deux, trois, Soleil" and waited for a few seconds to catch those in motion. It was also a popular children game "123木頭人" for Chinese.

Daniel divided us into two groups to play with masks (neutral white faces). It was challenging for me to act neutral and stand still with a fixed posture for more than 10 minutes. I was so impressed by some of the experienced young talents. They could act still life for an extra long period of time.

In theater training, the neutral masks are used to understand the balance of body and mind. Those who wear masks should relax the facial muscles, let the masks become eyes, and the bodies become faces. We could rediscover our bodies by wearing the masks and slow down everything around us. After we understand the balance of body and mind, we could act out the unbalance or conflict state of body and mind. 

After working on smart Bouffons at the first audition workshop, we worked on stupid Clowns at the second audition workshop. We were a group of three on stage each time, because Daniel had only three red noses. It was another challenge for SMART me to play a stupid and funny clown. I must learn to lie low to make people laugh at my ACT.

In the future, Daniel would add more workshops for those who are committed to act in his play. We would learn gender games, men play women, women play men. Two voice auditions are scheduled the next two Sunday afternoons for the roles to play in Daniel's new Italian play in May, followed by a series of intensive rehearsals from April the 8th.

After the workshop, Daniel led us to his favorite Hakka family restaurant in the neighborhood. He nicknamed the shop "NO SMILE", because nobody worked there wore smiles, from the chef to the busboy. The Hakka family members are Majime (真面目), therefore their food meant business, it was super delicious!

After dinner, Daniel led his clan to the Love Cafe' in Yungho, I called it a night, because of my running nose. On my way back to the O Space to fetch my scooter, I saw a big parade of deities with heavy makeup and colorful costumes. It's the 19th day of the 2nd month lunar calendar, the birthday of Guanshiyin "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World".

Bo Peep Bo Peep Púsà Bo Peep
Bo Peep I can play a bouffon
Bo Peep I can play a clown
Bo Peep I can be in a play

Tellus Theater 101

First Class--March 4th--Four Elements, Colors, Bouffons, Animals
Life is but a Play! All the world is a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrances!

When Toastmaster Bill Wan invited me to participate in the audition workshop with Director Daniel Ingi Petursson of Tellus Theatre, I jumped at the chance. At last, it is time I left the seat in the audience to know what theater is about by setting my foot on stage.

At the first audition workshop at O Space from 1PM to 5PM Sunday, March 4th, Daniel taught us the theater basics. We started with warm-up exercises, to know the space, to know the stage. Then we learned the positioning through role plays with different partners. We learned how to interact with others, we learned to be expressive, creative, relaxed, and to make magic on stage.

After we worked with major-minor, we tried the killers & victims game. I found it hard to act "dead" naturally. When I was ambushed on the street, I heard my heart pumping hard lying on the rubber floor, I just couldn't help laughing. Maybe I should try meditation to slow down my heart beat to act "dead" better. It was not easy to act "dropping dead", two teenagers lads really did the stunts well.

Then Daniel instructed us to improvise the elements (air, water, fire, earth) and the colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, purple) to expand our theatrical vocabulary with emotions and movements. Sometimes we work individually, sometimes we work in a group of two or three to set free our minds and bodies. It's challenging and fun! Once a while, I just burst into laughter on stage with my partner(s)!

When Daniel taught us how to act Bouffon, he hid his hands in the sleeves, bent his back, spit out, and snickered. We followed his act of Bouffon by twisting our bodies to make face to make fun of people. Bouffon is a specific style of performance work that has a main focus in the art of mockery.

Then Daniel asked us to sing, I sang a small part of Habanera (aria). Daniel asked me to memorize the whole song in order to perform in his new play. That is easy, I already knew the entire lyrics of "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" by heart. I can dance flamenco Carmen, too.

Even I have no idea what roles Daniel needs for his new play, I look forward to the second audition workshop to learn more about theater basics. I want to acquire the body language to build the tension in the audience. I want to know more about myself and people around me.

After the first audition workshop, Daniel, Susan, Bill, Nate and I had Cantonese food for dinner. Then Bill went to his Chinese Drama class. Nate called it a day. Daniel, Susan and I continued our gourmet journey to have tangyuan (rice balls in soup of red beans) for dessert in Wan-hua, followed by a cup of espresso at Love Cafe' in Yung-ho. If Susan were not tired, we would have continued our night with a drink or two at a South African pub in Yung-ho.

At the Love Cafe', "She is a beautiful woman," Daniel commented when I mentioned about Meryl Streep winning Academy Best Actress Award 2012. I made up my mind and told myself, "yes, I want to be that beautiful woman, a woman who knows how to express herself, a woman know knows how to play her role, a woman who knows how to be in control."

"A smart woman is a beautiful woman in the eyes of any gentleman," I believe firmly. No matter how old we get, we have a role to play, and to play it smart and well. What I want to accomplish one day is to produce a short skit to play all roles Meryl played, the Hours, Mamma Mia, the Iron Lady.