DECONSTRUCT

The word presents a very strong idea of what I want to do within the final show. Using adapted texts from various plays, performing by actor and dancers, putting video and sound recording along with the relation to costume.
Looking at the nature of performance, we all try to use as much visual language as we could to approach our themes. But for the little backup and mostly work on our own, things could be too ambitious according to the situation we are. As Magda once said to me after my presentation: It’s gonna be a Hollywood production.
Got few question for myself as a push for me to get a little distance from where I am and cautions as well.

Texts: Adapt one novel and two plays to examine the theme of love and sex, especially the way, how people act from our own desire. Hide or show? How much? And how to? Can the conversations in the plays and the words in the novel give us any clue or even one solution or simple answer to it? But there is always something beyond the words and conversations: humanity, which is always the main subject that theatre worked before, is working at the moment and will still work on it in the future. Will deconstruct the texts helping to get us a little bit closer to our wanting?


Dance: A very poetic, abstract and organic form to show our feeling, which simply comes out from bodies. While I am thinking through this piece, dance became the element that seemed to be very beautiful and useful form. But at this stage, the ‘WHY’ of using dance does matter a lot, since I realised it won’t deconstruct anything from the subject conceptually and visually.


Video: An extremely trendy visual language in theatre. This area is the part that I have the most little confidence in the project for both filming and editing scene and skill. Although I do have something in mind that I want to use on stage. But it seems to be the weakest link since it has been considered less than other parts, so I am thinking of taking this off. Now, I will leave this to be subjective and try to work on it more and see where it goes.


Acting and recorded voices: These two parts have the strongest connection. By playing three characters through one performer on stage and interact with the voice’s own characters from whom I record. Bring the subject of gender by role playing and changing. Voice will deconstruct the characters, and performer will so the gender.


I want to use the deconstruction to find a way out and help me getting closer to the theme, and once the action started, it cannot be stopped by anyhow. And since I am de constructing it, I should be braver to do it more, more and more.

Why?

Got a call yesterday from friend.

She told me somthing happened to our friend who is now touring in China with her dance company. During few meals out after performances, one BRITISH guy started making fun of my friend’s English accent, and not just for once but three times. I couldn’t understand what’s so funny about that since she is the only person who understands and speaks Mandarin. Apparently, she ordered and explained the entire menu for them every time they eat out. Cannot think of any thing funny for a person make that kind of action towards other whose first language is not English. And after that, my friend cried in the hotel room for 5 hours.
Very disappointed of this kind of action, really.

I understand as long as there is any difference, there will be different opinions. Races, sex, and so on. Unfortunately, I am now studying in the foreign country and I have told myself that I have to be prepared about this kind of things happen to me, especially I am far more complicated then just language issue. But the question is, should we be treated like this. Shouldn’t we show a little more respect to the people who are in the different situation or status?