FRAGMENTS OF A PROCESS: A Year(+) in the Life of WWL
August 2, 2015 (Syros, Greece) We just completed our third full day of rehearsals. And what beautiful chaos it is. As usual, negotiating new collaborations is a challenge, but the … Continue reading
WORLD WIDE LAB 2016 IN TAIWAN
“How do so many directors direct together?” This is a frequent question. After six years of the launch of the World Wide Lab, we are still sticking to the spirit of … Continue reading
A Theatrical Adventure
Three years ago I had the honor of working with the World Wide Lab, an international group of Lincoln Center Director’s Lab directors, during their first of two years at … Continue reading
My Five Years With the World Wide Lab
Last Monday, two ferries and an early flight had taken most of this year’s World Wide Lab (WWL) participants off the Greek Island Syros. After 16 days of communal living … Continue reading
On Artistic Directing
I have been collaborating with fellow lab director Ioli Andreadi in and out of the World Wide Lab for several years and when she asked me to co-artistic direct this … Continue reading
A Beautiful Day
Through the iron fenced windows of a monastery, strange sounds echo through the narrow alleys of a medieval settlement, penetrating the peaceful landscape; sounds of joy, laughter, sorrow, despair, love, … Continue reading
Our Designers Speak
Besides the directors and actors, each year we collaborate with a design team. This year we have two designers, one local to Syros, the other from Thessaloniki, in Northern Greece. We … Continue reading
Blogging and Chatting About the Lab 2015
August 2015. We are in Syros for yet another World Wide Lab. It’s the 5th edition and there is nothing better than celebrating number 5 on a beautiful Greek island … Continue reading
Our Search for Utopia
We are living in a vacuum this year. Sequestered on a Greek island, 8 international directors share a communal space with 10 Greek actors in an old monastery, creating 3 … Continue reading
陰性力量與陽性力量（The power of feminine and masculine)
初期討論「女人天下」劇本時，恰巧遇上台灣總統候選人之一蔡英文上美國時代雜誌封面，因為封面照片風格色調偏暗，與台灣媒體習慣使用的繽紛色調呈明顯對比，這樣的差異在台灣的網路和媒體上掀起瘋狂討論。我今年合作的美國導演Annie Levy找來美國總統候選人之一希拉蕊在時代雜誌上的照片，兩相對比，甚是有趣。希拉蕊的照片以明亮潔淨的色調，凸顯了她女性的特質，降低了她的陽剛氣。而蔡英文的照片則以低調特寫強調她臉部的沉著表情，企圖降低女性軟性特質，增強陽剛力量。我不知道這是否是東西方對女性政治人物的期待有所不同，但十分有趣的是無論是男人或女人，對於女人擁有權力而感到不安，古今中外東西方都是一樣的反應。 Annie Levy和我今年要共同執導希臘古典喜劇家亞里斯多芬的作品「女人天下」（“The Ecclesiazusae,” 英譯 “The Assembly Women,” or “Women in Power”)。我們使用的劇本是當代希臘劇作家Dionisis Christopoulos所改寫的版本。希臘古典戲劇沒有女性演員，皆由男人來詮釋女性角色。「女人天下」描述一群雅典城邦婦女因對男人主導的政權失望，企圖將政權以「合理」的方式移轉到女人身上。劇中描述女人對於美好政府的想像，應該要像烏托邦一樣，每個人分享一樣的財富、食物甚至性愛，戲中也少不了以荒腔走板的方式詮釋女性對於治理國家的想像就像管理廚房一樣。 我跟Annie將場景轉換到排練場，三個演技老派、油腔滑調的男演員排練「女人天下」，三位演員彼此競爭，卻又盡找舞監助理（一名年輕美國女孩）的麻煩。戲裡的排練場內權力地位隨著劇情的推演開始產生微妙的變化。男人對女人的刻板印象與女人對於權力地位的渴望與害怕，隨著戲中戲的情節，對應排練場上的角色關係，尋求同盟或地位被威脅，原本被欺負調戲的女助理，最後變成最有力量控制局勢的人。 幾次排練下來，令我重新省思什麼是真正的力量。強壯、巨大、高大、剛硬等字眼，是屬於陽性力量的聯想，那陰性力量呢？柔軟的、未知的、沒有具體形狀的、蔓延的，是陰性力量的聯想。如何在戲裡呈現出兩種力量的交替，是很有趣的實驗。陽性力量可以具體的被呈現，那陰性力量的？無論男性女性，一個真正有力量的人，應該是兩種力量都兼備，那又該如何平衡兩種特質呢？ 我想，在「女人天下」裡要探索的不是男人和女人之間的戰爭，而是「真正的接納」彼此不同的特質，並且利用這些特質創造更好的生活。這也或許回應了當今的政治局勢，越來越多女性投入政治活動、關注社會議題，這或許衝擊了某些男性主導的思維，但是也帶來新的氣象，不是嗎？ — Jocelyn Yuchia Chang, Taiwan During our early discussion on the script of … Continue reading
