arts
The World Is Our Stage
By Min Potthoff
From November 15th to the 20th, Atlantans will have a rare first-hand opportunity
to sample a piece of Chinese culture through the collaboration of some innovative
American and Chinese cultural exchange attachés. The story of the
legendary Monkey King (Sun Wu Kong in Mandarin Chinese) will come alive via
the raconteurs of Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) Theatre and Performance
Studies’ production team.
The Monkey King is the protagonist in novelist Wu Cheng’En’s
(1500-1585) “Journey to the West” (Xi You Ji), which chronicles,
enriched by fables and fairy tales, the pilgrimage of a real-life monk, Xuan
Zang of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (602-664). In the course of ten years, Xuan
Zang traveled on foot to India, the birth place of Buddhism, in search of
the original scripture. Upon his return, Xuan Zang translated the Sutras
into Chinese, bringing the eventual prevalence of Buddhism in China.
In Wu Cheng’En’s romantic version of this historic journey, the
rebellious Monkey King is the most resourceful of the four disciples who
escorted Xuan Zang throughout his adventurous expedition. Born out of a rock,
the smart monkey learned Kung Fu from a Taoist Master and equipped himself
with incomparable knacks and unpredictable tricks. In defiance of the ultimate
authority, The Great Jade Emperor (Yu Huang Da Di), the Monkey King crowned
himself and enflamed havoc against the Jade Emperor in all the emperor’s
territorial domains.
Humiliated and desperate, the emperor resorted to Buddha for help, who in
turn imprisoned the monkey under The Mountain of Five Fingers (Wu Zhi Shan).
Five hundred years came and went, but the tenacious monkey survived the elements
and saw the light when the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang came to his rescue under
Buddha’s guidance. Thus the Monkey King embarked on the journey to
the west with Master Xuan Zang and redeemed himself by becoming the master’s
indispensable protégé in search of truth.
Coinciding with KSU’s current academic year’s theme, the Year
of China, the Monkey King project actually started two years ago, according
to the project director, Ming Chen. In order to convert the lengthy classic
into a modern play, Atlanta’s local playwright, Margaret Baldwin was
enlisted. Voted as one of Atlanta’s Best Director of 2005 by a local
paper, Karen Robinson, led the play, the production has been a work in process
involving numerous parties, including the Coca-Cola Company who provided
this unique project a special grant. Some of Coca-Cola’s employees
were part of a focus group, giving their opinions on one of the many versions
of the play. To Ming Chen, a professor at KSU’s Theatre and Performance
Studies, it is where the beauty of this special project lies.
"During the production process, we have had many interesting discussions about the cultural differences between East and West, about the Chinese cultural heritage and current trends, social issues in both China and the U.S. as well as who we really are as Americans. We involved not only Chinese Americans, Chinese in China, Chinese who studied in the U.S and returned to China, but also Americans working in China during the development of this play." Ming Chen, who has been teaching and living in Atlanta for over ten years, is also the Scenic and Costume Designer for the Monkey King. She took time out from her jam packed schedule to elaborate on the play.
Chen sees the Monkey King, a performance art piece, as a cultural experience
in which the play is a part of. To her, such a cross-cultural theatrical
production involves both the artists and the audience “seeing the world
through others’ eyes.” The production process serves “as
a bridge for a better understanding of the other culture, and in turn, the
culture of our own.” The Monkey King project seeks to internationalize
KSU's curriculum, to promote cultural exchange, and to educate and enrich
the lives of audiences through the interpretation, recreation and appreciation
of Art. “By exposing to everyone involved in this experience a different
perspective, whether it be religious, political, or social, this unique experience
can facilitate the development of our critical thinking skills, and make
us better informed citizens in this global village, which is right at the
core of our Liberal Arts education.” Chen clearly felt strongly about
the significance of such an experience.
Not only will the Monkey King project present such a golden opportunity in
Atlanta, it will also travel back to the birth place of the Monkey
King.
By special invitation from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, one of China's top
theatre educational institutes, the performance team will participate in
the International Theatre Festival in conjunction with the celebration of
the Academy's 60th anniversary in Metropolitan Shanghai.
After the scheduled
performance in Shanghai, China on December 1st and 2nd of 2005, faculty members
of the team will host seminars and workshops at the Academy and participate
in post- show discussions after each performance at Shanghai Drama Center. “This
cultural exchange program is made possible by the generosity of the Coca-Cola
Company, by the gracious offer from the host institution, Shanghai Theatre
Academy, which will provide room, board, and local transportation for the
team during their stay in Shanghai. Last but not the least, none of this
would have been possible without the strong support from the administration
of KSU of all levels.” Chen was especially grateful for the tremendous
backing for this project.
Ming Chen, a Shanghai native and a Shanghai Theatre Academy graduate, stated
that the dilemma of this world is that the East and the West do not talk.
Attempting to bridge the cultures through the form of art, Chen urges everyone
not to remain “the frog dwelling on the bottom of a well” – a
Chinese expression meaning someone content to be provincial like a frog sitting
in a well, believing the sky is only as big as the opening of the well. Chen
wishes that people of all cultures will “jump out of the well they
are trapped in and make an effort to reach for a better understanding of
the other cultures.” The world is our stage after all.