Tales of Fools Educational Theatre
Jockey Club New Arts Power JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power, launched in 2017, is an annual Arts Festival presented by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council with the funding support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Festival brings together established and emerging local artists to produce creative, approachable and engaging arts experiences for all.
In the past four editions, 43 arts groups have participated in the Festival. Together they produced 90 live performances and a remarkable number of major exhibitions. Uniting art groups and various organisations from the social welfare, academic and commercial sectors, the festival held over 550 community and school events, reaching some 460,000 participants. JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power 2021 / 2022 has been launched in September 2021, featuring a total of 6 selected programmes that include dance, theatre, music, as well as presenting more than 100 community and school activities.
Table of Content About Théâtre de la Feuille ............................................................................................... 2 About Tales of Fool Educational Theatre .......................................................................... 2 Theatrical Text .................................................................................................................... 4 Dramatic Features .............................................................................................................. 5 A Brief Comparison of Drama Genres ............................................................................... 8 Theatrical Elements............................................................................................................ 9 Exercise: Opening a Door................................................................................................. 10 Hong Kong Arts Development Council fully supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this programme do not represent the stand of the Council. (Note: The English version is translated from the Chinese version. In case of discrepancies between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail.)
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About Théâtre de la Feuille Founded in 2010 in Paris by Wong Chun Tat (Ata), Théâtre de la Feuille is currently based in Hong Kong. Théâtre de la Feuille is made up of 20 performers from different countries and backgrounds who diligently polish their craft by receiving regular training devised by the company, in order to grow as a team that is collectively fluent in self-expression and abundant in creative energy. The artistic approach of the company is to blend elements East-and-West, where the Western pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq interweaves with the traditional arts of the East. Its recent works include L’Orphelin, Mad Man, Papa and The Lost Adults. Not only does Théâtre de la Feuille produce high-quality theatre that experiments with a diverse range of genres and topics, it also aims to glean as much overseas touring experience as possible. It has undertaken 200 overseas tours, performing in over 80 locations, including the United States, France, Italy, Croatia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and different cities in China. Ata is one of the very few graduates of Chinese descent to have completed the twoyear Introductory Course and The Laboratory of Movement Study at École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Jacques Lecoq). In addition to his training, Wong also attended the Jacques Lecoq teaching certification in 2018.
About Tales of Fool Educational Theatre People are often inspired by tales of courageous heroes. As for stories of the Fools, are there wisdom and insight to be gleaned? Combining elements from chou (male clown) roles in Cantonese opera, Western pierrot and commedia dell’arte, a series of dark comedy sketches encourages students to explore some of the most famous historical stories. When faced with seemingly impossible missions, how do we make use of humor and wit to ease the tension and save the situation? Deeply grounded in physical theatre, Théâtre de la Feuille re-enacts these classic events with dramatic tension while students are guided to engage in reflections and discussions. The performance is accompanied by Chinese music with minimal setting, and allows students to learn about various styles of performances including the elements of “singing, acting, reciting, acrobatic fighting” in Cantonese operas and comedies in Western theatre.
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About the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji)were authored and complied by Sima Qian when he was serving the Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty as the Grand Historian. The repertoire covers more than two thousand years beginning from the age of the Yellow Emperor to the 7th regnal year of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. Containing over 52 thousand Chinese characters and a total of 130 chapters, The Records are further categorised into 5 parts: Basic Annals (deeds of emperors), Tables (chronicles of historical events), Treatises (laws and regulations), Hereditary Houses (deeds of emperor families), and Ranked Biographies (stories about historical figures). Sima Qian was the first historian who developed the “biographic-thematic” genre – histories are presented primarily with biographies and complemented by eras and events. As a chapter of the Records, Tales of Fool is sorted under Hereditary Houses. The original wordings mention 3 nonentities, including You Zhan, who is an eloquent speaker skillful at making sardonic remarks.
According to the Records, there did not exist any interaction or verbal exchanges between You Zhan and the assassin. As a product of devised theatre, Tales of Fool consists of plots and dialogues which serve narrative purposes and create conflicts between characters. Co-conceived by members of Théâtre de la Feuille, those dramatic scenes inspire multifaceted thinking and widen the space for audience to imagine and contemplate.
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Theatrical Text The text of educational theatre Tales of Fool is mainly based on two occurrences registered in the Records. Set in the Qin Dynasty, they revolve around You Zhan, the assassin, and Emperor Ying Zheng. The First Emperor represents the person to whom the other two must face up to. The play centres on how the king and his ministers communicate with each other and resolve conflicts in a light and humorous manner. Characters introduction
Emperor Ying Zheng (BC 259 – 210) Emperor Ying Zheng was the king of the State of Qin during the later Warring States period. Thronged at the age of 13, he eliminated the six enemy states at 39. He invented the title “Shi Huang Di” (First Emperor) for himself and is commonly known as Qin Shi Huang. After unifying ancient China, he implemented the administrative system of commanderies and counties as well as centralisation, inaugurating the monarchy system that ruled China for 2000 years subsequently. Moreover, he conducted a variety of public works projects including the Great Wall of China, which is still standing today. You Zhan (dates of birth and death unknown) With a diminutive body size, You Zhan was a cabaret artist from the state of Qin. He knew thoroughly the personality of Emperor Ying Zheng and was able to explain profound truth through jokes. Having up-todate knowledge about people’s livelihood, he made suggestions to the emperor to improve their life quality. For instances, he managed to convince Qin Er Shi, son of Emperor Ying Zheng, to abandon his proposal to paint the Great Wall. The Assassin (dates of birth and death unknown)
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Dramatic Features Blending dramatic features from both the east and the west traditions, Tales of Fool incorporate elements from Cantonese opera and commedia dell'arte. The two genres display stark differences regarding such aspects as narrative styles and props. Apart from viewing a historical happening from sundry perspectives, audience may conjure up disparate reflections inspired by the means and techniques of performance of the actors. Commedia Dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte refers to improvised theatre performances rooted in comedies. Having only plots’ outlines instead of complete scripts, actors make up their own lines on the stage and fabricate character-related Lazzi to mesmerise their audience. Lazzo, or in plural lazzi, is the Italian expression for joke. Traditionally, characters of commedia dell'arte regularly present devious servants, merchants blinded by love, and military officers with superficial courage. Apart from struggling for survival, all these individuals display a double-faced quality, for instances, being innocent and cunning at the same time. On commedia dell'arte, theatre master Jacques Lecoq made the following remarks, “…in the commedia dell’arte, it breaks free from the limits of everyday behaviour, reaching an imaginary dimension.”* In an exaggerated style, dramatic elements of our routine activities expand outward indefinitely. The emotions of characters ceaselessly and abruptly alter from one particular state to another. Audience would therefore discover the close resemblance between physical gestures of extreme joy and extreme sadness. Colombina masks are frequently used in Tales of Fool; actors have to depict their characters with gestures. Meanwhile, wearing the colombina mask, the actor will abandon his/her own distinctiveness and merge into the character entirely. This is exemplified by the tone and tempo during the reciting of dialogues. __________
* Jacques Lecoq, trans. David Bradby, The Moving Body (Le Corps Poétique), London / New York: Bloomsbury (2009), p.119.
Jacques Lecoq Born on 15 December 1921, Jacques Lecoq is the most representative figure in theatre education. His studies in physical structures and method of exercising began when he was functioning as an athlete and physiotherapist during World War Two. Afterwards, he founded the École Internationale de Théâtre in Paris in 1956. Adopting a gradual teaching approach and taking inspiration from commedia dell'arte, Lecoq uncovered the possibility of physical theatre, including the invention of neutral and expressive masks, the practice of performances with and without spoken verbatim, and eventually his researches in clowns.
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Chou Sang in Cantonese opera
One of the critical aspects in Tales of Fools is chou (male clown) of Cantonese opera. The tradition of Cantonese opera follows a stringent classification of role types. In the 50’s, Cantonese opera associations established the Six Pillar that still prevails. The six roles are wen wu sheng (the principal male); xiao sheng (the supporting male); zheng yin hua dan (the principal female); er bong hua dan (the supporting female); chou sheng (the clownish role); and wu sheng (the military role). According to the plot, a single actor may embody several roles. The role types of Cantonese opera can also be categorised as Sang, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou. Each has its own peculiar quality. Chou commonly portrays a humorous or grotesque character. The portrayal of Chou requires mainly reciting and acting. These acting skills include gestures, eye expressions, bodily movements, and steps, etc. As the old saying in the industry applies, “No Cantonese opera can be without the chou role.” Chou is further divided into wen chou (civilian) and wu chou (military). The former often carries out such roles as philanderer and military veteran; the latter, showcasing mainly acrobatic fighting, tends to render characters with competent martial art skills and a witty mind.
(Left) Example of wu chou: Jiang Ping in The Three Heroes and Five Gallants (Right) Example of wen chou: Tang Qin in Identifying of a Severed Head and Assassination of Tang Qin
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Commedia dell'arte vs. Chinese Opera
Both of these major types of drama follow a formalised standard of their characters. For instances, there exists a particular set of requirements concerning the style for rehearsing certain roles. Commedia dell'arte
Chinese Opera
Script
Without a script, the content crops up in response to issues raised by audience on the spot. Consequently, the subject matter reflects the social context of those days.
With a complete script, the content remains unchanged amidst miscellaneous eras.
Audience
There are immediate and direct interaction with the audience.
Unilateral communication is favoured. There is no attempt to break the fourth wall - the barrier that separates actors from the audience.
Example
The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni
The Crossroads
It tells the story of a servant who, in pursuit of incomes, tries to be smart and works for two masters simultaneously. Both are victims of their own love affairs. Finally the ending spirals out of control.
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The Crossroads is a classic combat drama in Peking Opera, casting two wu sheng who demonstrate acrobatic fighting without any dialogue. Set in the Song Dynasty, it tells the story of Jiao Zan, who was exiled for his crime against a corrupt dignitary. To protect him from being persecuted by unscrupulous officials, Yang Yanzhao ordered Warrior Ren Tanghui to tail after him. When Jiao came to rest in a restaurant in the Crossroads, its owner mistakenly took Ren as the one sent to assassinate Jiao. So, to protect Jiao, the two fought fiercely at night, stirring up heaps of fun.
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A Brief Comparison of Drama Genres Tales of Fool is a comedy and farce that employ mixed features from the western tradition: elements of comedy and exaggerated means of entertaining of farce. Furthermore, the show stars the clown that appears in both oriental and western conventions. Western dramas are prevailingly classified by genres and Chinese Opera, by themes. Traditionally, the former can be sub-categorised into three: comedy, tragicomedy and tragedy, all of which originate from the Greek theatre with over 2500 years of history. Surviving multiple centuries of theatre adoptions and creations, their styles and forms can still be recognised in various art productions in contemporary times, including movies and TV shows. Such impacts are evidently long lasting. Tragedy
Example: Hamlet by Shakespeare Comedy
Example: A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare
In its early generation, every Greek tragedy begins with Gods who encounter the intervention of fate or enemies, triggering upheaval in their life situation. Down on his luck, however, the protagonist will never give up. The play always ends with his failure or death. Early comedies probably emerged 50 years after the birth of tragedy. Their stories revolve around ordinary folks with countless flaws. Facing tribulations and trials, their experiences offer a wealth of laugher. Refined comedies are able to criticise ongoing social situations through ridicules or other devices. On the other hand, works that appeal to commoners tend to consist of such famous plots as touching someone by mistakes or misunderstanding.
Tragicomedy has a story structure that resembles a tragedy. The dissimilarity resides in the ending: the protagonist of a Example: tragicomedy, under an optimistic pretext, will overcome his/her Romeo and Julia predicament. by Shakespeare Tragicomedy
Minor Roles Besides Kings and Emperors Customarily, it is those with power who decide the perspective and content of historical accounts. The majority of writings handed down to present day, however, only document the partial truth. From an alternative angle, Tales of Fool composes, perceives and responses concerning the very same episode, shifting the focus from the Emperor to minor characters in his surroundings. Théâtre de la Feuille cherish the belief that, despite their insignificance, minor characters should have their own stories as well; they should not merely function as a narrative tool. Villains have their background and good guys, their dark sides. Through divergent viewpoints, audience may ponder on the characters and the context of the play. They could also picture themselves in diverse scenarios, analysing the motive and subtext behind each one.
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Theatrical Elements Theatrical Settings
With the minimalistic style in general, the theatrical setting of Tales of Fool adopts the minimalism from Chinese opera and the aesthetic value of traditional Chinese art that emphasises the figurative beauty. Practically, an aesthetic activity is an act of constructing a figurative world based on the physical one. The former shines on the reality. According to Chinese aesthetics, such reality refers to what is “natural”. Its sense of reality does not stem from logic but existence. It is a world full of vitality and fun. The aesthetic activity is a mental endeavour that transcends reasoning. The content of Singing and Reciting and Live Music
Written in ancient Chinese, the play is conducted with the traditional Chinese opera method of singing. Apart from recited parts, the dialogues also contain “Mandarin Chinese”, which refers to words with northern pronunciation in ancient times. The most prevalent example is how they change the pronunciation of “ke3 nu4 ye3” in Putonghua or “ho2 nou6 ja3” in Cantonese, meaning “we should feel furious”, into “ko1 naau1 je1”. Each performance of Tales of Fools generates a unique music concert. Utilising manifold instruments, musicians produce live music that help unfolding the plots and evoking emotions of actors and audience. Training of Actors and Arrangement of Characters
Apart from members of Théâtre de la Feuille, Tales of Fool involve traditional Chinese opera actors. Working together, the two parties had to acquire the dramatic technique from each other from the scratch. Each of the three actors play varying roles respectively. The change of character is immediately recognizable when the actor put on a different colombina mask. Apart from the Chinese opera method of “singing, acting, reciting and acrobatic fighting”, Tales of Fool features physical theatre, which has been a forte of Théâtre de la Feuille. Meanwhile, other than the characters, the actors also embody themselves as a variety of objects, scenes, and imageries. Blending with the minimalistic aesthetics of Chinese opera, their stunts provoke riveting delights.
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Exercise: Opening a Door There is a sense of proximity between our real-life experiences and the story revealed in the drama. With the exercise below, you may understand what it means by the saying “drama originates from life.” “Opening a door” is a repetitive undertaking in our daily life. The simple actions of pulling and pushing a door contain heaps of details that deserve observation. For instances, the flexing and extending of elbow joints when we are pushing the door, and the contracting and relaxing of arm muscles during the process of pulling. Likewise, how should we manoeuvre the same movement without an actual object on the theatrical stage? Try to perform the action of “opening the door” in the following situations: 1. Opening the door of your home (in your casual manner) 2. Opening an ancient city gate (imagine how to demonstrate its weight and size) 3. Opening the door of an entrance to ruins (imagine the obstacle that stands in your way) 4. Stealthily opening the door of the Headmaster’s office (imagine how you could do it a secretly)
Participating Art Group: Théâtre de la Feuille Publisher: Hong Kong Arts Development Council Editor: Cultural Connections Design: Po Hung Design Lab Date: October, 2021 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
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