'King Lear' with an Asian touch<\/p>\n
By Oei Eng Goan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): William Shakespeare displays human nature in all
\nits astonishing variety in his 37 tragedies and comedies. The
\naccessibility of his stories and their universally relevant moral
\nvalues has lead to his works being performed in various
\nlanguages, styles and costumes throughout the years.<\/p>\n
An original incarnation could be seen in the performance of
\nLear for Jakarta audiences last weekend, an international act
\nbased on Shakespeare's King Lear and embracing Asia's vernacular
\nand beauty.<\/p>\n
Performed by artists from six Asian countries -- China,
\nIndonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand -- the play
\nwas a blend of choral speaking, dance and music incorporating
\ntraditional and contemporary manners.<\/p>\n
Lear is about a tragedy that befalls a king who misjudges his
\ntwo daughters. The Old Man entrusts his kingdom to the Older
\nDaughter, who utters words of affection for him, and banishes the
\nYounger Daughter, who remains silent, before beginning his
\njourney with his loyal attendant, the Fool.<\/p>\n
On the journey the Fool bets the Old Man that the Older
\nDaughter will usurp the kingdom and forsake her father for her
\nown power. Returning home, the Old Man finds the prediction
\nfulfilled. The Older Daughter kills the king, saying \"I do not
\nneed a father. I am a daughter of the gods.\"<\/p>\n
Although the actors speak their lines in the languages of
\ntheir own countries, their body movements and voices manage to
\ncommunicate the drama and tragedy of the story for the audience
\nto follow.<\/p>\n
This is because Shakespeare's characters \"are not modified by
\nthe customs of particular places ... but by the genuine progeny
\nof common humanity, such as the world will always supply and
\nobservation will always find,\" as commented Samuel Johnson, a
\nnoted Shakespearean critic.<\/p>\n
Johnson's remarks are well understood by the 17 players of
\nLear, so that every speech and song, although uttered in their
\nown languages, is purely manifested without the slightest
\nbarrier. Although the producers, the Japan Foundation Asia
\nCenter, did in fact provide electronic subtitles in English and
\nIndonesian.<\/p>\n
The story's theme is familiar to many, as it concerns the age-
\nold conflict between the young and the old. What is unique in the
\nplay is it's emphasis on the removal of paternalistic authority
\nby a father's daughter (from King Lear by Goneril in
\nShakespeare's original work), which climaxes with the killing of
\nthe Old Man by the Older Daughter. The presence of the Mother,
\nnot in the original story, signifies that paternalistic authority
\nshould no longer dominate the Asian world, considering that the
\nrole of females is equal to that of males in this era of
\nglobalization.<\/p>\n
\"Mother is the figure who saves all beings,\" said Yuki Hata,
\nthe producer of Lear, dubbed the Asian version of King Lear.<\/p>\n
Obviously, this is in stark contrast to Akira Kurosawa's Ran,
\na widely acclaimed film jointly produced by Japan and France in
\n1985, also based on Shakespeare's King Lear. In the film,
\ndirector Kurosawa substituted the king's daughters with sons.<\/p>\n
Although all the actors in Lear played wonderfully, thanks to
\ntheir hard work and the guidance of Singapore's theater director
\nOng Keng Sen, special praise should be given to Japanese Noh
\nmaster Naohiko Umewaka, who played the roles of the Old Man and
\nMother, Beijing Opera maestro Qiang Jihu (the Older Daughter),
\nThai dancer Peeramond Chomdavat (the Younger Daughter) and
\nJapanese actress Hairi Katagiri (the Fool).<\/p>\n
Umewaka's upright movements and firm footsteps epitomized the
\nregal bearing of the Old Man still in power, while in the closing
\nscenes his staggering and tottering was well suited to the
\ndesperate and broken-hearted Old Man who had lost his kingdom.<\/p>\n
Qiang's melodious and often shrill voice beautifully depicted
\nthe conniving Older Daughter, while Peeramond played the Younger
\nDaughter with the pitiful grace of an outcast.<\/p>\n
Indonesia<\/p>\n
Other performers worthy of praise were Benny Krisnawardi,
\nJefri Andi and Fitrik, Indonesian dancers from the Gumarang Sakti
\ndance company who played the roles of the Warriors, and
\nSingaporean actor Lim Yu-Beng and Malaysian choreographer Aida
\nRedza who played the Loyal Attendant and the Mother's Shadow.<\/p>\n
Kudos should also go to Indonesian choreographer Boi G. Sakti
\nwho introduced the movements of Minangkabau pencak silat, a
\ntraditional Indonesian martial art form, to add a dynamic balance
\nto the slow and carefully controlled Noh gestures.<\/p>\n
The same is true for musicians and composers Mark Chan and
\nRahayu Supanggah. Chan's popular music and Supanggah's tradition
\nal gamelan blended nicely to add drama to Lear.<\/p>\n
The lack of empty seats at all three performances in the
\n1,000-capacity Teater Tanah Airku is testimony to the success of
\nLear in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The play's success shows that a group of artists from
\ndifferent countries with diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds
\ncan produce a truly magnificent work of art. Hopefully this will
\ninspire Indonesians to question if people here really have to get
\ncaught up in the racial and ethnic hatred that has recently lead
\nto so much bloody violence.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/king-lear-with-an-asian-touch-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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