Brandon's guide to theater in Asia PDF
Preview Brandon's guide to theater in Asia
title: Brandon's Guide to Theater in Asia author: Brandon, James R. publisher: University of Hawaii Press isbn10 | asin: 0824803698 print isbn13: 9780824803698 ebook isbn13: 9780585363585 language: English subject Performing arts--Asia--Directories. publication date: 1976 lcc: PN2860.G8 1976eb ddc: 790.2/095 subject: Performing arts--Asia--Directories. Page iii Brandon's Guide to Theater in Asia James R. Brandon Page iv Unless otherwise noted photographs are by the author. Copyright © 1976 by The University Press of Hawaii All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America Filmset in Hong Kong by Asco Trade Typesetting Ltd. Designed by Roger J. Eggers Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Brandon, James R Brandon's guide to theater in Asia. Includes bibliographies. 1. Performing artsAsiaDirectories. I. Title. II. Guide to theater in Asia. PN2860.G8 1976 790.2'095 75-37506 ISBN 0-8248-0369-8 Dedication To the hundreds of friends and theater people in Asia who have made theater- going such a pleasure for me over the years, I dedicate this book. My special thanks to Duane Hauch, Suresh Awasthi, Onoe Kuroemon, Roger Long, and Min-soo Ahn. Page vii Contents Introduction 3 Burma 9 Cambodia 15 China (Taiwan) 23 Hong Kong 31 India 36 Indonesia 61 Japan 80 Korea 111 Laos 118 Malaysia 122 Philippines 132 Singapore 141 Thailand 145 Vietnam 155 Theater List 160 Page 3 Introduction Over the vast geographic area that is Asia, plays are performed in a thousand placesin luxuriously appointed modern theaters, in former royal palaces, in temple courtyards, and in temporary buildings made of bamboo and palm thatch. A rich feast of theater awaits the visitor, provided he, or she, knows where to go and what to expect. But it is not easy to discover where theaters are, what types of plays are being staged, or the hours, days, and seasons of performance. The purpose of this guide is to help the traveler in Asia find and enjoy exciting living theater. First, a few hints about going to see theater in Asia. On the whole, playgoing is a more casual affair than it is in the West. Plays can last four or five hours. Some continue through the night until dawn. Starting times are not necessarily precise. People come and go during performance; you can too. Relax and enjoy yourself. Take the experience as it comes. Be ready to mingle with audiences from all levels of society (in contrast to Western audiences which today are mostly from the educated urban elite). Be prepared to pick and choose from a truly immense range of theater. From India to Japan, the theater of Asia spreads out like a brilliant kaleidoscope. There are dance-dramas, ballets, masked pantomimes, operas, operettas, shadow-plays, doll-puppet plays, and more. From your place in the auditorium you will see not only actors and actresses, but elegant and exquisitely costumed court dancers, musicians, singers, chanters, and stage assistants. You will hear songs and heroic narratives and flights of poetic dialogue. Drums will thud and gongs will boom. Everywhere you go the colors, sights, and sounds will vary enormously from the last place. Since it is Page 4 impossible for even the most fanatic theater buff to see everything, it is wise to know in advance the types of plays you are most interested in and to make your plans accordingly. It is easy to find major theaters in Tokyo, Hong Kong, New Delhi, and a few other cities, but otherwise prepare to be on your own. You will have to hunt out even the best drama. When you arrive in a new city I suggest you do three things without fail. First, buy a city map; carry it everywhere. Especially useful ones are mentioned by publisher's name in this guide, but any will do. With a map you can estimate distance, you can plot theater locations, you can plan a schedule that doesn't have you crisscrossing the city every day. With a map you can use local transportation. You can walk. Even if you intend to go everywhere by taxi, you will still find a map useful. Second, spend an hour or so going over all English-language newspapers and magazines published in the city. No single publication will list all performances, but taken together they will give at least an idea of what is playing at major theaters. Read the papers daily. A notice may appear once only or there may be but a single performance. (If you can get your hotel clerk to translate for you, you will find more complete listings in vernacular papers.) And third, ask, ask, and ask again. Most people you meet will not know what theaters are open. Or they may not understand your questions. Or they may not want a foreigner to go to a particular theater. There are a dozen reasons why your simple "where-can-I- see?" question can elicit a blank look or a negative reply. My own firm rule is: "Don't believe no until you've heard it three times." Hotel clerks may be helpful but don't depend upon it; they seldom have time for the unusual question, such as yours. I have good luck with taxi drivers. They almost always know where theaters are, once you can convince them you actually want to go to one and not to a movie. Or, phone or go to the national tourist bureau. The long and short of it is that except for a few major theaters everyone knows about you must play detective and you must never give up. After 25 years, I am still running across theaters that Asian friends have assured me do not exist. There is no single Asia-wide theater season. Any time of the year will be good for theater somewhere. Urban theaters tend to be open year- round. Some will close in the hottest months of the year. In the countryside, some of Asia's most fascinating plays are performed only at religious festivals, or during specific seasons. The best time of year in tropical countries is the dry season (folk plays and dances simply halt during the torrential downpours of the rainy season). In the cool, dry fall and early winter months harvest and temple festival performances are seen throughout Asia's northern tier of Page 5 countries, from India to Japan. Buddhist festival dates are reckoned by the lunar calendar, a month being 29 or 30 days. As a result, dates vary from year to year. If you haven't a moon-phase calendar (and who does?), watch for nights of the full moon, a common time for performances at Buddhist temples. Buy the best seats in the house. I would never sit in the front row of a Broadway theater if I could avoid it, but in Asia I often do. You will find it fascinating to follow details of acting and dance, of costumes and makeup, of mask and puppet carving. And to do that you will want to be close. It's more comfortable up front, too; theaters are divided into first-, second-, third-, fourth-, and sometimes fifth-class sections; seats get narrower and harder as you move back from the stage. Tickets are very inexpensivefirst class is seldom more than a dollarso there is no reason not to treat yourself to a choice seat. Should you buy tickets at the door or in advance? There is no simple answer to this question. Most of the time and in most places you can buy a ticket for a first-class seat at the door. You avoid hassle and aren't tied to a schedule this way. But some good performances may by SRO by curtain time. You may never have another chance. In a few countries you can make phone reservations. You may want to locate a theater during daylight hours, in which case you can buy your tickets at the same time. Tickets are conveniently sold at department stores and hotels in India, Singapore, and Japan (no agent's commission). It really depends on youwhether you like to plan carefully and have the assurance of tickets in hand or prefer to stay loose and uncommitted and take your chances. As a rule of thumb, I suggest: the fancier the theater and the more expensive the tickets, the wiser it is to buy or reserve in advance. Now a bit about how to use this guide. Look up the country, or countries, you will be visiting. The fourteen countries described
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