My Heritage by [jam Jamie]
The idea of writing this play stated from Ancient Chinese poetry translation.
问君能有几多愁？恰似一江春水向东流。
I ask him how do you define about misery? He said 'like a river drifting to the east’.
连雨不知春去，一晴方觉夏深。
It has been raining for a year while I had no sense when spring left, only the sun waken me up to make me smell about summer.
山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村
we doubt there were no way to go, a new destiny appeared in the hidden parterre.
[jam Jamie] got expired through this subjective translation experience and then looked at various period writing in different format and expression. He used his un-conscious writing skill based on his personal experience. Picking up texts from 《沁园春·雪》by Chair Mao, 《茶馆》by Lao Se, 《恋爱的犀牛》 by Meng Jing Hui. 《暗恋／桃花源》，and《桃花源记》to re-create a coherent none-narrative- narrative. When he wrote, he liked listening to certain sound track or music to get the sense of the period and the atmosphere. For instance, when he wrote how culture revolution affected Chinese’s sex attitude/education, he translated《沁园春·雪》by Chair Mao while listening to sound track of 广播体操 which is a mixed voice guiding music playing at 10 Am every morning for Chinese primary school students, while they are doing daily exercise at playground.
One of the play ending is [jam Jamie]’s favourite film <The One and The Two> by Yang De Chang. PoPo’s philosophy illustrates lots of Chinese’s attitude towards life. They are always quite and 'never say a word'.They believe this is how life supposes to be, like 'a river drifting to the east', all the sadness and happiness are gone with it. There is also a Chinese slang in expressing of Chinese pursuit for their happiness, as '平平淡淡就是真', which means 'mundane life is reality'.
[jam Jamie] has lived in many countries, because of this mixed culture background, he is constantly inspired by different social value and western philosophy in contracting to eastern culture. In 2015 summer, he went back to his hometown for the first time after 2008. It's no longer as 'Home Sweet Home', he was like a native Chinese speaking westerner at where he grew up. He found the only way towards a peaceful mind is to exam his own heritage in a creative way. Therefore, here is the Play.
—[jam] collective, August 2016.
My Heritage by [jam Jamie]
B:I ask him how do you define about misery?He said 'like a river drifting to the east.'
G:It has been raining for a year while I had no sense when spring left, only the sun waken me up to make me smell about summer.
A:we doubt there were no way to go, a new destiny appeared in the hidden parterre.
[A stillness apple. Hold.]
'Northerland, snowfall.
Great wall, inside out.
Yellow river-crying out.
FineDay-FineDay,S-M Out.'
Neverland, full of talents, exhaustly bending.
Mystical kingdom, eternal competing.
Erotic poet, showed less elegancy in his writing.
One generation, lack emotional introspection.
'All Past-All Past, Look-at US.'
---Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang---
Teahouse customers, all male.
One and two rooms, all gel.
Refugees couple, exclusive lover.
Soldier brother, Uncle police, all cheater.
Landlord guests, enchanting.
'Darling-Honey', Day sex peddler.
Military Camp, forbidden bitter.
Landlord:(Lit.) What can I help you?
Lad:What about…I can’t afford a hooker, offend you?
Guest:(Sit.) Lad, you are such a Man!
Landlord:(Come over to The Lord,grumbling.)
The Lord, the king of intelligence.
Judge by reason!
The Lord:(Stand up.) I’ve got my thing, Chao!
Landlord:Lad(/Lid),how much?(/how much)?
My loss!
Don’t act like an old virgin whore.
Lad:No worry! Check soon!
-Dang Dang Dang-
Sex peddler:Sell daughter, no matter how precious, I feel so sorry to her! You fool!
Look, once married to a Man, eat like a Lady, dress like a Bitch, how can’t be Godness
life? How about….Give a quicky!
Lad:From ancient times, everlasting love…..How could The Lord only pay silver
golden lid?
Sex peddler:(Touching the lid.) Honey-Darling! So charming! If I wear a rag, acting
like a rat. Who would pay me!
Refugees couple:No Cheating!
[Smoke crave their cigarette.]
Specify the cravings that you long for most intensely. Dry sex…?….the protagonist could only reach organism in his own fantasy. Room: a building, a hidden shelter… or an unit inside a flat isolated by a wall or slides.
Polanski wrote: I learnt love is no difference from fruit and music, love could bring comfort too.
'He felt when he was 30.'
The so-called ‘intelligence’ is in loving with impossible, illogical, non-rewarding thing. Love is selfish, no one is worth your whole life. But love will give you the courage to beat the mundane life, to touch upon the extraordinary of the world, to unveil the mystical soul that you do not find.
'What life is for?'
I want the audience to feel something after the performance, to think again what is important, what is worth pursuing. The ending is not under the concern in this play.
<Crave> the whole script reading
Ma Lu A:
I have a friend called 'toothbrush', I trusted him, it was hormone increasing period, like a cat singing in the dark, like leopard showing its strength in front of his mistress. But deep down I know, you are different. You are different, unique, soft, clean, like the sky. My darling-honey, Ming-ming, how could I make you understand?
Ma Lu B:
How can I make you understand the way I am about falling love with you ? I suffer in silent, weeping on the playground?I cry out loud, yelling to the whole world?I blame myself even if I am right? I rush to your office and lift up your skirt? I could be Man, be a Doctor, be a Writer? Become a self-confessed workaholic, and being pitied by other? I will enrol mental hospital, craving for your love? Crazy? Want more, I commit suicide in front of your friends? My honey-darling, Ming-ming, show me an answer.
Ma Lu A: Twilight has the blurring effect;
Ma Lu B: A street full of beauty.
Ma Lu A&B: Street likes a dancing floor, building turns into graceful figure.
'Like a film…..'
[You were standing around the corner next to the staircase, a scent, wet, strange atmosphere. When you were passing by, I see the tears.]
[Sugar is practical.]
-In the reign Taiyuan, a fisherman named Wuling, walking along a bank. Suddenly, he came upon a peach grove, with extended beauty along river. By the grove, sky is singing with rainbow, longing river is covered with pink petals. A storm was rolling down the mountains. Through the peach grove, he dreamed of color.
Wife: (Sings.) He and she, she and he, I can’t separate them. (Put a bunch of flowers into a vase.)
Husband: (Sings along with his wife.) He and she, she and he, I can’t separate them.(Wiping the floor.)
Guest: (Sings.) He and she, she and he, I can’t separate them.
Guest: Well, how’s life?
Husband: No bad. Nice meal!
Guest: Absolutely wonderful!
Husband: What’s going on?
Guest yawning, Wife puts her hand on his mouth and turns his head around:'Don’t look at me, I am shy, look at the bed!'
Husband: Bed’s for sleeping, not worth attention.
Guest: Nonononono (Wife waving the hand), sleeping is so important! (Wife thumbs up.)
Wife: Don’t look at me, (Wife slaps Husband’s face, and points the bed.) Look at the bed sheet! See! Those dragon eyes, shows so much strength of a man.
Husband: Look at the phoenix, perfect body shape, why don’t you mention that….
'Chaos war. Ancient poet. Eagle strove for rotten meat, flag swung by the wind.
With wife and daughter, they escaped to this uninhabited peach grove.
Father plowed,mother sewed.
They sat and sung as if the moon accompany by the luxury green.'
Husband: Who doesn’t want to catch the bigger fish. I have no intention to make them small. You would say no. But it’s a question about luck, ( Wants to top up his own cup, but Guest hands over his one to get filled.) See, I have no ability to catch the big one.
Guest: How serious!
Husband: There are bigger ones upstream, but my boat is small, I could go, go there, but go there for … (Stand up.) For what?
Guest: I say you, that that that you…..Husband: Should should should I…..
Guest: (Point Wife) For her!
Husband: Oh, for her.
Guest: For her that that that what for.
Husband: Fine, even if I treat her like that (go to upstream) for what. In fact, I treat her like this like this like this, that is that is that is our business….How. About you? You that that that….Guest: I what what what….Husband: You did that that that, so what?
When the summer twilight farewell the star,the fisherman stood up and said ‘What is life?’ The poet answered ‘Why, a life. Just a life!’
Woman: Liu Zi Ji——Liu Zi Ji—
Wife: Who?
Woman: I am looking for Liu Zi Ji!
Director: Your husband?
Woman: Liu Zi Ji.
Wife: Her husband.
Woman: Liu Zi Ji!
Husband: Who?
Woman: Liu Zi Ji.
Husband: Liu Zi Ji? What’s his phone number?
PoPo (in Chinese means grandma) heard everyone’s story while she was in coma. She never said a word, but she always knew and understood. Understood their confusion about life, understood their lost, vulnerability and sadness. She also knew when is the time they felt the joy in life, she knew everything and understood everyone. She also knew what to do, but she never said a word, she couldn’t say a word.
On Po Po’s funeral, Yang Yang read a letter to Po Po,
'Po Po, I missed you, I always do, I feel I grow old now (just like you).’
[Music starts]
美人你一直是我的春天,你是我生命中的世外桃源. You are always my spring. You are always the dream in my dream. From beginning to the end. [Fin]
