"Elements of Suffering"
Description:
Prelude
The darkened stage comes to a low gray pre-dawn light. There are 3 separate
stage platforms. Bird songs are heard, shifting into Buddhist chants. A
small Asian woman (Woman 1 = Midori) in haphazard kimono comes onto stage
and begins to attend to the details on each stage, as if preparing the house
for a day of work and living. At the Earth stage, where a grass matt lays
between mounds of dirt and foliage she sweeps a bit and straightens the mat.
Satisfied, she tends to the Water stage, drinking from the bamboo ladle,
inspecting the pots. Once more satisfied, she enters the Fire stage, sits
down on the grass mat and begins to light the candles. Light fades on Woman
1.
Earth
As Woman 2 (Kumi) enters the Earth stage, light comes up on her. She happily
sweeps the dirt away, making a space on the mat to sit. She begins a series
of ritualistic mound making. Woman 3 (Amrita) enters the stage and interacts
sweetly with her. She becomes harsher and harder on Woman 2, binding her in
traditional ways, writing on her flesh with brush and sumi ink, burying her
with the dirt. Woman 1 comes over chats with Woman 3 asking Woman 2 to be
unbound to be taken away by Woman 1 to the Fire Stage. Lights dim on Earth
stage.
Fire
Woman 1 leads Woman 2 onto the mat, rebinding her and creating her into
candelabras of various forms, ending in a crown of candles. Flashes of fire
enhance the visual. Woman 3 moves to the Water stage and begins to ladle
water from the large wooden trough to a smaller traditional Japanese bucket.
Woman 1 invites Woman 3 over. Woman 3 comes, talks and goes away and returns
with a barren tree branch. Woman 1 and 3 together bind the branch on to
Woman 2 and then the water bucket onto the branch. They lead Woman 2 onto
the Water stage. Lights dim on Fire stage.
Water
Woman 2, staggering, suffering, with candles burning on her head, carries
the water to the trough on a small platform and attempt to pour it several
times. But she fails. Women 1 and 3 mock her. The other Women remove the
bucket. Woman 2 crumbles onto her knees. Woman 1 splashes the bound woman in
the face with a ladle full of water, several times. Woman 3 rebinds her into
a new position of discomfort. Woman 1 pours the bucket of water over 2's
crown of candles. The two women begin to dunk the head of Woman 2 repeatedly
into the trough. Out of the fish basket Woman 1 brings out fish and inspects
them. She finds the octopus and finds it inadequate and confronts Woman 2.
Then shoves the octopus into the bound woman's face and beats her with it.
Women 1 and 3 pushes Woman 2 off the platform and begin to sweetly wash each
other's feet upon the back of the Enduring Woman. Finally the two women
rise, give a brush to the Enduring Woman, leaving her to clear the floor.
The 2 women exit. The Enduring Woman brush, clean and then attends to the
space and order with attention and care. Lights fade to black.
Artist's Statement:
This is a smaller rendition of the whole show. We presented 3 elements,
Earth, Fire and Water, out of the 5 traditional Sino-Japanese elemental
system, which includes Wood and Metal.
Elements of nature is the back ground, silent witness and tool of human
suffering. The elements are also places of refuge and beauty.
"Gaman" is to endure. It's a highly praised virtue in Japan. A
characteristics that runs through much of Japanese identity and subtle tales
of feminine power that's most often seen in old ghost stories, novels and
even day time melodramas. Feminine Gaman is often mistaken by Westerners as
misogynistic entertainment - missing the parable.
Under the guise of civilization, cleaver cruelty amuses us as entertainment.
The potential for endurance and laughter at suffering play out all around
us.
I put it in a frame for you.
Are you offended?
Are you entertained?
Where did you find the beauty?
Why?