How theater weathers wars, outlasts empires and survives pandemics | Cara Greene Epstein

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

"O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention,

「火之繆思啊，攀昇至 最耀眼的想像力穹蒼吧！

a kingdom for a stage, princes to act

讓舞台化為國土，王侯於其中演出，

and monarchs to behold the swelling scene!”

並遼望這雄偉的場景！」

Though, to be totally honest,

不過，非常老實說，

right now, I'd settle for a real school day,

現在，我願退而求其次， 只要正常的上學日、晚上出去玩，

a night out

and a hug from a friend.

並和朋友擁抱。

I do have to admit that Wrigley Field does make a pretty awesome stage, though.

但我必須要承認，瑞格利球場 確實會是個非常棒的舞台。

The words that I spoke at the beginning, "O for a Muse of fire," et cetera,

我一開始說的那些台詞， 「火之繆思啊」等等，

are Shakespeare's.

是出自莎士比亞。

He wrote them as the opening to his play "Henry V,"

是他為劇作《亨利五世》 所寫的開場白，

and they're are also quite likely the first words ever spoken

很可能也是倫敦環球劇場 在 1599 年開幕之後

on the stage of the Globe Theater in London, when it opened in 1599.

最先在舞台上唸出的台詞。

The Globe would go on to become the home for most of Shakespeare's work,

後來環球成了大部分 莎士比亞劇作的家，

且就我所知，這個叫 莎士比亞的人還挺有名的。

and from what I hear,

that Shakespeare guy was pretty popular.

但，儘管他很有名氣， 四年後，1603 年，

But despite his popularity, just four years later, in 1603,

The Globe would close for an extended period of time

環球必須要關門一段時間，

in order to prevent the spreading and resurgence of the bubonic plague.

因為要預防淋巴腺鼠疫再次散播。

In fact, from 1603 to 1613,

事實上，從 1603 年到 1613 年，

all of the theaters in London were closed on and off again

倫敦所有的劇院都開開關關

for an astonishing 78 months.

長達 78 個月，十分驚人。

Here in Chicago, in 2016,

2016 年，在芝加哥這裡，

new theaters were opening as well.

也有新劇院開幕。

The Steppenwolf had just opened its 1,700 theater space.

荒原狼劇院剛開了他們的 第 1700 個戲劇空間。

The Goodman, down in the Loop,

洛普區的古曼劇院剛開了 新的教育與參與中心。

had just opened its new Center for Education and Engagement.

And the Chicago Shakespeare Theater had just started construction

而芝加哥莎士比亞劇院才剛開始建設

on its newest theater space, The Yard.

最新的戲劇空間，雅德劇院。

Today, all of those theaters,

現今，所有這些劇院，

as well as the homes of over 250 other theater companies across Chicago,

以及芝加哥另外至少 250 間劇院公司的家，

are closed due to COVID-19.

全都因為新冠肺炎而關閉。

From Broadway to LA, theaters are dark,

從百老匯到洛杉磯，劇院一片漆黑，

and we don't know when or if the lights are ever going to come on again.

我們不知道何時才會再亮燈， 或會不會再亮燈。

That means that tens of thousands of theater artists are out of work,

那就表示數以萬計的 戲院藝術家都失業了，

from actors and directors

從演員及導演，

to stage managers, set builders, costume designers ...

到舞台經理、佈景製作者、 服裝設計師……

It's not like it's an easy time to go wait tables.

現在也不是適合做 餐廳服務生的時候。

It's a hard time for the theater,

對劇院來說，現在是艱苦的時期，

and it's a hard time for the world.

對世界來說，現在是艱苦的時期。

But while theaters may be dark,

但，雖然劇院是一片漆黑，

theater as an art form has the potential to shine a light

戲劇這種藝術形式卻有潛力可以協助

on how we can process and use this time apart

我們善用這段分離的時間，

to build a brighter, more equitable, healthier future together.

來一同建立更明亮、 更公正、更健康的未來。

Theater is the oldest art form we humans have.

戲劇是人類最古老的藝術形式。

We know that the Greeks were writing plays as early as the fifth century BC,

我們知道希臘人早在西元前 第五世紀就開始寫劇本了，

but theater goes back before that.

但戲劇出現的時間更早。

It goes back before we learned to write,

在我們學會寫字之前就有了， 圍著火進行「呼喊與回應」。

to call-and-response around fires.

and -- who knows? -- maybe before we learn to build fire itself.

誰知道呢？說不定在我們 學會生火之前就有了。

Theater has outlasted empires, weathered wars and survived plagues.

戲劇活得比帝國還長，渡過了戰爭， 並從瘟疫中存活下來。

In the early 1600s, theaters were closed over 60 percent of the time in London,

1600 年代初期，在倫敦， 六成以上的時間劇院是關閉的，

and that's still looked at as one of the most fertile and innovative

但那段時期仍被視為西方戲劇史上 最豐產且最有創意的時期之一。

periods of time in Western theater history.

The plays that were written then are still performed today over 400 years later.

400 年後的今天仍然會演出 那時所撰寫的劇作。

Unfortunately, in the early 1600s,

不幸的是，在 1600 年代初期，

a different plague was making its way across the ocean,

有一種不同的瘟疫渡過了海洋，

and it hit the shores of what would be called "America" in 1619,

1619 年，在我們後來 所稱的「美國」登陸，

when the first slave ships landed in Jamestown, Virginia.

那時，第一艘奴隸船在 維吉尼亞州的詹姆士敦靠岸。

Racism is an ongoing plague in America.

在美國，種族歧視 是正在流行的瘟疫。

But many of us in the theater like to think we're not infected

但我們戲劇圈的人 自認沒有受到感染，

or that we are at worst asymptomatic.

或者，最糟的狀況就是無症狀感染。

But the truth is, our symptoms have been glaring onstage and off.

但，事實是，我們的症狀 在舞台上和舞台下都很明顯。

We have the opportunity to use this intermission caused by one plague

我們有機會利用瘟疫 所造成的這段幕間休息時間

to work to cure another.

來努力治癒另一種瘟疫。

We can champion a theater that marches, protests, burns, builds.

我們可以支持會遊行、抗議、 燒毀再建設的劇院。

We can reimagine the way our theaters and institutions work

我們可以重新設想 劇院和機構運作的方式，

to make them more reflective and just.

讓它們更有反映作用且公正。

We can make this one of the most innovative and transformative

我們可以把這個時期 變成西方戲劇史上

periods of time in Western theater history,

最創新最具轉折意義的時期之一，

one that we are still learning about and celebrating 400 years from now.

我們還在嘗試瞭解且 400 年後 還會繼續讚頌的時期。

What we embody in the theater can be embodied in the world.

我們在戲劇中能體現的一切 在世界上都能體現。

Why?

為什麼？

Because theater is an essential service.

因為戲劇是一種不可缺的服務。

And what I mean by that is that theater is in service

我這麼說的意思是，戲劇是為了

to that which is essential about ourselves:

對我們而言不可缺的元素而存在：

love, anger, rage, joy, despair, hope.

愛、生氣、憤怒、 喜悅、絕望、希望。

Theater not only shows us the breadth and depth of human emotions,

戲劇不僅讓我們看到 人類情緒的廣度和深度，

it allows us to experience catharsis,

它也讓我們能夠體驗淨化作用，

to feel our feelings and rather than ignore or compartmentalize them,

去感受我們的感覺， 而不是忽略它們或將它們分隔，

move through them to discover what's on the other side.

走過它們，去探索在另一頭有什麼。

Now, many art forms connect us to our emotions,

許多藝術形式會將我們 和我們的情緒連結。

but what makes the theater unique is that it reveals us to ourselves onstage

但戲劇的獨特之處在於，

它在舞台上向我們呈現我們自己，

so that we can see that our lives are about our relationships

讓我們能了解，我們人生的重點在於

and our connections to others --

我們的關係及我們與他人的連結——

to our parents, to our children,

包括我們的父母、我們的孩子、

to our teachers, to our tormentors, to our lovers, to our friends.

我們的老師、折磨我們的人、 我們的愛人、我們的朋友。

What we do when we engage with theater

當我們參與戲劇時，我們所做的

is we experience in real time, in real space,

就是即時在真實的空間裡體驗

those relationships and connections changing in the present --

那些關係與連結在眼前改變——

the relationships between characters onstage, yes,

舞台上角色之間的關係，沒錯，

but also the relationships between characters and the audience

還有角色和觀眾之間的關係，

and the relationships between audience members themselves.

以及觀眾成員本身之間的關係。

We go to the theater because we seek connection.

我們去劇院，是因為 我們在尋找連結。

And when we're in the theater, our hearts beat as one.

當我們在劇院中時， 我們的心結合成一體，一起跳動。

That's not a metaphor.

那不是比喻。

Our hearts race together, they're soothed together,

我們的心一起心跳加速， 也一起被平撫。

we breathe together.

我們一起呼吸。

Ay, there's the rub.

沒錯，難處就在這裡。

Who knows when we're going to be able to be together again in the same space,

誰知道我們要何時才能 再同處於一個空間中，

breathing in the same air, breathing in the same experience?

在相同的空氣中呼吸， 在相同的體驗中呼吸？

Who knows when we're going to want to be?

誰知道我們何時會想要再這樣子？

We are holding our breath.

我們正在摒住氣息。

Luckily, theater doesn't just have to happen in theaters.

幸運的是，戲劇不見得 要在劇院中才能發生。

As theater practitioners,

我們戲劇從業人員知道我們有些 最重要的作品其實發生在台下，

we know some of the most important work we do happens offstage,

in rehearsal spaces, garage spaces, studio apartments.

在排演空間裡、 車庫空間裡、在套房裡。

At the beginning of this talk, I wished for a kingdom for a stage, princes to act

在這場演說一開始， 我希望讓舞台化為國土，

王侯於其中演出，並來看表演。

and monarchs to watch the show.

But the truth is, none of that is necessary.

但，事實是，上述這些都不必要。

In fact, some of the most important theater I make

事實上，我所做過最重要的戲劇當中

happens on Monday mornings in an empty hospital meeting room

有一些是星期一早晨發生在 空盪盪的醫院會議室裡，

with just a handful of folks,

只有一小群人，且當中 只有兩個人是戲劇藝術家。

and only two of us are theater artists.

The Memory Ensemble, as we call ourselves,

我們自稱「記憶劇團」，

is a collaboration between the Lookingglass Theatre

這項合作計畫的成員包括鏡子劇團、

and Northwestern's Center for Cognitive Neurology

以及美國西北大學認知神經學 及阿茲海默症中心。

and Alzheimer's Disease Research.

We begin each session with a mantra:

我們的每一場都會 用一句真言來開場：

"I am a creative person.

「我是個有創造力的人，

When I feel anxious or uncertain,

當我感到焦慮或充滿不確定時，

I can stop, breathe, observe

我能停下來，呼吸，觀察，

and use my imagination."

並發揮我的想像力。」

Anyone else feeling anxious or uncertain right now?

此刻也有其他人也覺得 焦慮或充滿不確定嗎？

Let's say it together.

咱們一起說一遍。

I am a creative person.

我是個有創造力的人，

When I feel anxious or uncertain,

當我感到焦慮或充滿不確定時，

I can stop,

我能停下來，

breathe,

呼吸，

observe

觀察，

and use my imagination.

並發揮我的想像力。

Let's look at the first part of that statement:

咱們來看看這段話的第一部分： 我是個有創造力的人。

I am a creative person.

Many of us have been taught

許多人以前學到的是：

that creativity is a talent only some of us have,

創造力是種才華， 只有某些人才具有，

a skill reserved for artists,

是藝術家、發明家、 大思想家的專屬技能，

inventors, big thinkers,

that it's not something for regular people with quote, unquote real jobs.

而不是擁有一份大家所謂 「真正工作」的人會有的。

But that's not true.

但不是這樣子的。

All humans are innately creative.

所有的人類天生具有創造力。

It's part of what makes us human.

創造力本來就是人類的一部分。

And if there was ever a time for us to exercise our creativity, it's now --

如果說有個時刻，是我們該運用 創造力的時刻，

那就是現在——

not to solve or fix our anxiety and uncertainty,

不是用來解決或處理 我們的焦慮或不確定感，

but to learn from it and to move through it.

而是去向它學習，並渡過它。

So the first step is to stop.

所以，第一步是停下來。

That's harder than it sounds;

這一步沒有聽起來那麼容易：

busy is a coping mechanism that we use

我們會採用忙碌這種處理機制，

to deal with our anxiety and uncertainty,

來對付我們的焦慮和不確定感，

and our society is addicted to it.

且我們的社會可說是 對這種機制成癮。

So we find ourselves making all the TikToks,

所以我們會發現自己 不斷在製作抖音影片、

baking all the bread,

烘烤各種麵包、

taking all the Zoom meetings.

參與一大堆 Zoom 線上會議。

Maybe you've even seen that meme

也許你還有看過那個關於

about how Shakespeare wrote "King Lear" during his pandemic,

莎士比亞在他的疫情期間 寫出《李爾王》的迷因，

which I think is supposed to inspire us,

我想疫情本來應該要給我們靈感，

but instead just makes us feel guilty

但卻只是讓我們因為目前尚未創作出 我們自己的傑作而有罪惡感，

that we're not creating our own masterpieces right now,

you know, in addition to taking care of our children

你知道的，雖然我們還得 照顧我們的孩子，

or our parents or our students,

或者我們的父母、學生、

our patients, our clients, our customers, our friends,

我們的病人、客戶、顧客、朋友、

ourselves.

我們自己。

So A, screw that guilt;

所以，第一，去它的罪惡感；

and B, that's, like, the opposite of what "King Lear" is actually about.

第二，實情其實 和《李爾王》的重點相反。

Towards the end of Lear, one of the main characters, Edgar, says,

在《李爾王》的尾聲， 主要的角色之一艾德加說：

"The weight of this sad time we must obey;

「悲慟時刻，重擔我們得扛。

speak what we feel, not what we ought to say."

傾訴感想，勿吐真章。」

The lesson of Lear is not about pushing or producing

《李爾王》的訊息 並不是要強迫或引起

or doing what you think you should do.

或去做你應該做的事。

The lesson of Lear is about stopping

《李爾王》的訊息是關於停下來，

and taking the time to appreciate who and what you have in your life

花些時間去感念 你的人生中有誰、有什麼，

and discover who you want to be while you have it.

並且趁你還擁有時， 去發掘你想要成什麼人 。

We're at an intermission,

我們正在幕間休息時間，

and intermissions are important,

幕間休息很重要，因為讓我們 有機會可以照顧好自己，

because they give ourselves the opportunity to take care of ourselves

包括身體上以及情緒上：

physically and emotionally:

go to the bathroom, get a snack, get a drink

去洗手間、吃點點心、喝杯飲料，

and also take a moment to feel the weight of what just happened onstage,

並且花點時間去感受剛才 在舞台上所發生的事情有何價值，

maybe begin to process any emotions that that brought up.

也許也可以開始處理 此時被帶出來的任何情緒。

I reached out to my community of artists,

我向我的藝術家同胞伸出援手， 我問他們，哪些劇會讓他們有感，

and I asked them what plays were speaking to them

and helping them process this time.

並協助他們處理這段時期。

Many of the characters in the plays they sent

他們所寄來的劇作當中有許多角色

don't share my lived experience.

並沒有我的生活體驗。

And I think their words are important to hear.

我認為他們的話 很重要，應該要聆聽。

My friend Jeremy sent me a monologue by Sarah Ruhl from her "Melancholy Play."

我朋友傑若米寄給我了一段獨白， 出自莎菈·魯爾的《憂鬱劇本》。

In it, the character is talking about how she's feeling, and she says,

這段獨白是這個角色在說 她自己的感受，她說：

"It's this feeling that you want to love strangers,

「是你有一種想要 去愛陌生人的感覺，

that you want to kiss the man at the post office

想要親吻在郵局的那名男子，

or the woman at the dry cleaners.

或者在乾洗店的那名女子。

You want to wrap your arms around life, life itself, but you can't.

你想要用你的雙臂環抱人生， 人生本身，卻不能。

And so this feeling wells up in you,

因此這種感覺在你的內在迸發，

and there's nowhere to put this great happiness,

沒有地方可以容納這麼大的幸福，

and you're floating, and then you fall.

你在漂浮，接著你落下了。

And you,

而你，

you feel unbearably sad,

你感到無法忍受的悲傷，

and you have to go lie down on the couch."

你必須要到沙發上躺下。」

I've felt that monologue a lot during this pandemic.

在這次疫情中，我常會 感受到這段獨白。

Sometimes I feel this great happiness,

有時，我會感受到 這種很大的幸福，

and sometimes I have to go lie down on the couch.

有時，我得要到沙發上去躺下。

My theater practice teaches me that both are OK.

我的戲劇練習告訴我， 上述兩者都沒關係。

We stop so that we can feel our feelings instead of covering them.

我們停下來以感受我們的感覺， 而不是去掩蓋它們。

Next, we breathe.

接著，我們呼吸。

When we inhale,

當我們吸氣時，

we give ourselves the opportunity to breathe in the present moment

我們讓自己有機會 在當前的時刻中呼吸，

and be aware of what's happening right now inside of us, as well as outside of us.

並意識到此時在我們的內在 及外在發生了什麼狀況。

When we exhale,

當我們吐氣時，

we allow ourselves to release the moment

我們讓自己能夠釋放那個時刻，

so that we can be present for the next one and the next one

這樣我們才能再出席下一個時刻， 以及再下一個時刻，

and the next one.

以及再下一個時刻。

When we feel anxious or uncertain, we tend to hold our breath.

當我們感到焦慮或充滿不確定性時， 我們通常會摒住呼吸。

We're scared about what's going to happen next,

我們害怕接下來會發生的事，

and so we hold onto what's happening right now,

所以我們緊抓著現在發生的事不放，

which prevents movement, which keeps us stuck.

這個做法會讓我們 原地踏步，卡住不前。

Far from helping us, holding our breath holds us back.

摒住呼吸只是限制了我們， 對我們完全沒有幫助。

So we stop.

所以我們要停下來。

We breathe.

我們要呼吸。

And then we observe:

接著我們要觀察：

What's happening around us?

我們周邊發生了什麼事？

How do we feel about that?

我們有什麼樣的感受？

My friends Greg and Kanisha

我的朋友葛雷格和卡妮莎

told me that I should watch the play "Pipeline" by Dominique Morisseau.

告訴我我應該要看看 多明尼克·莫里索的劇作《管道》。

At the beginning of the play,

在該劇的開頭，也許角色 已經在舞台上一分鐘之後。

maybe the character has been onstage for a minute.

Omari turns to his girlfriend, and he says that he’s just, like modestly,

奧馬里轉向他的女友，說他只是，

說真的，沒有意圖，只是觀察。

without intentions, just observing.

And his girlfriend says, "What you gotta be observing for?"

他的女友說： 「你有什麼要觀察的？」

And Omari says, "To take in my surroundings, learn the world,

奧馬里說：「了解 我的周遭，認識這個世界，

not be just tied up in my own existence and nothing else."

不要只被我自己的存在綁住， 看不見其他的一切。」

That observation is the key

那樣的觀察就是關鍵所在，

to unlocking our empathy and our curiosity about the world

可以解開我們的同理心 以及對世界的好奇心，

and igniting our imagination about how we can make it even better.

並點燃我們的想像力，想像 我們如何能把它做得更好。

My friend Jazmin introduced me to the play "Marisol" by José Rivera.

我的朋友哈絲敏介紹我 何塞·里維拉的劇作《瑪莉莎》。

And in it, the guardian angel is talking to Marisol, and she says,

在劇中，守護天使對瑪莉莎說：

"I don't expect you to understand

「我不期望你會了解

the political ins and outs of what's going on.

現況背後的各種政治細節。

But you have eyes.

但你自己有眼睛。

You've asked me questions about children and water

你曾經問過我關於孩子、水、 戰爭，以及月亮的問題，

and war and the moon,

questions I've been asking myself for a thousand years.

一千年來我不斷在問我自己的問題。

The universal body is sick, Marisol.

宇宙的身體生病了，瑪莉莎。

The constellations are wasting away.

星座都在不斷消瘦。

The nauseous stars are full of blisters and sores.

讓人作嘔的繁星滿是水泡和潰瘍。

The infected earth is running a temperature

受到感染的地球正在發燒，

and everywhere, the universal mind is wracked with amnesia, boredom

且，無論何處，宇宙的心智

都受到失憶、厭倦， 及神經性的迷戀所折磨。」

and neurotic obsessions."

Sound familiar?

很耳熟嗎？

We stop.

我們停下來。

We breathe.

我們呼吸。

We observe.

我們觀察。

And we use our observations to imagine a world that is fiercer, braver,

我們運用我們的觀察來想像

一個更勇猛、更美麗的世界。

more beautiful.

We use our imaginations to create something new

我們用我們的想像力，

來創造新事物，

based on our connections to the world and ourselves.

創造的根據是我們 與世界及自己的連結。

One of the things that I know is this:

我可以確定這一點：

there's always been a certain amount of uncertainty in the theater,

戲劇向來都有一些不確定性存在，

but this is the most anxious and uncertain we've ever been in my lifetime.

但這是我人生中所經歷過 最讓人焦慮且充滿不確定的一次。

In order to move forward, there's going to have to be a lot of change.

為了向前邁進，

一定得要做出許多改變。

Luckily, all great theater provides the opportunity for transformation.

幸運的是，

所有偉大的戲劇都有 提供轉變的機會。

We can use this intermission to stop, breathe, observe,

我們可以利用這段 幕間休息，停下來，

呼吸，觀察，

and use our imaginations to create a more beautiful world onstage and off,

並運用我們的想像力，在台上 以及台下創造一個更美麗的世界，

one that is more equitable,

這個世界會更公平，

more reflective

更有反映作用，

and more just.

也更公正。

As Prior says at the end of Tony Kushner’s masterpiece about the AIDS epidemic,

東尼·庫許納的傑作《天使在美國》 談的是愛滋病的疫情，

"Angels in America,"

在尾聲時，普來爾說：

"I'm almost done.

「我差不多了。

The fountain's not flowing now,

現在，噴泉沒有在流動，

they turn it off in the winter, ice in the pipes.

冬天他們會把它關掉，管線會結冰。

But in the summer, it is a sight to see. I want to be here to see it.

但夏天時，這個景值得一看。 我想要在這裡親眼目睹。

I plan to be.

我打算要。

I hope to be.

我希望能。

This disease will be the end of many of us,

這種疾病會是許多人的終點， 但還遠不及所有人，

but not nearly all,

and the dead will be commemorated, and they will struggle on with the living,

死者會被紀念，他們 會和生者一起繼續奮鬥，

我們不會離開。

and we are not going away.

We won't die secret deaths anymore.

我們不再會默默地死去。

The world only spins forward.

世界只會向前旋轉。

We will be citizens.

我們會是公民。

The time has come. Bye, now.

時候到了。現在，再會了。

You are fabulous creatures, each and every one.

你們是很棒的生物，每一個人都是。

And I bless you:

我祝福你們：

more life.

更長壽。

The great work begins."

偉大的工作就此展開。」

The theater has weathered wars,

戲劇渡過了戰爭，

outlasted empires

活得比帝國還長， 並從瘟疫中存活下來。

and survived plagues.

It'll continue.

它會延續下去。

I don't know how or when or what it'll look like,

我不知道何時、怎麼做到， 或者會是什麼樣子，

but it will.

但一定會的。我們也一樣，

And so will we,

as long as we do the essential work of staying connected

只要我們能做好基本的，保持連結，

to that which is essential about ourselves,

不要失去了和對我們自己、

our communities

我們的團體、 及我們的世界重要的連結。

and our world.

The great work begins.

偉大的工作就此展開。

Thank you.

謝謝。