Tadashi
Suzuki and Asian World Theatre
Tadashi Suzuki is a Japanese theatre director, practitioner and writer who created a
unique style of physical theatre and actor training. His theatre is often
characterized by the organization of his actors on stage into Chorus and
protagonist/s; the repetition of powerful imagery or metaphors such as a mental
hospital; the use of simple staging which relies on performer, lighting and
sound to create a sense of mood, place and time rather than complex scenery;
the structural use of collage and juxtaposition which is underpinned by the use
of simple unifying framing devices and a sense of the ‘animal energy’ (the
psychophysical forces of the theatrical encounter between performer and self
and performer and the audience).
Born on June 20th 1939 in the small
port mura (village) Shimizu, Japan
situated beneath Mount Fuji, Tadashi was the third child of a timber merchant.
His world was fashioned by the bombings of Shimizu harbour at the end of WWII,
his memories of living in a cramped traditional Japanese house and the
tumultuous world of a post-WWII Japan trying to rebuild itself. His was the world described in many of the
Japanese novels and films of the 1950’s, a Japan caught between traditional and
Western values. In many senses this can be considered one of the major
pre-occupations and central explorations of his work as a drama practitioner.
At
Waseda University, from 1958 until 1964, he studied Political Science and
Economics. To avoid loneliness he soon joined the drama society called the WFS
(Waseda Free Stage) where he met with revolutionary Socialist radicals. The
first production he worked on was as an actor in Hauptmann’s The Weavers.
He later worked as an actor and dramaturg on Gorki’s The Lower Depths.
“Everybody
had to submit reports once or twice a week. Actors had to write about their
role’s personality, social background, age, personal history, family tree,
everything. They even had to sketch a portrait of their character in costume,
and always they kept on debating. I like debate now, because of this
experience.” (Goto 1988:49)
But
like many before him, his intellect and aesthetics meant that he could easily
see the inadequacies of the performance methods and the training provided by shingeki (social realism) and it was
this frustration which drove Suzuki to give up acting and take up directing.
“When
drama is produced under the banner of revolutionary ideals, so much else goes
missing, like kindness and consideration.” (Carruthers 2004:12)
By 1960, Suzuki became President of the WFS,
where he became a moderate but outspoken political spokesperson. Around this
time, Suzuki directed and produced a production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.
“I thought we should produce a play about the
kind of social structure in which we were enmeshed at that
time . . . When I read Death of a Salesman, I found it
very interesting, for it could be Japan too. It’s a tragedy about urban
consumer society in an era of high economic growth – the world of the
salaryman.”
(Quante 2004:10)
Miller had a significant impact on Suzuki as a director/playmaker
particularly through Miller’s pre-occupation with the differences between
reality, illusion and perception and his technique of transforming space
unexpectedly through the device of the ‘mental flashback’. Importantly, it was
during this production that Suzuki met worked with the actors who were core
foundation members of the Waseda Little Theatre company, Ono Hiroshi and
Takeuchi Hiroko (who later became Suzuki’s wife).
As President of the WFS, Suzuki changed the direction of the company
away from shingeki to an angura (underground) theatre influenced
more by the absurdism and surrealism. He directed Jean-Paul Sartre’s The Flies and then went on to direct
many theatre pieces (initially with the WFS and later with his Waseda Little
Theatre company) by a young radical Japanese student named Betsuyaku Minoru
(who later achieved notoriety as Japan’s first Absurd playwright). These
included A and B and one Woman, Kashima ari (A Vacancy),
The Gate, The Elephant, The Little
Match Girl, The Smile of Dr
Maximilian and Hokuro sôsêji (Hokuro Sausages).
The Elephant was a stylistic departure from anything Suzuki had mounted before. The
story of the play revolves around two surviving victims of the Hiroshima’s atom
bomb blast. The play itself is a dark minimalist absurd play which makes use of
repetitive lines and actions and Suzuki’s production was made all the more
startling by the passive neutral acting style of Ono Seki and the simple but
symbolically rich décor.
Tokyo,
like many places in the world, became part of a global upsurge of student led
revolt. In Japan, the revolutionary movement centred its anger on the presence
of American military bases. Foremost among the Japanese revolutionary theatre
groups were Satoh Mkaoto’s Jokyo Gekijo, which was nicknamed Aka tento (Red Tent) led by Kara Juro. This was named red tent because of the red
tent which they pitched as their performance space. Other important revolutionary theatres were the Center 68/69 led by
Satoh Makoto and nicknamed Kuro tento (Black Tent), Terayama Shuji’s Tenjô Sajiki and Suzuki’s and Minoru’s
Waseda Little Theatre (WLT) later known as SCOT.
The
formation of the WLT with Betsuyaku Minoru in 1966, gave Suzuki the platform
with which to experiment with developing a new form of theatre and a new form
of actor training. The WLT production of Minoru’s The Little Match Girl won much critical acclaim. This adaptation of
a Hans Christian Andersen story depicts the interaction between a destitute
woman and two apparent strangers and the play’s combination of didactic
narration, unemotional dialogue and interrogative undertones made the play the
perfect instrument for Suzuki’s to begin his experiments with theatre style and
form. Enduring stylistic elements started to emerge from Suzuki’s experiments
with this minimalist absurdism started to emerge including the use of symbolic
staging (the single lamppost in his work with Betsuyaku Minoru is reminiscent
of Beckett’s tree in Waiting for Godot)
Suzuki’s close collaboration with significant angura playwrights such as Betsuyaku Minoru, Sato Makato (My Beatles or the Funeral) and Juro Kara
(Virgin Mask), also coincide with his
move to and use of intimate theatre spaces, his close work with actress Kayoko
Shiraishi and his rediscovery of the aesthetics and forms of Noh and kabuki which were the springboard for Suzuki’s discovery of his own
style and techniques.
Around
this time, the WLT moved to a small converted 120 seater space above a coffee
shop in the Shinjuku area. Lack of funding meant that most actors were not paid
and a true sense of an artist collective prevailed. Limited spatial and
technical resources in the Shinjuku space helped to shift Suzuki’s emphasis to
a more physical theatre centred on the actor.
“It
was a great discovery for me that energy of the actor alone enabled the actor
to be accessible to many people.” (Goto 1988:52)
Although Suzuki worked closely with prominent
playwrights, his work clearly used the director as dramaturg to shift the
primacy of performance making away from the playwright. He successfully
accomplished relocating value away from the written text towards the actor and
performance.
Suzuki’s readings and experiments with kabuki
and Noh gave him some stylistic elements to help develop his performance style
further and helped him develop his notion of ‘the grammar of the feet’. From
kabuki he embraced the sewamono or
domestic settings and storylines, the mei
(the symbolic picturesque stance taken by a kabuki actor to establish a
character) and kesho (the rice powder
white faced makeup used by kabuki to create the face and expressions of the
actor). From Noh and readings of the works of the Zeami (1363-1443), he took
the narrative and narrational elements of Geki nō, the aesthetic movement qualities of the Furyū nō, the
ritualistic qualities and movements of the oldest form of Noh Okina including
the stamping of the feet, and the seven performance qualities described by
Zeami including Hana
(花, flower), Yūgen (幽玄 transcendental beauty), Kokoro or shin (心, heart/mind), Rōjaku (老弱, elimination of unnecessary vocal or movement
elements), Myō
(妙, stage charm), Monomane (物真似, imitation or mimesis) and Kabu-isshin (歌舞一心, unity of the heart and mind in the
song-dance).
In finding and setting up a personal and
professional relationship with Kayoko Shiraishi, Suzuki found a performer who
could flawlessly personify his theories about Japanese performance, and its
mind, body, spirit and voice. Shiraishi’s extraordinary vocal range, her
controlled but flexible movements and her powerful demeanor meant that some
Japanese audiences thought she was an atavistic reincarnation of Okuni, the 17th
Century magical artiste originator of kabuki.
Between them, Suzuki and Shiraishi created an experiential but measured
performances which released a strongly physical form of theatre.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in Gekiteki
naru mono o megutte I and II (translated as “In search of
whatever is dramatic,” these pieces are known in English as “On the
Dramatic Passions I ” and “On the Dramatic Passions II “). In On the Dramatic Passions I, Suzuki juxtaposes many texts, the
simple framing device of an acting teacher showing his female student different
scenes and techniques helped to make the piece both an experiment in
post-modern intertextuality and a springboard for Shiraishi’s considerable
acting talents. In On the Dramatic Passions II, the main character is a madwoman imprisoned by her family who
acts out several stories and characters from classic Kabuki. Arranged as a
collage of seemingly unconnected scenes, the play focuses on unrequited
passions and savage hatreds of the central character played by Shiraishi
Kayoko.
Although
Suzuki still persisted to experiment with collage and intertextuality (Don Hamlet 1973), by 1974, he had
expanded his readings and experiments to Ancient Greek Theatre. He became
interested in the ‘universal spiritual and ritual’ elements of Ancient Greek
Theatre and the challenge of recontextualising classic European theatre in
Japanese performance contexts and seeking deeper cross-cultural connections
between Western and Eastern theatre. To this end, he experimented with blending
Greek narrative and structural elements with Japanese dramatic form. Suzuki’s
version of Euripides’ The Trojan Women (1974) was set and framed in the
context of the fantasies of an old Japanese street beggar woman who, having
been moved out a war-ravished Tokyo after World War Ⅱ, laments her fate and the fate of Japan. The
play’s Trojan Queen’s and her princesses’ wailing and loss were transposed
immediately by the framing device of the beggar into modern Japan and through
the use of Greek Chorus movement and vocal conventions, the mythic proportions
of everyday stories, passion and suffering were made apparent. In the first
performance of the play, Suzuki consciously contrasted dramatic acting styles
by using Shiraishi Kayoko (the non-naturalistic post-modern) alongside
legendary Noh actor Kanze Hisao (the traditional) and Shingeki actress Ichihara
Etsuko (the naturalistic).
“For Suzuki, the contemporary presentation of
Greek Drama relies less on interpretation and contextualization of the text and
more on finding the appropriate mode of acting.” (Allain 2009:152)
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One
may be reminded of Kurosawa’s film Throne of Blood (an adaptation of Macbeth),
in which he attempted to deal with Macbeth’s story transposed into medieval
Japan with samurai and witches. Suzuki in his The Trojan Women,
however, seems to me to have gone deeper in search of common mythical layers
of human (especially female) passion and suffering.
Suzuki
proceeded further with his experiments to use both Japanese and American
actors in his bilingual production of The Bacchae. It was a logical
and necessary step in his insatiable quest for answers to the fundamental
question: What makes it possible for histrionic acts and theatrical events to
exist at all? And how can they be justified? Suzuki seems to believe that we
should go beyond the apathies which numb the rootless Shingeki as well as the
tradition-bound Noh and Kabuki. Through his rigorous and continuous
negotiation of the many dislocations between traditional Japanese theatre and
Western-imported realism, he, more than any other living Japanese theatre
artist, has contributed substantially to the modernization and
postmodernization of Japanese theatre.
Since 1982, he has been organizing an annual
international theatre festival in Toga – the first theatre festival in Japan.
Suzuki helped introduced Japanese and
Asian audiences to the works of Robert Wilson, Kantor, Yuri Lyubimov,
Theodoros Terzopoulos, Georges Lavaudant, Lee Breuer, Anne Bogart and Ratan
Thiyam. Suzuki created an original method of actor training which combines
Eastern and Western techniques and he has taught his system in many places
throughout the world, including The Julliard School in New York and Moscow
Art Theatre. Between 1995 and 2007 he was the General Artistic Director at
Shizuoka Performing Arts Center. He is a member of the International Theatre
Olympics Committee and is a co-founder of BeSeTo – a festival jointly
organized by Japan, China and Korea in their capital cities (hence the name:
Be – Beijing, Se – Seul, To – Tokyo). He is the Chairman of the Board of
Directors for the Japan Performing Arts Foundation.
As a result of a long-term
collaboration between Suzuki and the famous Japanese architect Arata Isozaki,
eight unique theatre spaces were build in Toga, including an innovative amphitheater
on water. Suzuki’s works include On the Dramatic Passions, The Trojan
Women, Dionysus, King Lear, Cyrano de Bergerac, Madame de Sade, and many
others. Besides productions with his own company, he has worked as a director
in the international collaborative projects in United States (The Tale of
Lear), Russia (King Lear, Electra), Australia (The Chronicle of Macbeth) and Germany
(Oedipus).
Suzuki believes in a form of
universal theatre which overcomes cultural and national barriers. Themes
taken from Western culture (from Euripides to Chekhov) meet up with the
tradition of nō theatre and kabuki in his works; and ancient
songs, movement and combat techniques merge together in his innovative
methods of physical and vocal work. Suzuki has articulated his theories in a
number of books. His concerns include the structure of a theater group, the
creation and use of theatrical space, and the overcoming of cultural and
national barriers in the interest of creating work based on that which is
universal. Suzuki’s philosophies concerning the humanistic relationship
between man and earth defies spirituality in the traditional sense and his
style involves rigorous training practices that demand an extreme level of
body control and physical exertion.
Tadashi Suzuki Exercises and Discussion
“The basis for theatre craft is the work of the feet…”
“The whole body posture depends on it while the gestures of hands and
arms only add an expression. In many cases feet have also an influence on the
strength of the voice… Actor’s craft begins with realizing that he stands on
the ground – strongly, as if he was rooted, or on a contrary – as if he was
about to take off and fly away with lightness.” (Tadashi Suzuki The Grammar
of Feet)
Suzuki training concentrates on
philosophical and spiritual preparation and examination of the nature of
acting, the approach to the stage and the place of purpose and function of
performance in contemporary society. He often speaks of recovering the use of
‘animal’ energy, or reconnecting to nature in a world where we are losing a
connection to nature. He believes in a universal or world theatre where
culture, gender, sexuality and body shape and form are not significant.
Exercise 1 –“Hah”
The group stands in a silent circle and on a given signal everyone vocalizes
the sound “Hah!”. This sound should be guttural and bouncing from the
diaphragm. Then each individual jumps and utters the “Hah” when they land.
Jump and land in an open position with the knees and arms bent but connect
and open to the earth. You can also have individuals lead the action or try
to synchronize the jump and “Hah” at the same time as a group.
Exercise 2 – Stomping (Asi-byoshi)
The stomping used by Suzuki has its
origins in Japanese Asi-byoshi.
Suzuki believes it links the actor to the earth and strengthens the body and
breath. The exercise starts with a strong rhythm being made by a drum or with
the feet of the participants. The feet pound as the participants move through
the space for 2 to 5 minutes. Try to keep the centre of gravity low and
controlled, especially in the pelvic region. The upper part of the body is
still and motionless and the force of the stomp must be maintained and a
connection is set up with the ground with each stomp. When the drum beat or
stomping ceases then the participant uses the last of the energy to sink
slowly to the ground. Controlled stillness is maintained. The beat can be
resumed and the participants can slowly rise (like puppets or trees meeting
the sun) and begin the process again.
Exercise 3 – Sliding the Feet (Sur-ashi)
This exercise is used to rhythmically, physically and symbolically connect
the participant to the earth. This can be combined with synchronised or
patterned movement to develop a group or ensemble performance. A drum beat
starts and the participants move using a low centre of gravity sliding the
feet and maintaining contact with the ground. This can initially be done in
socks but eventually should be done in bare feet. The upper body does not
move. Participants follow an imagined square grid (3X3 or 4 X4) on the ground
(no circular, diagonal or curved movements on the floor). The readiness but
not anticipation to change direction should always be there. The focus can be
changed on cues (or drum beats) from internal, to external involving only the
space to intensely making eye contact with other participants.
Exercise 4 – Statues (Sutachuuzu)
This exercise is meant to establish the link between the energy of the earth
and the energy of the sky (depths and heights). It also helps to bring stable
movement on stage. The participants do a Suzuki crouch, low centre of
gravity, feet apart. At a drum-beat or cue the participants rise with precision
and speed onto the toes, at the same time creating a pose or statue. On
second drum beat or cue the participants return to the crouch. As the
sequence is repeated, each pose or statue should be unique. Eventually the
voice is added. Start in the crouch in silence. Vocalise as you move and then
maintain dynamic silence in the actual pose or statue. Return in silence to
the crouch.
The basic
attributes of Suzuki’s ‘Grammar of the Actor’ can be seen as:
·
Connect
to the ground, act from the feet and connect into the power of ‘animal
energy’
·
Radiate
power from the ‘centre’ or pelvic area to achieve a heightened physicality
·
Control
and charge the voice from the diaphragm using tension and power
·
Use
the energy to achieve a power in stillness
·
Use
a presentational style of acting with grounded power
·
Reconstruct
or re-contextualise ‘classic’ plays from different cultures and find the
universal
·
Work
as an ensemble or a chorus
·
Establish
a connection with your own body (the spiritual home) and then performance
space (mura or the sacred space)
·
Create
an affinity with nature – perform outdoors
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Further Reading and Resources on Tadashi Suzuki
Allain,
P. 2009. The Theatre Practice of Tadashi
Suzuki. Methuen Drama, London.
Carruthers,
I. & Yasunari, T. 2004. The Theatre
of Tadashi Suzuki. Cambridge University Press. London.
Goto,
Y. 1988. Suzuki Tadashi: Innovator of
Japanese Theatre. PhD Dissertation. University of Hawaii, Honolulu.
Quante,
M. 2004. Hegel’s Concept of Action.
Cambridge University Press. London.
Suzuki,
T. 1993.The Way of Acting: The Theatre Writings of Tadashi Suzuki,
Theatre Communications Group, (1993) ISBN
978-0930452568
Paul Allain, The Art of Stillness: The Theater Practice of Tadashi
Suzuki, Palgrave Macmillan, (2003) ISBN
978-1403961709
Websites
Suzuki
Training
Suzuki
Method – Stomping
