4 a.m

It’s almost 4 a.m and I’m still trying to figure out what to do with this page.

Reconditioning situation when your brain is wired to world of creativity, detached from reality into some kind of mystical absurd realm where words are hitting you anywhere you want without great effort, is tough. I saw some TED Talks about creative process, but still couldn’t apply to myself. For instance, I used to make poetry almost every single days (Yeah, long ago) and I kinda wished that my shakespeare brain was active all the time. However it did not come out as I expected. I just had to accept the fact that “owright.. that realm is an open-and-closed private facility and now it’s temporarily closed”. I miss those old days. Perhaps now I am not as crazy as I was few years ago.

5 years have passed and I understand one thing : I’m still poetry kind of gal. I write poems better than script (or this is just my excuse). It occured to me that I’m not very good at writing long narrative sentences. I like straightforward words, which are –yeay short– and honest. I really want to write 200 pages novel one day,which I think requires practice, but I don’t like to finish a story. Weird, huh? That’s why I love absurd things.

However I can always finish a poem. Somehow, creating an end in a poem is less painful for me that it is for a novel. I’m not sure how shakespeare did that, but he wrote a play containing series of poems from top to bottom. Not everybody can enjoy it. It didn’t ring a bell in my head how he did it. I was always thinking, he did enter another realm and brought back everywords possible then scratched them in paper. I imitated for few years. Then here I am, back in unproductive state.

Weeds

Far than contented,  it must grow
Unnoticeably fast. Wild. Nobody cares. No purpose whatsoever. Only being distraction, of what? Those who was left unspoken,  probably the wind or the air or just change of decades. They care not,  they fear not. He did send some tasks, yet still unrevealed to thou. Those who was left unspoken,  unclear and undecided. What are you for?

Rock Opera-Hamlet

Rock Opera Hamlet!

Original Work                  : William Shakespeare

Adaptation/Direction : Fuji Daisuke

with reference to Kawai Shouichirou’s New translation – Hamlet (Kadokawa Shoten Publishing)

Composer/Music Arrangement : Aoki Tomoko, Teshima Kyoko

Cast  :

Hamlet (Prince of Denmark)     ………………    Ryuu Masaki

Claudius (Present King, Hamlet’s Uncle)   ………………    Koshino Ryuu

Ophelia (Hamlet’s love, Daughter of Polonius)    ……………….   Ranno Hana

Gertrude (Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother)  ……………….   Itsumine Aki

The Ghost  (Hamlet’s late father, King of Denmark) …………..  Ken Ruisu

Polonius ( Claudius’s chief counselor, Ophelia and Laertes’ father)  ……………   Ayazuki Seri

Rosencratz (Hamlet’s friend)  …………..  Toka Yurino

Guildenstern (Hamlet’s friend)  ……………..  Hozuki An

Laertes ( Son of Polonius, Ophelia’s brother) …………….   Tamaki Ryou

Horatio (Hamlet’s close friend, confidante) ……………   Uzuki Hayate

Celia (Horatio’s sister) …………..  Hanahi Mira

Review

“Expect the unexpected” is the proper word to describe this rock-opera. Be it Takarazuka or Shakespeare, indeed this musical is very entertaining. I love Shakespeare’s works although my poor (victorian) english ability makes it difficult to understand the whole play. But Stage being stage itself, there were so many things that could express the play. This rock-musical was staged in Japanese, with more-modern translation from the original Hamlet. What I highly appreciated from Takarazuka-adaptation is the music (which I think is Takarazuka’s original composition) and the modern setting, without parting too much from Shakespeare’s beautifully phrased lines. Usually Takarazuka chose to make their own script with title “inspired by”, but this time it was almost all verbatim based on Kawai Shouichiro’s new translation of Hamlet (with a bit of cuts here and there).

I am not going to tell everything, because that will make you seem less interested on seeing the whole play. There are just some hints I will review.

First, you want to praise really high for Ryuu Masaki. She is absolutely the star. Clearly someone who is the main actor has to seal the spotlight, but she is better than that. Her rock-y voice is strong, a little bit of vibration and stable. 70% of the script were sung in this musical, and she sang most of it. Despite the fact that it is last day (I got recording from Senshuraku) her voice didn’t show sign of wearing- off. Other than voice, she could convey her Hamlet remarkably well. Despair, Anger, Confusion, Complexity, Joy, Love and feeling of betrayal. I felt that I was there beside Hamlet, not knowing what to do, feeling depressed that there was nothing I can do to make things better other than stay silent.

Second, I can’t describe detail for the rest of the cast BUT they were fantastic. My eyes set on Uzuki Hayate (Horatio). I wasn’t sure whether Horatio supposed to be that eye-catching, but Yeah this horatio is so lovable that I waited every next scene with excitement. I wanted to hear and see more of him. Horatio was Hamlet’s confidante. She portrayed it as a man whom you can put trust on and can be brake for Hamlet’s unstoppable impulsive mind. I am looking forward to see Uzuki Hayate performance in other play.

Third, I found that collaboration of serious (rather classic) dialogue, simple props, gothic nuance and rock music were divine. I gave 4 thumbs up to stage director, wardrobe, music director, producer and everyone behind the stage. They did absolutely gorgeous work.

To be or Not to be, that’s the choice.

Hamlet has chosen to be.

Dear Earth, I summoned you

Wind is cracking my cells, I can feel it

Too much agony overflowing and

this pain is excruciatin, I can feel it

 

Ground is shaking my soul, I can feel it

Too much hatred rendering

This pain is excruciating, I can feel it

 

Dear earth,

unleash all agony and betrayal you felt.

I summoned you to rise and be alive

 

Unchain all hatred and pain you felt

I summoned you to talk

to human who believe.

Illusion of Dead Rabbit

Talking about Hell, Someone whispered to me

The ghost of my pet made a fool out

of me. Someone was talking about Hell

Why Heaven was so far beyond my reach

Someone whispered to me. The ghost of my

rabbit cried bitterly. I could not be deceived

This is illusion, or so what it seemed.

I’ve been electrocuted and paralyzed

Someone was still talking about Hell

I want to not give a crap, but my

dead rabbit came. I hate reality

May God bestowed me power to re-create

illusion of reality, then my rabbit will

come to live. Then someone whispered to

me, still talking about Hell

After Rain

After the rain, I saw you walking away from me

I saw you shrugging, holding your tears

I saw everyone were embracing you, encouraging you

I knew I wasn’t gone in vain

After the rain, I saw you playing

sometimes you stopped for a moment as if

you were missing someone.

I knew you felt some emptiness in your heart

I can feel it

After the rain, I saw you grow

stronger, tougher, brighter

you are reaching your school year

you are learning fast

you are getting better at everything

you are always smiling

you are happy

After that heavy rain, I am still here

taking form of anything just to be with you

I do want to grow with you

Dear Azka, after the rain

I see you. Always

Mom

–In memoir of  my late friend, a great colleague and devoted mother–

Tanz Der Vampire : Music Review

When musical grew up on me back on 2001, all I ever know was American Musical, Takarazuka Revue, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. I wasn’t really into European Musical, because I didn’t know (TOO BAD). However Listening to Tanz Der Vampire CD, I was immediately captured by the 1st track : Overture, and 7th track : Gott Ist Tot (Sung by Steve Barton).  The way this musical sung in German language were incomparable. Gott Ist Tot music is recycled material from Steinman’s previous work Original Sin, the lyrics was changed and it was played with orchestra, which I found it to be better version. Other song in the CD, such as Totale Finsternis, are also recycled-material of Total Eclipse of the heart(Sung by Bonnie Tyler years before Tanz Der vampire started) , but it’s no inferior than new song. Not just the melody that is killing, the voice of each actors are lovable..  I don’t understand any german but somehow I understand what they are saying through the music. The Music itself tells the story.

Jim Steinman really can make epic rock piece blended perfectly with classical theatrical music. I heard different version of Total Eclipse and Tanz Der Vampire Version was the best. It really fit into the images of dark-obsessive side of Transylvanian vampire. Nonetheless, this was probably the peak of Jim Steinman’s work on Theatre. Not to mention the gothic-poetic style of Michael Kunze’s lyrics, I had known him since Elisabeth das musikal. Slightly different type of musical, but through the words I can easily tell “ah, this is Kunze’s”. He has no difficulty in making such deep-throbbing-sometimes-gothical lyrics. In Tanz Der Vampire, the lyrics beautifully sounded Steinman’s mind. It was like they perfectly synchronized one another.

Musical songs couldn’t be completed without the amazing voice of the actors. Late Steve Barton (May he rest in peace) was the best Graff Von Krolock ever. His deep-baritone gave rich expression in his songs (Gott Ist Tot, Einladung zum ball, Die Unstillbare Gier, Totale Finsternis, Tanzsaal.. I think every song that has him in it). He immediately became one of my favorite actor. Other actors also did fantastic job on their roles. Wahrheit sung by Gernot Kranner (as Professor Abronsius) is very entertaining. Not to mention the ensemble in Ewigkeit (it means  Eternity), Knoblauch(Garlic! Hillarious song that glorifies garlic), Carpe Noctem(Seize the night), Tanzsaal (a number during the vampire ball), and Der Tanz Der Vampire (Finale). and everybody can live happily ever after … as vampire.

Once again, let us enter the world of darkness …

 

***

Gott ist tot, nach ihm wird nicht mehr gesucht (God is dead, and he is no longer sought)

Wir sind zum ewigen Leben verflucht. ( We are all cursed in an endless life caught)

Es zieht uns näher zur Sonne, doch wir fürchten das Licht (We are drawn unto the sun, but we fear the light)

Wir glauben nur Lügen, verachten Verzicht (We believe only lies, and despise the lukewarm)

Was wir nicht hassen, das lieben wir nicht (If we can’t hate it, it can not be loved)

–Gott Ist Tot Akt1–

 

A.N.A.L.Y.Z.E

“Character” is the most important part in creating a script.

I pledged myself to become playwright, but now I got stuck with “Character”.

One of my reference “The Art and Craft of Playwriting” have exercise on every sub-chapters.

Questions emerge and you just have to write down the answer. While the questions actually point to “any events you have seen or experienced in life that you found exciting or similar to it” or ” Do you have friends which characters amused in a certain way”, I can not answer any of them without thinking really really hard. Even it popped out of my mind, then I retreated it. It was like, it wasn’t that excited, or it wasn’t that marvelous.

I began to question my own method of judging my own day-to-day experience. Am I living a dull life? or Am I not finding anything attractive? Today, I began my “analyze” :

A) Friend A named Reina is broken-home kid. She saw her mom and dad fighting everyday, and eventually lead to divorce. She grew up to be very self-conscious girl, however always having trouble dealing with man when it comes to relationship.

Did I find it amusing? YES.. at first.

then, I thought it was pretty common case here.. so it’s turning from extraordinary to ordinary. I’m getting used to it.

B) Friend B, named Robert is a complicated guy. He thinks he is a genius. He gets bored easily, and always play with girls’ emotion, thinking that he can always read them. Nobody can understand what exactly he is thinking, or what is he up to. He adores conspiracy, and twisted plot.

Did I find it amusing? OFCOURSE.. but.

There is always ‘but’. I have seen a few of psychopath-wannabe, especially during psychology cases. Most of them are hard to catch, the most exciting part is when they tell stories about them. But if they conform like everybodyelse in this society, then they become less interesting.

These are just examples, while I actually can make interesting play using their characters.

but…

When I think about it, they become less and less exciting..

The Art and Craft of Playwriting suggest that we should write characters that is more interesting or different than ourselves. What if I think everybody is dull? I used to think that I have exciting, eccentric, slightly twisted characters. but at times, I conform too much to other people.. that’s when I found myself dull. Now I think other people are dull because they tend to do same things as the society demands. When I say “everyone look to their right”, I have to observe how many people will look to the left instead of right. I bet 1 out of 10, or nothing.
I got AHA moment tonight in order to make myself and my life more interesting and in return, gaining me plenty of resource for characterization. We can do the following :

1) Disagree to something that most people agree.

2) No need to conform the group. they are boring people with one thought

3) Dress up in different eccentric theme everyday, and go to supermarket

4) Play fair one time, cheat the other time

5) Fight with neighbours or friends

6) Be really critical about almost-everything

7) Let go of your routine, have a long stranded walk at unfamiliar neighbourhood.

 

Do I sound like a juvenile?

To lead an authentic, the one-and-only-me-life, we can not act like everybodyelse.

It doesn’t mean we should be criminal. We just need to reduce our-togetherness, and become our truly-self.

I’m lacking it right now (sigh)

 

wishing I could back to my old-creative-crazy-self soon…

-Author : I need to finish my play, please-