When I first heard that Teahouse would be staged at the Esplanade as part of the Huayi Festival and by the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, my interest was piqued. However, I was still unsure if I should catch it or not, being unfamiliar with this play and the group staging it. The tipping point came when my instructor for literary translation strongly recommended that we catch the play, full of praise for this particular work and the playwright. By the time I tried to get tickets, the Friday and Saturday night shows were almost sold out and it was rather difficult to get tickets. In the end, I had to make do with a Thursday evening show.
And the turnout surprised me. I bought second tier of tickets and was seated near Door 4. From where I was, I saw that the audience was as star-studded as the cast. Among the audience were Mr & Mrs Khaw Boon Wan, Huang Shinan & Pan Linging, Zhou Chongqing, and a host of other stage actors whom I know by face and not be name. And then I belatedly realized that this must really be huge for these stars to buy tickets and catch it incognito. I also recognise some among the audience to be Chinese teachers, whom I met as a student or while I was a teacher. Truth be told, I was overwhelmed by such a crowd; I was expecting this to be a low key play on a weekday night. It felt surreal… and only at the end of the play did I begin to comprehend why this play was of such critical acclaim.
For those unfamiliar with this play, Teahouse comprises three acts, featuring the same teahouse through three historical eras: Post-Reform Movement during the Qing Dynasty, Civil War during the Republic era & After the Second Sino-Japanese War during KMT rule. Through the lives of the teahouse owners and guests, we are given glimpses into lives of ordinary folk during these political upheavals. For those of us expecting a plot that adheres to the usual narrative structure, this play will disappoint. There is action aplenty in this play yet at the same time there is none, and you’ve really got to watch it to know what I mean. Each act is a snapshot of times, loosely related to the other, telling a story on its own and in tandem with the rest of the play. The depth and breadth covered in this one play truly blew my mind away.
A play is as good as its staging and I must say the staging is impeccable. The set is realistic and imbued with symbols of the times. From hooks on the roof for bird cages of rich royalties to the installation of a gramophone as a symbol of progress, to the final addition of beaded curtains at the entrance, each is a reflection of the times and valiant attempts to keep up with the times. The word “reform” is used liberally across the three acts, with the audience constantly reminded that China was undergoing change; yet the behaviour of the people show us that in actual fact, nothing changed. If anything did change, as far as the ordinary folk were concerned, life has changed for the worse.
The actors did such a realistic portrayal of the characters that I totally forgot it was a play. I was drawn into this teahouse and the lives of its people, as if I were there. My heart went out to them, recognising their helplessness and their sole simple desire to survive. Only as I was on my way out did I appreciate the acting because while it was on-going, the acting was invisible. Whether the actors were playing a young man, a middle aged man or an elderly, the body language was in keeping with the age, down to speech patterns such as talking pace and the uncontrollable twitching that comes with old age. Through these actors, the characters come to life and we are very much able to empathise with them, only to also realise that these characters continue to exist in our times. The political climate has changed, the way we dress has changed, how we use language has changed, and yet greed, corruption, covetousness, violence remain unchanged. And like the guests who flow through the teahouse, we continue to hope in our times, that things will get better, like those before us did. I guess I did get carried away.
Teahouse to me is a social commentary of times. It does not wax lyrical about political ideals or about the greater good. It merely demonstrated through the lives of the ordinary man on the street, the true state of affairs through each era in time. And I walked out of the theatre wondering, in the years I worked in Public Service, have we forgotten the person we are trying to help when we try to serve the people. Who are the people? Have we in trying to keep up with times lose sight of what is most important? What is most important? Survival? Humanity? I have no answers but thanks to the play, at the very least, I am thinking about these questions.
P.S. For those who didn’t manage to get tickets, here’s a trailer featuring the 2005 production in Singapore. Enjoy~
Note: This review reflects my personal opinion; it is not commissioned by any individual or organisation and no renumeration is sought and received for this review.
我看《茶馆》
《茶馆》昨晚在滨海艺术中心开演，我也去凑了凑热闹。这一凑可让我震撼了。
茶馆是个有意思的地方，如同新加坡八零年代的咖啡店、今日的面书和微博，是人们聚集话家常的地方。大家上茶馆的目的大不同，但绝非只是饮茶那么简单。有的来做买卖、有的来找知音、有的来找机会、有的只想要打发时间。有的是来敲诈，有的是客人，有的却是主子。人来人往，有来者是善，也有来者不善的，层出不穷。掌柜的要应付好各方还真不容易，八面玲珑是自然不再话下。编剧恰好就用了茶馆内所发生的一切勾勒出当下社会上、政治上的问题。在不直接涉及政治的情况下，在撰写黎民百姓如何过日子的时候，我们真切地体会到官家腐败所来的可怕后果。
无论年代、无论世界怎么变，就算到了今天，人们上茶馆的习惯还是没变，可称得上是万变中的不变。但其实不变的事还多着呢。无论年代、无论谁当头，官逼民反、民不聊生的情景也还在世界各地上演着。看着仗势欺人所谓的官爷欺负老掌柜时，我还真恨不得狠狠踹对方两脚。老百姓的苦也只有老百姓能明白。 编剧含蓄地透过“子承父业”让我们明白腐败的心、害人的事业，是如何一代传一代，让人顿时觉得无望。
剧中人物不断提倡“改良”但在做出许多改变之后，真的是“良”吗？谁获益了？ 直到最后，那些真心想要改良的人才发现自己的无知与天真，为自己的付出、为当年的雄心壮志，感到后悔莫及。真是好讽刺的一幕，但身为观众的我们却也明白他的心情。随着时代的演变，我们不也都学会了“事不关己、己不劳心”的做人处事原则吗？
《茶馆》让我反思之前我认为对错了然的事，颠覆了我对政治、社会、人性的了解，让我重新认识这个世界。虽然《茶馆》写于六十年前，遗憾的是，它所带出的问题直到今天依然存在，所以说，当我们说世界更文明了，请问这文明在哪里？何谓文明呀？
An Ordinary City Dweller 