Newsletter No. 254

BLAZING A SHAKESPEAREAN TRAIL The First Shakespeare Festival in Greater China C ressida bein g persuade d int o ma r r y i ng T r o i l u s i n 1920 s Shanghai, Lad y Olivia of Twelfth Night in th e frenzie d environmen t o f a mental institutio n i n Sa n Francisco , Celia an d Rosalin d o f As You Like It entering th e Fores t o f Arden wit h th e stylized movement s o f Chines e oper a —these ar e but some highlight s o f the first eve r Shakespear e festiva l hel d b y un i ve r s i t i es i n Hon g Kon g an d mainland China . Rigorous Training in Shakespearean Drama Organized b y th e Departmen t o f English an d th e Offic e o f th e Art s A dm i n i s t r a t or o f t h e Ch i nes e University i n earl y January , th e Shakespeare Festiva l showcase d renditions o f the Bard's plays by 10 top universities i n Greate r China . 'The ai m o f th e festiva l i s t o p r omo te l ov e o f Shakespeare , theatrical performance s an d th e English languag e i n Greate r China, ' said Prof . Davi d Parker , chairma n o f t he Eng l i s h D e p a r t me n t . Th e participating team s spen t a week o n CUHK campu s rehearsin g and takin g intensive maste r classes conducted b y international expert s i n Shakespeare . They wer e Timoth y Bond , associat e artistic d i r ec t o r o f th e Or ego n Shakespeare Festival , USA , Josep h Graves, artisti c directo r o f the Institut e of Worl d Theatr e an d Film , Beijing , and Susann e Wofford , directo r o f th e Centre fo r th e Humanitie s a t th e University o f Wisconsin-Madison an d former presiden t o f th e Shakespear e Association o f America. The three also served a s ad j ud i c a t o r s fo r th e competition. 'Man y of the students had never acted befor e or known anythin g about Shakespeare beyond the fact that he i s the greates t write r i n the Englis h language,' observe d Prof . Parker . 'Bu t the ad j ud i c a t o r s we r e abl e t o encourage the students and bring their performances t o a very hig h standar d within a week.' HowItAllCameAbout Prof. Parke r belong s t o a round-tabl e con f e r ence o f head s o f Englis h depa r tmen ts i n comp r ehens i v e universities i n China . The ide a for th e festival cam e u p a t a meeting i n lat e 2003 whe n th e delegate s wer e discussing ho w t o us e thei r networ k productively an d creatively . Prof . Parker invite d th e othe r head s t o pu t together team s fo r th e festiva l an d t o send i n v i d e o t a p e s o f t h e i r performance. Meantim e semi-final s were hel d on campus to form a CUHK team. Ou t o f 2 0 teams , 1 0 wer e selected. The y haile d from Shenzhe n U n i v e r s i t y, t h e Un i v e r s i t y o f International Busines s and Economics , Wuhan University , Fuda n University , Yunnan University , Tianji n Universit y of Commerce , Pekin g University , th e University o f Macau, Nationa l Taiwa n U n i v e r s i t y, an d t h e Ch i n e s e University. Th e festival was sponsored by the Dr . Tien Chang Lin Technology Innovation Foundation , an d the Shu n Hing Educatio n an d Charit y Fun d provided som e prizes . The A c t i o n On th e night s o f 8t h an d 9t h January , the team s stage d 15 - t o 20-minut e extracts o f Shakespeare's play s at a Sir Run Ru n Sha w Hal l packe d wi t h members o f the Universit y an d clos e to 1,00 0 secondar y schoo l students . Between scenes , Prof. Jason Gleckman of th e Englis h Departmen t an d Ms . Antonia Yeun g o f Shaw Colleg e kep t t he a u d i e n c e e n t e r t a i n e d b y interviewing the actors of the previou s performance. The champion , Pekin g University pu t o n a ver y polished performanc e o f a scene from King Henry V , in which th e Frenc h princes s Katherine take s a languag e lesson that i s almost entirel y devoted t o word s fo r part s of the body . 'Th e scene was delivered wit h delightfu l delicacy, innocence , an d charm. I t als o helpe d tha t the leadin g ma n wa s tal l and extremel y handsome, ' remarke d Prof. Parker . The mos t popula r pla y turned ou t to b e Twelfth Night, a co l ou r f u l comedy featurin g clown s an d cross - dressing, w i t h fou r team s havin g chosen it , includin g firs t runner-u p Fudan Universit y an d secon d runner - up the Chines e University . Accordin g to t h e a d j u d i c a t o r s , Fudan ' s performance wa s distinguished b y it s innovative singin g whil e th e CUH K team displayed grea t clarity o f diction . The competitio n als o unearthe d extremely promisin g actin g talen t i n the form o f Teresa Tse of CUHK wh o won th e bes t acto r awar d fo r he r wonderful master y o f the blan k vers e form, an d four othe r winners from th e University o f Internationa l Busines s and Economics , Wuha n University , and Pekin g University . Encouraging Reception The secondar y schoo l student s i n th e audience responde d very vigorously to calls fo r applause . Althoug h thi s wa s the first taste of Shakespeare for many , considering onl y 20 0 ou t o f 20,00 0 c a n d i d a t es f o r t h e A - l e v e l examinations tak e the Literatur e pape r in Hon g Kong , ther e wa s n o visibl e squirming i n seat s and leavin g befor e curtains down . Prof . Parke r hopes that the festival wil l strengthe n the visibility of th e CUH K Englis h Departmen t among senio r secondar y schoo l students. The firs t prize , whic h wa s wort h HK$100,000, include d plane tickets to Stratford-upon-Avon i n th e U K t o w a t c h S h a k e s p e a r e d o n e professionally a t th e Glob e Theatre . The othe r prize s wer e HK$100,00 0 worth o f electroni c gadget s suc h a s video cameras , digita l cameras , an d MP3 players . I n th e en d ever y participant walke d awa y wit h a prize. 'We were thrilled wit h the festival. It seems that ou r sponsor s woul d lik e it t o becom e a n annua l event . W e hope tha t th e hig h standar d w i l l become eve n higher , an d mor e Shakespeare w i l l b e performed , studied, an d enjoyed, ' sai d Prof . Parker. Jane Austen once wrote this abou t Shakespeare, 'On e get s acquainte d with Shakespear e withou t knowin g how — his thoughts an d beautie s ar e so sprea d abroa d tha t on e touche s t hem eve r ywhe r e . ' Thoug h hi s language ma y no t b e th e easies t t o master fo r Chines e students , the Bar d speaks to those who care to understan d in fa r mor e universa l ways . Piera Chen Peking University performing King Henry V 3 No. 254 4th February 2005