"The Storyteller:…. because you are a woman"
Date: 29-30 MARCH (Fri 7:30PM, Sat 2:30PM & 7:30PM)
Venue: Sun Son Tamsui Black Box Theatre (3F, No.298 Zhong Zheng Road Tamsui District New Taipei City, Taiwan)
Duration：45 min
Language：Penang Hokkien slang with Mandarin and English surtitle
Age suitability：16+
Post talk after every show
There are some part in this world, women still take marriage as the biggest goal of their lives. Even though their married life failed, still they will instill in their daughters that getting a good husbands, marry early and have children is a way to form a happy families.
Is it because women are too weak to be self-support?
Is it women definitely need men to lead their life?
Or is it because of being constrained by traditional beliefs that it is shameful for nor being marry?
This performance takes place through an actor performing 3 different characters living in different era (grandmother, mother and daughter), and sees how the conflict rise when the elder still raise hopes on the daughter to get married after experiencing their imperfect marriage.
Director – Wong Lay Chin
Scriptwriter – Wong Lay Chin
Performer – Amelia Tan
Lighting Design and Operator – Alvie Cheng
Subtitle Operator – Wong Lay Chin
Venue: Sun Son Tamsui Black Box Theatre (3F, No.298 Zhong Zheng Road Tamsui District New Taipei City, Taiwan)
Duration：45 min
Language：Penang Hokkien slang with Mandarin and English surtitle
Age suitability：16+
Post talk after every show
There are some part in this world, women still take marriage as the biggest goal of their lives. Even though their married life failed, still they will instill in their daughters that getting a good husbands, marry early and have children is a way to form a happy families.
Is it because women are too weak to be self-support?
Is it women definitely need men to lead their life?
Or is it because of being constrained by traditional beliefs that it is shameful for nor being marry?
This performance takes place through an actor performing 3 different characters living in different era (grandmother, mother and daughter), and sees how the conflict rise when the elder still raise hopes on the daughter to get married after experiencing their imperfect marriage.
Director – Wong Lay Chin
Scriptwriter – Wong Lay Chin
Performer – Amelia Tan
Lighting Design and Operator – Alvie Cheng
Subtitle Operator – Wong Lay Chin
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Director WONG LAY CHINPassionate about drama, majored in Directing in the National Arts University of Taipei. She adores the performing arts, to the point of believing that it is a form of art reflecting human’s lives. Ever since her return to Malaysia in 2008, she has produced numerous plays in Penang and Kuala Lumpur with different languages or dialects such as Mandarin, English, Malay, Teochew, Hokkien, and Cantonese. Some of the shows with a mixture of dialects are, "The Man Tied to The Toilet Bowl, 2012", "A Widow, A Spinster, and A Tomboy, 2012, 2013 & 2014", "The Day I Met The Prince, 2014" as a medium for the depiction of Malaysian life.
In recent years, she brazenly made use of Hokkien dialect as the main medium for one of her plays "The Typist, 2013 & 2014", "Perfectly Matched, 2015" and “The Storyteller, 2016 & 2017”. To some youngsters’ surprise, they found that the Hokkien dialect could also be trendy, while the older audience had their first theatre experience with the help of a familiar language. Not only has she directed notable works here in Malaysia, she has also presented "Sunset, 2015" in Taiwan and made her way through as a scenographer in "The Sound of Silence, 2015" under the direction of Professor Dr. A.S. Hardy in Singapore. Since 2017, she broke out from her comfort zone and worked closely with English Theatre. She created a wonderful monologue “The Storyteller” and had been traveled to Taiwan at the same year. |
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Actress AMELIA TANMalaysia Award Winning Actress
Amelia is the Artistic Director of ACX Productions; she is also a full-time theatre practitioner, drama and dance instructor, Amelia graduated from the "Intercultural Theater Institute" (ITI) in Singapore. Her personal expertise including lighting design, stage makeup, actor training, physical training, voice training and acting. She won the "Best Stage Practitioner" in 2001 and 2003, "Best Supporting Actress" in 2010，“Best Actress” and ”Best Lighting Design” in 2014, 2015 and 2016 In the ADA Drama Awards, she also awarded as “Best Lighting Design ” (Theatre Category) in 11th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2013. Amelia also works as a Choreographer and Artistic Director for Pangkorien Theater in Pangkor Island Festival in 2014 and 2015. She has also represented Malaysia to perform in Shanghai, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan. |
淡江大學英文系頂石計畫翻譯專題觀劇前採訪
The Capstone Project of the English Department of Tamkang University
指導教授：吳怡芬 (I-fen Wu)
藝術總監組：康雅亭 (Ya-ting Kang)／王羿婷 (Yi-ting Wang)／
謝昀真(Yun-chen Hsieh)／何家祁(Jia-qi He)
「文青」是現在年輕世代的風潮之一。身為淡江的學生，了解淡水當地的人文藝術是必要的。在尋找淡水在地藝術的過程中，駐足在淡水的身聲劇團 (Sun Son Theatre) 成為我們的首選，他們以聲音與肢體語言的融合創作出多元的作品，除了創新之外，身聲的表演也帶觀眾體驗人類最原始的表達方式。而我們也藉由親自專訪身聲劇團藝術總監的機會，將身聲創團與創作過程的寶貴經驗作為專題，希望能夠讓身為淡江青年的我們，更進一層地去了解在地藝術和它背後創建的美妙歷史。
The term, “Hipster,” is one of the trends nowadays in Taiwan. As we are students in Tamkang University (淡江大學), we find it is significant that we should appreciate Tamsui’s (淡水) local art. Thus, the members of the Sun Son Theatre (身聲劇團) group in Tamsui are our first choice to interview. Sun Son Theatre produces a variety of productions by using sounds and body performance. Apart from creating innovative works, Sun Son Theatre also takes the audience to experience the primordial way of performance. We are very honoured to have an interview with Leonson NG (吳忠良), the artistic director of Sun Son Theatre. We focus our project on Sun Son Theatre and its members’ experiences of artistic creation, hoping that we will be able to comprehend their ideas of performing art and their wonderful founding history.
1. 身聲劇團為何會選擇創立於台灣？並選擇駐點在淡水？
一開始是跟著不同劇團到處演出，後來認識了幾個好朋友，之後為了創作和他們一起成立了身聲劇團。選擇駐點在淡水是因為離大台北不遠，在這裡對藝術創作者是一個很好的環境，有山有水。所以在居住上和創作上是最佳選擇。再加上捷運的設立，吸引許多的觀光客到淡水。
Why did you found Sun Son Theatre in Taiwan? And why did you choose Tamsui as the location?
At beginning, all we did was to join other troupes. Not until I met some friends that shared the similar ideas about performance did we establish Sun Son Theatre. Choosing Tamsui is mainly due to its convenient metro system and its approachable distance to Taipei. Surrounded with mountains and seas, Tamsui attracts a lot of tourists to visit and provides a good environment for doing art activities.
2. 為何叫身聲劇場？
我在國中時有寫日記的習慣，而在日記中看到「身」與「聲」這兩個字，這也給我一個啟發。「身」與「聲」讀起來相似，但寫法是不同的。身體與聲音是人類最原始的表達方式，所以想透過身體與聲音的方式去啟發每一個人的肢體創造力。而「Sun Son」也就是指太陽之子，在意思上也有異曲同工之妙。
Why did you name your theatre as Sun Son Theatre?
It was inspired by two Chinese characters — 「身」(shen) and 「聲」(sheng) written in my diary. I used to write a dairy when I was a junior high school student. The pronunciations in Chinese of 「身」 and 「聲」are very similar; for example, their pronunciations follow the English “sun” and “son. ” Nevertheless, the writing of these two characters is so different. Moreover, 「身」and 「聲」in Chinese mean body and sound respectively. Body and sound are the most primitive ways of performance; they are the ways that we use to enlighten everyone’s sense of creativity. Therefore, it is a pun that “Sun Son” can be explained as “son of the sun,” which means we are all the sons of the sun.
3. 資料上說您在藝術學院所接受的創作學習，引領您在藝術創作中發掘生命真理。想請問您當時是經歷什麼樣的學習過程，並因此領悟出什麼樣的生命真理？
我在馬來西亞唸藝術學院戲劇系，我除了很喜歡跳現代舞，也熱愛音樂。小時候也接觸過打鼓，舞龍舞獅等等。所以當劇團成立時，我有思考過一個問題：劇團的走向要往樂團舞團，還是話劇方面發展？最終我決定將三者合而為一，讓一個表演可以同時演奏、舞蹈和演戲，因為在台灣真的很難找到一個在這三方面都能全面發展的劇團。
You said that your major in Drama helped you to explore the meaning of life. What kind of learning experiences did you have at college? What did you realize through your leaning experiences?
Yes, I majored in Drama at college in Malaysia. I am not only interested in modern dance, but also crazy about music. When I was little, I also had experiences about playing drums, performing the lion dance and so on. When I decided to found Sun Son Theatre, a serious problem occurred to me: whether our theatre should be a band, a dance theatre or a drama theatre? In the end, I decided to combine the three elements together in our performance. We could perform music and dance, and act at the same time. It was difficult to find a theatre group which was able to do all of them in Taiwan.
4. 團長和團員在創作過程中，是否有磨擦或是有理念不同的時候？產生衝突時，是如何解決？
這本來就是不容易解決的事情。但我們通常是以團隊合作的概念去解決問題，創作藝術過程中個人主義是很常有的，而我常跟團員說我們可以有自己的想法，但是最後要有一個選擇。而我也會要求每一個成員在提出想法時，要有一個明確的論述，所以在溝通上是公平的，而不是只看個人喜好。當論述提出來時，團員之間是能夠完全理解的，因此能減少一些溝通上的摩擦。同時,我們在訓練團員時，是個別的訓練方式，而不是用單一的訓練系統，在劇團中我重視所有人的意見和想法，因此以不同的方式去為演員們調整。
How do you communicate with your teammates when you have different opinions on the performance?
I have to say that communication is not an easy thing. It is normal that each actor/actress has his/her own thoughts about performance. Instead of individuals, the whole team is more important. I request that each member should thoroughly expound his/her different opinion on performance; therefore, each member’s opinion would be listened to and discussed, hoping to reduce the conflicts among us. At the same time, we train our members individually rather than just use one standard of training, for I respect their distinctive perspectives and suggestions.
5. 團長當時是如何選出的？
當初這個劇團是為了集體創作而設立，一些老師和朋友看完我們的表演後，覺得我們的表演創作很新穎又特別。他們鼓勵我們繼續一起創作，但因為當時另外幾位成員已經有其他人生規劃，所以我就擔當起團長的職責，讓這個劇團延續下去。
How was the president of Sun Son Theatre elected?
At the beginning, we grouped together in order to do more creative performances. Many teachers and friends considered that our performances were special, and they liked them very much. They encouraged us to continue cooperating and doing performances together. However, some of us already had had different future plans, so I took the responsibility of founding the theatre.
6. 身聲劇團已經成立二十年之久，如何在沒有任何經費補助（政府、財團等）之下，支撐並堅持到現在呢？
要營運不難，但是團員的生活收入才是個問題。成立初期，我們將物質運用降到最低，我個人一個月只花三到四千塊，團員在花費上也是很節省的，加上沒有很多的演出機會，又必須持續地訓練，我們就靠街頭賣藝來維持劇團內的費用。在接到一些穩定演出的機會後，街頭賣藝的收入就可以補貼自己的家用了，再之後其他成員就有微薄的薪水，因此學習吃苦和對物質需求的控制是很重要的。現在劇團有一些新進的成員，我們也是以學習抗壓性的方式去教導他們。當然這也是團員們之間要有共同對藝術創作的熱情才能持續下去的動力。
Without any funding or subsidy from the government, how has Sun Son Theatre survived for more two decades?
To operate the theatre is not too demanding for me. The problem is how to offer the crew’s daily income. What we did at first was to keep our expenses to a minimum, trying not to exceed our budget. Our members would have to perform on the streets to make money while gaining some acting experiences. It was not until we received regular invitations for performance that we had a stable income to pay our crews. Learning to cope with difficulties and control our desire on material demands is crucial. Therefore, our new recruits have to learn to cope with pressure. In order to do so, they have to be strongly motivated by their passion for art.
7. 身聲劇團從創團到現在，遇過最挫折的時候？
無論是否為台灣人或是外國人，創立劇團本身就是很困難的。最大的困難應該是資源，因為很多方面都不熟悉。另一方面就是語言，因為你跟別人討論事情時，很容易就被對方認出你是外國人，在語言溝通上也是一種障礙，當然這都是二十年前的事情了。而面對外國人創團，簽證也是一個問題，那時候這些種種都是一個很大的考驗。成立一個劇團且能夠讓它順利營運下去也是很困難的，除了招募團員外，團員也會去看這個劇團是否有前景，所以這也是成立劇團會面臨的一個問題。另一方面，在演員上的統整也是困難的，因為很難找到又能演又能演奏的演員。找到演員後，在各方面的訓練也是很重要的，因為有些成員能演奏但無法將表情融入表演中等等。
What has been the most struggling period for Sun Son Theatre since its founding?
Establishing a troupe is a difficult thing itself. The biggest obstacle is probably getting resources. Twenty years ago, we did not have a clear idea about many things, and the language gap was a problem too. People could tell that we were foreigners from how we talked, and it was also difficult to get a visa at that time. Running a troupe was also a challenging thing. Apart from recruiting performers, you also needed to assure the members that there was a potential for our troupe. On the other hand, it took time to find an actor/actress who was able to play instruments and act at the same time. It is necessary to give our actors/actresses a thorough training because some of them were not capable of integrating playing instruments and making facial expression in their performances.
8. 身聲劇團最終極的夢想和目標是什麼？
最終極的目標就是希望我們能有更多劇團的表演空間，雖然我們有自己的劇場，並且在竹圍有專門為收集樂器和live演奏而設置的樂器館，但仍希望未來能夠將兩者結合。樂器館推廣戲劇樂器工作坊和樂器DIY等方式來與民眾接觸，而劇場則是用來表演。我們希望能將劇場變為一個放鬆娛樂的場所。
What is your ultimate goal and dream for Sun Son Theatre?
The ultimate goal is to have a more spacious place of our own. Although we already own a theatre and a musical instrument hall in Zhuwei (竹圍) (used mainly for instrument collection and performing live music), we hope that we still can combine the two parts in the future. The music instrument hall will be used to promote the theatrical instrument workshop and activities such as DIY (do it by yourself) your own instrument; this will be very attractive for visitors. We hope to run the theatre as a place for visitors to relax and have fun.
9. 從創團到現在，覺得最具代表或是最有成就感的一齣戲是什麼？
《光·音》，因為這部作品很有趣。「光」是個看的見的道路；「音」是取其諧音「陰」來反映出人的內在，象徵著從人最深與最內在的地方去探索生命的道路。我認為每一部藝術作品都有導演的初衷，例如《被遺忘的世界》是反映出儀式和禮儀消失的概念，並且再去思考我們的生命中是遺失了什麼，而《光·音》則是傳達人類要回到胎兒的狀態去探索內在。這部作品剛開始會有一大片紗，然後當演員走進那幕紗時，會在他們身上打上紅色的光影，接著讓紅色的布幕慢慢落下，讓紗一層層地環繞著演員跟紅色布幕，最後就會一直循環這些動作來連結一幅藝術作品做戲劇的結尾。
Which work is considered the best one that represents Sun Son Theatre?
It is Aurora (《光·音》), because this production is very interesting. This production is related to light and shadow. (In the Chinese title, the meaning of the first Chinese character, 「光」(guang) is “light,” and the pronunciation of the second Chinese character「音」(yin) is the same as that of the Chinese character「陰」(yin). Although they are pronounced in the same way, the meaning of「音」and「陰」in Chinese is “sound” and “shadow” respectively.) “Light” is a visible path; “shadow” is a reflection of the human inner mind. The title suggests that we need to grope and discover the roads of life from the inmost part of us. In my opinion, every artistic work contains the original intention of the director. For instance, The Forgotten World (《被遺忘的世界》) reflects the concept of missing rituals and social manners, and people have to think over again what we have missed in our life. Aurora suggests that human need to go back to the foetal period to seek for our inner self. In the beginning of Aurora, there is a huge gauze net on the stage. When the actors walk into the gauze, they are spotlit with red light, and then many pieces of red cloth slowly dropping down in the air; thus, the red cloth and actors are surrounded by the huge gauze net. The performers keep repeating these movements in order to conclude an artistic work on the stage to end this performance.
10. 身聲劇團在未來會有機會走入校園嗎？例如授課等，讓熱愛戲劇表演的同學能夠更進一步實戰演練？
身聲劇團之後有打算要走入校園，有機會也會去淡江大學。我很喜歡淡江建築系所創建的實驗劇場，我覺得它本身就是一個具有故事性的地方。
Will Sun Son Theatre consider to cooperate with schools in the future? For example, teaching performance to students who love performance.
I am very keen to work on projects with students, hoping there is a chance in the future to work with TKU. I especially love the Experimental Theatre in TKU, which was established by students of the Architecture Department, and which seems to me, a place full of stories.
導演組：陳千愛(Chien-ai Chen)／王婷萱(Ting-hsuan Wang)／
王璦葶(Ai-ting Wang)／吳庭甄 (Ting-zhen Wu)
馬來西亞導演黃麗珍（Lay Chin Wong）即將在3/29與3/30帶著她的最新創作《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》(The Storyteller: …because you are a woman) 在身聲劇場演出。故事發生在馬來西亞檳城喬治市 (George Town, Penang)，透過三個女人，三個角色— 阿嬤、媽媽和女兒的對話，討論不同世代的女人對婚姻的看法。黃麗珍導演一向擅長處理男女情感以及婚姻的話題，而這次將會如何呈現呢？讓我們來一窺導演的內心世界。
Malaysian director Lay Chin Wong（黃麗珍） is about to present her new work The Storyteller: …because you are a woman（《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》）at Sun Son Theater on March 29th and 30th. The story takes place in George Town, Penang, Malaysia（檳城喬治市). Through the conversations of the three major characters in this play— grandmother, mother and daughter, the director discusses marriage from the viewpoints of women in different generations. Lay Chin Wong has always been good at dealing with issues of relationships and marriage. How will she explore these issues and present them in this play? Let's explore at the director’s inner world.
1. 人們說：「檳城福建話已經是黃麗珍作品的一大特色」。 導演在許多作品中，時常使用在地語言，亦或是有英語與方言的穿插，請問導演對於方言的運用，有什麼樣的目的呢？若是觀眾無法聽懂方言，必須透過字幕的翻譯才能理解，是否能達到導演所追求的效果呢？
劇中百分之九十都使用檳城福建話是因為故事就發生在檳城，所以想要保留這個語言；又因為檳城福建話跟閩南語是同一個語系，他們基本上是一樣的，兩者語言相近，所以翻譯後對臺灣觀眾的影響就不太大，只是檳城福建話有時候會被馬來文影響，因此觀眾可能對特定的字詞產生誤解或是聽不懂，這時候就把這些詞彙換成英文來表演。
It is said that using Penang Hokkien（檳城福建話）in the play is one of the features in your works. Among your plays, you use lots of dialect or sometimes intersperse them with English. What is the purpose of doing this? If the audiences have to understand the lines through the translation, do you think it will meet your expectation?
As the story is set in Penang, ninety percent of the lines in this drama are spoken in Penang Hokkien. All I’m trying to do is to preserve this language. Moreover, Penang Hokkien and Minnan（閩南語） are from the same language system, so basically they are similar in terms of pronunciation. Therefore, the impact of translation to a Taiwanese audience is not a big deal. However, some Penang Hokkien is influenced by the Malay, so the audiences might misunderstand the meaning in some particular words. In this case, we replace the words with spoken English.
2. 一般而言，戲劇表演通常會以不同演員來詮釋不同角色，請問導演這次為何會想要採取單人劇的方式來呈現這部作品？尤其這種方式又特別考驗演員功力。
當初想以單人劇來呈現有兩個主要原因：一是經費問題，二是希望這個劇能隨時隨地開演，甚至在廟口搬一張木頭凳子就可以演出。而單人劇的確很挑戰演員的功力，不過我認為如果在一個劇內只演一個角色對演員來說太無聊了！愛美麗亞(Amelia)是個很厲害的演員，對她來說一人分飾三角簡直易如反掌。另外比較特別的是，這齣劇原先設定是只有三個角色—阿嬤、媽媽和女兒，但在這次台北的演出，我跟愛美麗亞還想挑戰透過這三個角色，把其它對她們有影響的周圍角色也一併呈現，所以這次的演出觀眾不會只看到三個主要角色，這也是跟高雄場比較不一樣的地方。
Generally speaking, different characters are usually performed by different performers. Therefore, we wonder why you want to direct this play as a monodrama that seems particularly challenging for the performer.
There are two reasons why I present this play as a monodrama. Firstly, we are short of funding. Secondly, I hope this play can be performed at anytime and anywhere if possible. With only a single actress in the play, I consider it more convenient to perform; for example, even if in front of a temple with only a stool, we would not have too many technical problems. And indeed, monodrama demands a high proficiency in acting, but I think it is not too challenging for Amelia（愛美麗亞）to perform only one role. Besides, Amelia is a very professional actress, so playing multiple roles is not at all difficult for her. Although it is a monodrama, we want to emphasize the importance of the supporting roles because they exert an influence on the major characters’ life. In particular the major characters’ narration of their life reveals how their life has been shaped by other people (supporting roles).
3. 請問導演您在排戲時會怎麼引導演員進入自己的角色？尤其是在《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》中，當演員一人分飾三角，而且都是獨白的方式，該怎麼引導演員在不同的角色間切換？
以愛美麗亞來說，因為她是一位很專業、很厲害的演員，所以往往我只是大概跟她說一下我想要的樣子，給她一個雛型，她就能自己去呈現出來，只要稍微從旁邊提點一下，她就會自己去增加細節、變化肢體語言。與其說是引導，不如說像是和她在聊天分享，以「我覺得…」類似這樣的方式去分享自己對於角色的想像。
How do you direct the actress to get into the role? How do you direct the actress to switch between different roles, especially in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, when one actress has to play three roles in monologic style?
Take Amelia as the example, she is a professional and awesome actress, so I only provide my explanation about the role, giving her a direction, then she can perform the role according to her understanding. All I need to do is to give her some tips and ideas, and then she can create a lot of details and adjust her body performance. It is not so much directing as a sharing. We share our own perspectives and imagination when interpreting the roles.
4. 請問導演，《有故事的人……因為你是女人》這種副標題的下法是否含有對社會中女性刻板印象的控訴？
的確是可以這麼說沒錯。在訂下題目時我有思考，是要用「因為我是女人」還是「因為你是女人」。 但後來想想覺得我的目的是要擺脫社會的框架，從旁觀者的角度來看社會對女性的看法，因此選擇了「因為你是女人」這個副標。不過與其說是控訴，不如說是想藉由此劇討論一些與女人有關的議題，例如：女人一定要結婚嗎？結婚就一定會因此而走向幸福美滿的道路嗎？不過大體來說其實沒錯，這個標題就是站在社會大眾對女性的刻板印象下所訂下的。
According to the subtitle of this drama, do you attempt to challenge stereotype of women that is confined by social convention?
Yes, you can say so. When I set the topic, I thought about whether “…because I am a woman” is a better choice than “…because you are a woman.” Then I was aware that my purpose is to liberate myself and the audience from the limit of our social frame. Thus, I decided on the subtitle “…because you are a woman.” However, I take it more like an opportunity to discuss women’s role. For instance, I would like to question whether women need to get married and whether marriage can truly lead women to happiness. In conclusion, yes, this topic is set according to the stereotype of the social standpoint that people usually have towards women.
5. 導演過去的幾部作品（《開放夫妻》、《被綁在馬桶上的男人》），包括現在這一部，似乎都帶有女性主義的色彩。想請問導演，您對於性別意識的啟蒙是在什麼時期？是什麼樣子的經驗影響了您？
其實我沒有刻意去經營或是下意識地去強調「女性主義」。不過你提到了這幾部作品，好像真有這麼一回事呢！若要說是什麼樣的經驗影響了我，我想可能是家庭背景和成長環境吧！1976年的馬來西亞是一個壓抑、男尊女卑的社會，家中甚至只有男性有發言權！還記得大約在我十三、十四歲的時候，當時我們是好多親戚都住在一起的大家庭，有一天我在學校被誇獎了，開心地回家跟媽媽分享，但講到一半卻突然被表哥罵，他說我講太多話了，而媽媽也就因此而噤聲。又有一次，我在客廳寫作業，媽媽卻要我在表哥回家以前趕快回房間，她說：「小孩就要回房間睡覺！」這種生活模式讓我開始思考：為什麼我要退讓？為什麼我不能被誇獎？可能就是從這些點點滴滴開始慢慢萌發了我心中的那個種子吧！
It seems that in your previous works such as The Man Tied to The Toilet Bowl（《被綁在馬桶上的男人》), Perfectly Matched（《開放夫妻》）and in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman you show a feminist point of view. What experiences inspired your gender consciousness and when did it happen?
In fact, I did not intentionally display or emphasize feminism. However, in the works you mentioned, it seems feminism is indeed a focus. My family background and my experience of growing up might have influenced me about such a concept. Malaysia was a conservative and patriarchal society in the 1970s. Only the male had the right to speak at home. I still remember when I was 13 or 14 years old, my family lived with many relatives at that time. One day I was praised at school. When I excitedly shared my happiness with my mom, my male cousin stopped me. He thought that I talked too much. At the same time, my mom did not defend me nor even speak up for me. The other occasion is when I was doing homework in the living room, my mom interrupted my work and demanded me to return to my room before my cousin came back. These childhood experiences lead me to question why I had to compromise and why I couldn’t receive any praise. Perhaps these experiences hidden in my subconsciousness have triggered my sense of feminism.
演員組：王玥 (Yueh Wang)／梁智軒 (Zhi-xuan Liang)／
黃姵蓉 (Pei-jung Huang)／雷瑪凱 (Reema Kaierua)／朱芩希(Kincy Zhu)
《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》(The Storyteller: …because you are a woman) 是一齣跨世代對話的單人劇，故事聚焦三位居住在馬來西亞檳城 (Penang, Malaysia) 的女性對於婚姻不同的看法，究竟婚姻對於她們是幸福的代名詞；抑或是失去自我的同義詞？我們將透過馬來西亞劇場天后──愛美麗亞 (Amelia) 精湛的詮釋來瞭解三位女性背後的故事。這次我們也事前採訪愛美麗亞，聽她分享對這齣劇的想法與感觸。
The Storyteller: ......because you are a woman(《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》) is a monodrama which focuses on three women living in Penang (檳城) and their different perspectives on marriage. Is marriage a passage to gain their happiness, or a trap to lose their freedom? Amelia’s (愛美麗亞)impressive performance will lead us to explore the stories of these women. We had an interview with Amelia to learn about her opinions and thoughts on this play.
1. 以往我們接觸到的戲劇表演，通常是透過不同角色的詮釋來引起戲劇張力。但這回《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》選擇用一人分飾三角的獨白方式來呈現，想請問愛美麗亞您是第一次嘗試單人劇嗎？單人劇與您想像中最大的不同是什麼呢？背後最大的困難和挑戰又是什麼？
我也忘了演過多少次的單人劇，對我來說單人劇最大的挑戰就是舞台上就只有一個人，有什麼問題都得自己解決，沒有人可以幫你。
When it comes to theatre performances, it depends on different connotations of characters to create dramatic tension. However, in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, the director, Lay Chin Wong（黃麗珍), decides to use monodrama, in which one person plays the three different roles to present the dramatic tension. Is this the first time that you did a monodrama? Is there any difference from your expectation of monodrama? What is the biggest challenge that you faced when you did it?
I forget how many times I have played in a monodrama so far. For me, the biggest challenge is the fact that you are the only person on stage; therefore, if anything goes wrong, you have to solve it on your own since no one would be there to help you.
2. 這齣戲劇中，三個角色來自不同的時空背景，除了台詞的差異外，各自被賦予著不同的身分和心態，在單人劇的設定下，氛圍、情境和情感上的掌控顯得更加困難。請問愛美麗亞您在這之中要如何拿捏，然後更完整的呈現？
當初不知道這齣劇是要以檳城福建話 (Penang Hokkien)演出，是跟導演討論後才知道。原本以為演年輕的女兒時可以說很多中文，但最終還是以檳城話做呈現。考量到三位人物都生活在檳城，用道地的方言來詮釋才能精準表達她們。我花了滿多時間在調整這三個角色的說話速度、講話方式、措詞等，來突顯各自的年代感、價值觀。隨著年代的變遷，年輕一代講話已經不再全用方言，所以我想藉由語言的層次（福建話其實夾雜了很多中文、英文）來區分不同年代、不同身份的人，像是老一輩的人說福建話時又穿插許多馬來語。（例如：今天要去看戲，Ａ問：你今天買票了嗎？檳城福建話會變成：哩買ticket了嗎？）
In The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, the three characters come from different generations with different identities and mentalities. How did you manage to play the three different roles on stage?
Considering the background of the play is set in Penang, the director and I decided to perform this drama in the vernacular language, Penang Hokkien（檳城福建話）. In order to express the values and thoughts of the three generations, I spent a lot of time paying attention to the way they speak. For example, the younger generation can hardly use authentic Penang Hokkien to communicate, while the older generation tends to combine Malay with Penang Hokkien when they speak. Therefore, I try to emphasize their ways of speaking to differentiate the generations.
3. 對於祖母孫三人內心巨大的衝突和矛盾，又要如何展現才能更吸引觀眾呢？
因為是單人劇，所以在演祖母的時候要揣測媽媽、女兒跟她講話時，應該要有什麼反應，所以在練習時揣摩了很多，不只是基本的舞台走位，就連我講這段話時，要揣測另外一個角色的心境，要立體化這些反應讓觀眾知道。
How did you perform the conflicts and confrontation between grandmother, mother, and daughter?
Since this is a monodrama, I need to think about the reaction of mother and of daughter simultaneously when they talk to the grandmother. I not only need to be familiar with the blocking on the stage, but I also try to figure out the psychology of each character. As an actress, I should make the character’s emotional expression more concrete and tangible for the audience to understand.
4. 請問這三個不同的角色帶給您怎樣的收獲和啟發？
我離開檳城到吉隆坡 (Kuala Lumpur) 快接近二十年了，已經忘記了檳城傳統女性的想法。但演這部戲時，我從這些人物，慢慢找回祖母、媽媽們對男人和傳統家庭的價值觀。像是很多女人結婚後，重心完全轉移到家裡，生活中也只剩孩子和丈夫。這樣的生活有美好也有痛苦和無奈。相比之下，現代的女性尋找的是自己的自由，按照自己的方式生活，對家庭的價值觀也隨時代的潮流改變。不管是傳統女性的觀點也好，現代女性的想法也好，雖然我不會想走回頭路，但兩者都是我想保留的。
What have you learned from the three different characters? Did you get any inspiration from them?
It has been almost 20 years since I left Penang for Kuala Lumpur（吉隆坡 ), so I have already forgotten how Penang’s women behaved and acted. Yet, through the experience of playing these characters, I gradually remembered the family values that grandmothers and mothers shared in a traditional household. For example, after getting married, many women concentrate on taking care of their family, their husband, and their children. This way of living has both advantages and disadvantages. But as time goes by, family values have gradually changed and developed a different meaning for modern women. What modern women seek is no longer to just support their family, but also search for their own freedom, the freedom to be themselves. Although I prefer to live as a modern woman, I still think that family values are important and worth preserving.
5. 假如《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》不是單人劇，請問愛美麗亞您最想挑戰哪一個角色？為什麼選擇她呢？
我覺得阿嬤的角色挺滿好玩的，因為她就是我阿嬤的形象。很強悍的女人，她獨自一人撫養孩子長大，她雖然霸道卻又不失母愛，總覺得她就像一個社會大佬。
In The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, which character did you find the most intriguing and challenging? Why?
Well, I think the character of grandmother in this production is interesting, because she is exactly the image of my grandmother, who is a strong woman and who raises her children on her own without complaint. Although her concerns and cares for her children might be considered “bossy,” her love for them is undeniable.
6. 有哪一幕或哪一段話特別貼近您的生活嗎？
我會覺得是女兒的角色，因為這也是我現實中的角色。我到了這個年齡還沒結婚，雖然媽媽阿姨們不會催婚，但當她們看了這齣劇時，我想家人們也能理解為什麼我到現在還選擇單身，那是因為我現在有比家庭更重要的事要做。我並沒有想強調這些新觀念，只是透過這部劇表現了自己的價值觀，也讓家人知道我在城市裡忙些什麼。
Is there any scene or conversation that is closely connected to your personal life experience? How does it affect your daily life?
I think it is the role of daughter in this play, because she is so similar to me. Women in my age are expected to find a decent man and get married. My mother and aunts do not give me pressure and force me into marriage. I think they would understand why I choose to remain single after they watch this play. Besides, I have business to take care of, which is much more important than marriage or having a family at this moment. I think this is also a good opportunity to let my relatives know what keeps me busy.
7. 想請問愛美麗亞您在排練《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》時，有參考什麼書籍，或是採訪相關人士來找尋演戲的靈感嗎？
沒有特別參考什麼書，我其實都是透過身旁的人（阿姨、婆婆）找到靈感，從小聽這些故事長大，可以當作很好的參考依據。有時可能會覺得故事很荒謬，但是又是非常真實的。
Did you look for some inspiration from books or interviews when you rehearsed the play?
Actually, I always get inspiration from the people around me. I grew up listening to their stories. Sometimes I feel that their stories are a little bit ridiculous, but at the same time, they are also extremely real and close to our daily lives.
8. 相信愛美麗亞您到目前為止一定累積了無數的演出經驗，請問每當您接到與自身個性反差極大的角色時，會擔心自己無法完美呈現嗎？
將近十五年的訓練，一開始會懷疑自己，害怕無法把角色演好，但到現在，表演對我來說已經變成一件很開心的事，它讓我很放鬆、很快樂，不會是負擔，反而愈挑戰的角色愈是「好玩」，我非常享受這些挑戰。
I believe that you have had plenty of acting experiences. Thus, when you take on a role that is drastically different from your own personality, do you still find it difficult to present the role?
I had doubts about my acting skills when I started my acting career. But after fifteen years of training, acting has become something that is really enjoyable for me. It is something that brings me peace and joy. The more challenging a role is, the more enjoyable and “fun” it is for me to play.
9. 我們相信不論是單人劇還是對話劇，演員與導演詮釋角色的想法一定不盡相同，請問愛美麗亞您是如何與導演溝通、協調，或是如有發生衝突時，您是如何化解的？
雙方一定是先討論。如果導演還是堅持，我還是想先嘗試，一定要先嘗試表演，讓彼此能感受到對方想表達的東西，然後再討論適不適合。但我個人蠻喜歡這種衝突的過程，在檳城表演的時候，每天的結尾都不一樣，這過程也是挺享受、滿喜歡的！
The director and actors/actresses sometimes hold different opinions in certain situations. How do you tackle these conflicts and problems?
Firstly, we negotiate. If the director still insists on his/her viewpoint, I would try to convince him/her with my performance, and that can help us understand each other better. I really enjoy the process of solving problems. For example, during the rehearsal of performance in Penang, we had different opinions, so we reached an agreement to close the show in different ways every day.
10. 我們知道愛美麗亞您得過不少殊榮，包括2001、2003年「十大劇場菁英」， 2010年「最佳女配角」，2014、2015年戲炬獎的「最佳女主角」。
請問愛美麗亞您是否有考慮過從舞台劇演員轉往電視劇、電影發展嗎？為什麼？
我目前沒有這個計畫，也沒有刻意想要走進電視電影圈，不過如果有機會，當
然會想嘗試看看。隨著年齡增長，倘若有天不能在舞台上走來走去，飛來飛去
地表演，我就會考慮在電視、電影中挑戰不同的角色。
As we know, you have won numerous awards, including the Best Stage Practitioner in 2001 and 2003, the Best Supporting Actress in 2010, the Best Actress and the Best Lighting Design in 2014 and 2015, etc. As an acclaimed actress, have you considered to extend your career to a television series or a movie? If so, why?
I have not considered it yet. I am not particularly interested in doing a television series or the movie industry. However, if there is an opportunity for me to participate in TV or a movie, I would like to give it a try. As time goes by, when I can no longer do those physically demanding performances on stage, I will consider acting in a television series and in movies.
The term, “Hipster,” is one of the trends nowadays in Taiwan. As we are students in Tamkang University (淡江大學), we find it is significant that we should appreciate Tamsui’s (淡水) local art. Thus, the members of the Sun Son Theatre (身聲劇團) group in Tamsui are our first choice to interview. Sun Son Theatre produces a variety of productions by using sounds and body performance. Apart from creating innovative works, Sun Son Theatre also takes the audience to experience the primordial way of performance. We are very honoured to have an interview with Leonson NG (吳忠良), the artistic director of Sun Son Theatre. We focus our project on Sun Son Theatre and its members’ experiences of artistic creation, hoping that we will be able to comprehend their ideas of performing art and their wonderful founding history.
1. 身聲劇團為何會選擇創立於台灣？並選擇駐點在淡水？
一開始是跟著不同劇團到處演出，後來認識了幾個好朋友，之後為了創作和他們一起成立了身聲劇團。選擇駐點在淡水是因為離大台北不遠，在這裡對藝術創作者是一個很好的環境，有山有水。所以在居住上和創作上是最佳選擇。再加上捷運的設立，吸引許多的觀光客到淡水。
Why did you found Sun Son Theatre in Taiwan? And why did you choose Tamsui as the location?
At beginning, all we did was to join other troupes. Not until I met some friends that shared the similar ideas about performance did we establish Sun Son Theatre. Choosing Tamsui is mainly due to its convenient metro system and its approachable distance to Taipei. Surrounded with mountains and seas, Tamsui attracts a lot of tourists to visit and provides a good environment for doing art activities.
2. 為何叫身聲劇場？
我在國中時有寫日記的習慣，而在日記中看到「身」與「聲」這兩個字，這也給我一個啟發。「身」與「聲」讀起來相似，但寫法是不同的。身體與聲音是人類最原始的表達方式，所以想透過身體與聲音的方式去啟發每一個人的肢體創造力。而「Sun Son」也就是指太陽之子，在意思上也有異曲同工之妙。
Why did you name your theatre as Sun Son Theatre?
It was inspired by two Chinese characters — 「身」(shen) and 「聲」(sheng) written in my diary. I used to write a dairy when I was a junior high school student. The pronunciations in Chinese of 「身」 and 「聲」are very similar; for example, their pronunciations follow the English “sun” and “son. ” Nevertheless, the writing of these two characters is so different. Moreover, 「身」and 「聲」in Chinese mean body and sound respectively. Body and sound are the most primitive ways of performance; they are the ways that we use to enlighten everyone’s sense of creativity. Therefore, it is a pun that “Sun Son” can be explained as “son of the sun,” which means we are all the sons of the sun.
3. 資料上說您在藝術學院所接受的創作學習，引領您在藝術創作中發掘生命真理。想請問您當時是經歷什麼樣的學習過程，並因此領悟出什麼樣的生命真理？
我在馬來西亞唸藝術學院戲劇系，我除了很喜歡跳現代舞，也熱愛音樂。小時候也接觸過打鼓，舞龍舞獅等等。所以當劇團成立時，我有思考過一個問題：劇團的走向要往樂團舞團，還是話劇方面發展？最終我決定將三者合而為一，讓一個表演可以同時演奏、舞蹈和演戲，因為在台灣真的很難找到一個在這三方面都能全面發展的劇團。
You said that your major in Drama helped you to explore the meaning of life. What kind of learning experiences did you have at college? What did you realize through your leaning experiences?
Yes, I majored in Drama at college in Malaysia. I am not only interested in modern dance, but also crazy about music. When I was little, I also had experiences about playing drums, performing the lion dance and so on. When I decided to found Sun Son Theatre, a serious problem occurred to me: whether our theatre should be a band, a dance theatre or a drama theatre? In the end, I decided to combine the three elements together in our performance. We could perform music and dance, and act at the same time. It was difficult to find a theatre group which was able to do all of them in Taiwan.
4. 團長和團員在創作過程中，是否有磨擦或是有理念不同的時候？產生衝突時，是如何解決？
這本來就是不容易解決的事情。但我們通常是以團隊合作的概念去解決問題，創作藝術過程中個人主義是很常有的，而我常跟團員說我們可以有自己的想法，但是最後要有一個選擇。而我也會要求每一個成員在提出想法時，要有一個明確的論述，所以在溝通上是公平的，而不是只看個人喜好。當論述提出來時，團員之間是能夠完全理解的，因此能減少一些溝通上的摩擦。同時,我們在訓練團員時，是個別的訓練方式，而不是用單一的訓練系統，在劇團中我重視所有人的意見和想法，因此以不同的方式去為演員們調整。
How do you communicate with your teammates when you have different opinions on the performance?
I have to say that communication is not an easy thing. It is normal that each actor/actress has his/her own thoughts about performance. Instead of individuals, the whole team is more important. I request that each member should thoroughly expound his/her different opinion on performance; therefore, each member’s opinion would be listened to and discussed, hoping to reduce the conflicts among us. At the same time, we train our members individually rather than just use one standard of training, for I respect their distinctive perspectives and suggestions.
5. 團長當時是如何選出的？
當初這個劇團是為了集體創作而設立，一些老師和朋友看完我們的表演後，覺得我們的表演創作很新穎又特別。他們鼓勵我們繼續一起創作，但因為當時另外幾位成員已經有其他人生規劃，所以我就擔當起團長的職責，讓這個劇團延續下去。
How was the president of Sun Son Theatre elected?
At the beginning, we grouped together in order to do more creative performances. Many teachers and friends considered that our performances were special, and they liked them very much. They encouraged us to continue cooperating and doing performances together. However, some of us already had had different future plans, so I took the responsibility of founding the theatre.
6. 身聲劇團已經成立二十年之久，如何在沒有任何經費補助（政府、財團等）之下，支撐並堅持到現在呢？
要營運不難，但是團員的生活收入才是個問題。成立初期，我們將物質運用降到最低，我個人一個月只花三到四千塊，團員在花費上也是很節省的，加上沒有很多的演出機會，又必須持續地訓練，我們就靠街頭賣藝來維持劇團內的費用。在接到一些穩定演出的機會後，街頭賣藝的收入就可以補貼自己的家用了，再之後其他成員就有微薄的薪水，因此學習吃苦和對物質需求的控制是很重要的。現在劇團有一些新進的成員，我們也是以學習抗壓性的方式去教導他們。當然這也是團員們之間要有共同對藝術創作的熱情才能持續下去的動力。
Without any funding or subsidy from the government, how has Sun Son Theatre survived for more two decades?
To operate the theatre is not too demanding for me. The problem is how to offer the crew’s daily income. What we did at first was to keep our expenses to a minimum, trying not to exceed our budget. Our members would have to perform on the streets to make money while gaining some acting experiences. It was not until we received regular invitations for performance that we had a stable income to pay our crews. Learning to cope with difficulties and control our desire on material demands is crucial. Therefore, our new recruits have to learn to cope with pressure. In order to do so, they have to be strongly motivated by their passion for art.
7. 身聲劇團從創團到現在，遇過最挫折的時候？
無論是否為台灣人或是外國人，創立劇團本身就是很困難的。最大的困難應該是資源，因為很多方面都不熟悉。另一方面就是語言，因為你跟別人討論事情時，很容易就被對方認出你是外國人，在語言溝通上也是一種障礙，當然這都是二十年前的事情了。而面對外國人創團，簽證也是一個問題，那時候這些種種都是一個很大的考驗。成立一個劇團且能夠讓它順利營運下去也是很困難的，除了招募團員外，團員也會去看這個劇團是否有前景，所以這也是成立劇團會面臨的一個問題。另一方面，在演員上的統整也是困難的，因為很難找到又能演又能演奏的演員。找到演員後，在各方面的訓練也是很重要的，因為有些成員能演奏但無法將表情融入表演中等等。
What has been the most struggling period for Sun Son Theatre since its founding?
Establishing a troupe is a difficult thing itself. The biggest obstacle is probably getting resources. Twenty years ago, we did not have a clear idea about many things, and the language gap was a problem too. People could tell that we were foreigners from how we talked, and it was also difficult to get a visa at that time. Running a troupe was also a challenging thing. Apart from recruiting performers, you also needed to assure the members that there was a potential for our troupe. On the other hand, it took time to find an actor/actress who was able to play instruments and act at the same time. It is necessary to give our actors/actresses a thorough training because some of them were not capable of integrating playing instruments and making facial expression in their performances.
8. 身聲劇團最終極的夢想和目標是什麼？
最終極的目標就是希望我們能有更多劇團的表演空間，雖然我們有自己的劇場，並且在竹圍有專門為收集樂器和live演奏而設置的樂器館，但仍希望未來能夠將兩者結合。樂器館推廣戲劇樂器工作坊和樂器DIY等方式來與民眾接觸，而劇場則是用來表演。我們希望能將劇場變為一個放鬆娛樂的場所。
What is your ultimate goal and dream for Sun Son Theatre?
The ultimate goal is to have a more spacious place of our own. Although we already own a theatre and a musical instrument hall in Zhuwei (竹圍) (used mainly for instrument collection and performing live music), we hope that we still can combine the two parts in the future. The music instrument hall will be used to promote the theatrical instrument workshop and activities such as DIY (do it by yourself) your own instrument; this will be very attractive for visitors. We hope to run the theatre as a place for visitors to relax and have fun.
9. 從創團到現在，覺得最具代表或是最有成就感的一齣戲是什麼？
《光·音》，因為這部作品很有趣。「光」是個看的見的道路；「音」是取其諧音「陰」來反映出人的內在，象徵著從人最深與最內在的地方去探索生命的道路。我認為每一部藝術作品都有導演的初衷，例如《被遺忘的世界》是反映出儀式和禮儀消失的概念，並且再去思考我們的生命中是遺失了什麼，而《光·音》則是傳達人類要回到胎兒的狀態去探索內在。這部作品剛開始會有一大片紗，然後當演員走進那幕紗時，會在他們身上打上紅色的光影，接著讓紅色的布幕慢慢落下，讓紗一層層地環繞著演員跟紅色布幕，最後就會一直循環這些動作來連結一幅藝術作品做戲劇的結尾。
Which work is considered the best one that represents Sun Son Theatre?
It is Aurora (《光·音》), because this production is very interesting. This production is related to light and shadow. (In the Chinese title, the meaning of the first Chinese character, 「光」(guang) is “light,” and the pronunciation of the second Chinese character「音」(yin) is the same as that of the Chinese character「陰」(yin). Although they are pronounced in the same way, the meaning of「音」and「陰」in Chinese is “sound” and “shadow” respectively.) “Light” is a visible path; “shadow” is a reflection of the human inner mind. The title suggests that we need to grope and discover the roads of life from the inmost part of us. In my opinion, every artistic work contains the original intention of the director. For instance, The Forgotten World (《被遺忘的世界》) reflects the concept of missing rituals and social manners, and people have to think over again what we have missed in our life. Aurora suggests that human need to go back to the foetal period to seek for our inner self. In the beginning of Aurora, there is a huge gauze net on the stage. When the actors walk into the gauze, they are spotlit with red light, and then many pieces of red cloth slowly dropping down in the air; thus, the red cloth and actors are surrounded by the huge gauze net. The performers keep repeating these movements in order to conclude an artistic work on the stage to end this performance.
10. 身聲劇團在未來會有機會走入校園嗎？例如授課等，讓熱愛戲劇表演的同學能夠更進一步實戰演練？
身聲劇團之後有打算要走入校園，有機會也會去淡江大學。我很喜歡淡江建築系所創建的實驗劇場，我覺得它本身就是一個具有故事性的地方。
Will Sun Son Theatre consider to cooperate with schools in the future? For example, teaching performance to students who love performance.
I am very keen to work on projects with students, hoping there is a chance in the future to work with TKU. I especially love the Experimental Theatre in TKU, which was established by students of the Architecture Department, and which seems to me, a place full of stories.
導演組：陳千愛(Chien-ai Chen)／王婷萱(Ting-hsuan Wang)／
王璦葶(Ai-ting Wang)／吳庭甄 (Ting-zhen Wu)
馬來西亞導演黃麗珍（Lay Chin Wong）即將在3/29與3/30帶著她的最新創作《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》(The Storyteller: …because you are a woman) 在身聲劇場演出。故事發生在馬來西亞檳城喬治市 (George Town, Penang)，透過三個女人，三個角色— 阿嬤、媽媽和女兒的對話，討論不同世代的女人對婚姻的看法。黃麗珍導演一向擅長處理男女情感以及婚姻的話題，而這次將會如何呈現呢？讓我們來一窺導演的內心世界。
Malaysian director Lay Chin Wong（黃麗珍） is about to present her new work The Storyteller: …because you are a woman（《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》）at Sun Son Theater on March 29th and 30th. The story takes place in George Town, Penang, Malaysia（檳城喬治市). Through the conversations of the three major characters in this play— grandmother, mother and daughter, the director discusses marriage from the viewpoints of women in different generations. Lay Chin Wong has always been good at dealing with issues of relationships and marriage. How will she explore these issues and present them in this play? Let's explore at the director’s inner world.
1. 人們說：「檳城福建話已經是黃麗珍作品的一大特色」。 導演在許多作品中，時常使用在地語言，亦或是有英語與方言的穿插，請問導演對於方言的運用，有什麼樣的目的呢？若是觀眾無法聽懂方言，必須透過字幕的翻譯才能理解，是否能達到導演所追求的效果呢？
劇中百分之九十都使用檳城福建話是因為故事就發生在檳城，所以想要保留這個語言；又因為檳城福建話跟閩南語是同一個語系，他們基本上是一樣的，兩者語言相近，所以翻譯後對臺灣觀眾的影響就不太大，只是檳城福建話有時候會被馬來文影響，因此觀眾可能對特定的字詞產生誤解或是聽不懂，這時候就把這些詞彙換成英文來表演。
It is said that using Penang Hokkien（檳城福建話）in the play is one of the features in your works. Among your plays, you use lots of dialect or sometimes intersperse them with English. What is the purpose of doing this? If the audiences have to understand the lines through the translation, do you think it will meet your expectation?
As the story is set in Penang, ninety percent of the lines in this drama are spoken in Penang Hokkien. All I’m trying to do is to preserve this language. Moreover, Penang Hokkien and Minnan（閩南語） are from the same language system, so basically they are similar in terms of pronunciation. Therefore, the impact of translation to a Taiwanese audience is not a big deal. However, some Penang Hokkien is influenced by the Malay, so the audiences might misunderstand the meaning in some particular words. In this case, we replace the words with spoken English.
2. 一般而言，戲劇表演通常會以不同演員來詮釋不同角色，請問導演這次為何會想要採取單人劇的方式來呈現這部作品？尤其這種方式又特別考驗演員功力。
當初想以單人劇來呈現有兩個主要原因：一是經費問題，二是希望這個劇能隨時隨地開演，甚至在廟口搬一張木頭凳子就可以演出。而單人劇的確很挑戰演員的功力，不過我認為如果在一個劇內只演一個角色對演員來說太無聊了！愛美麗亞(Amelia)是個很厲害的演員，對她來說一人分飾三角簡直易如反掌。另外比較特別的是，這齣劇原先設定是只有三個角色—阿嬤、媽媽和女兒，但在這次台北的演出，我跟愛美麗亞還想挑戰透過這三個角色，把其它對她們有影響的周圍角色也一併呈現，所以這次的演出觀眾不會只看到三個主要角色，這也是跟高雄場比較不一樣的地方。
Generally speaking, different characters are usually performed by different performers. Therefore, we wonder why you want to direct this play as a monodrama that seems particularly challenging for the performer.
There are two reasons why I present this play as a monodrama. Firstly, we are short of funding. Secondly, I hope this play can be performed at anytime and anywhere if possible. With only a single actress in the play, I consider it more convenient to perform; for example, even if in front of a temple with only a stool, we would not have too many technical problems. And indeed, monodrama demands a high proficiency in acting, but I think it is not too challenging for Amelia（愛美麗亞）to perform only one role. Besides, Amelia is a very professional actress, so playing multiple roles is not at all difficult for her. Although it is a monodrama, we want to emphasize the importance of the supporting roles because they exert an influence on the major characters’ life. In particular the major characters’ narration of their life reveals how their life has been shaped by other people (supporting roles).
3. 請問導演您在排戲時會怎麼引導演員進入自己的角色？尤其是在《有故事的人：……因為你是女人》中，當演員一人分飾三角，而且都是獨白的方式，該怎麼引導演員在不同的角色間切換？
以愛美麗亞來說，因為她是一位很專業、很厲害的演員，所以往往我只是大概跟她說一下我想要的樣子，給她一個雛型，她就能自己去呈現出來，只要稍微從旁邊提點一下，她就會自己去增加細節、變化肢體語言。與其說是引導，不如說像是和她在聊天分享，以「我覺得…」類似這樣的方式去分享自己對於角色的想像。
How do you direct the actress to get into the role? How do you direct the actress to switch between different roles, especially in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, when one actress has to play three roles in monologic style?
Take Amelia as the example, she is a professional and awesome actress, so I only provide my explanation about the role, giving her a direction, then she can perform the role according to her understanding. All I need to do is to give her some tips and ideas, and then she can create a lot of details and adjust her body performance. It is not so much directing as a sharing. We share our own perspectives and imagination when interpreting the roles.
4. 請問導演，《有故事的人……因為你是女人》這種副標題的下法是否含有對社會中女性刻板印象的控訴？
的確是可以這麼說沒錯。在訂下題目時我有思考，是要用「因為我是女人」還是「因為你是女人」。 但後來想想覺得我的目的是要擺脫社會的框架，從旁觀者的角度來看社會對女性的看法，因此選擇了「因為你是女人」這個副標。不過與其說是控訴，不如說是想藉由此劇討論一些與女人有關的議題，例如：女人一定要結婚嗎？結婚就一定會因此而走向幸福美滿的道路嗎？不過大體來說其實沒錯，這個標題就是站在社會大眾對女性的刻板印象下所訂下的。
According to the subtitle of this drama, do you attempt to challenge stereotype of women that is confined by social convention?
Yes, you can say so. When I set the topic, I thought about whether “…because I am a woman” is a better choice than “…because you are a woman.” Then I was aware that my purpose is to liberate myself and the audience from the limit of our social frame. Thus, I decided on the subtitle “…because you are a woman.” However, I take it more like an opportunity to discuss women’s role. For instance, I would like to question whether women need to get married and whether marriage can truly lead women to happiness. In conclusion, yes, this topic is set according to the stereotype of the social standpoint that people usually have towards women.
5. 導演過去的幾部作品（《開放夫妻》、《被綁在馬桶上的男人》），包括現在這一部，似乎都帶有女性主義的色彩。想請問導演，您對於性別意識的啟蒙是在什麼時期？是什麼樣子的經驗影響了您？
其實我沒有刻意去經營或是下意識地去強調「女性主義」。不過你提到了這幾部作品，好像真有這麼一回事呢！若要說是什麼樣的經驗影響了我，我想可能是家庭背景和成長環境吧！1976年的馬來西亞是一個壓抑、男尊女卑的社會，家中甚至只有男性有發言權！還記得大約在我十三、十四歲的時候，當時我們是好多親戚都住在一起的大家庭，有一天我在學校被誇獎了，開心地回家跟媽媽分享，但講到一半卻突然被表哥罵，他說我講太多話了，而媽媽也就因此而噤聲。又有一次，我在客廳寫作業，媽媽卻要我在表哥回家以前趕快回房間，她說：「小孩就要回房間睡覺！」這種生活模式讓我開始思考：為什麼我要退讓？為什麼我不能被誇獎？可能就是從這些點點滴滴開始慢慢萌發了我心中的那個種子吧！
It seems that in your previous works such as The Man Tied to The Toilet Bowl（《被綁在馬桶上的男人》), Perfectly Matched（《開放夫妻》）and in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman you show a feminist point of view. What experiences inspired your gender consciousness and when did it happen?
In fact, I did not intentionally display or emphasize feminism. However, in the works you mentioned, it seems feminism is indeed a focus. My family background and my experience of growing up might have influenced me about such a concept. Malaysia was a conservative and patriarchal society in the 1970s. Only the male had the right to speak at home. I still remember when I was 13 or 14 years old, my family lived with many relatives at that time. One day I was praised at school. When I excitedly shared my happiness with my mom, my male cousin stopped me. He thought that I talked too much. At the same time, my mom did not defend me nor even speak up for me. The other occasion is when I was doing homework in the living room, my mom interrupted my work and demanded me to return to my room before my cousin came back. These childhood experiences lead me to question why I had to compromise and why I couldn’t receive any praise. Perhaps these experiences hidden in my subconsciousness have triggered my sense of feminism.
演員組：王玥 (Yueh Wang)／梁智軒 (Zhi-xuan Liang)／
黃姵蓉 (Pei-jung Huang)／雷瑪凱 (Reema Kaierua)／朱芩希(Kincy Zhu)
《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》(The Storyteller: …because you are a woman) 是一齣跨世代對話的單人劇，故事聚焦三位居住在馬來西亞檳城 (Penang, Malaysia) 的女性對於婚姻不同的看法，究竟婚姻對於她們是幸福的代名詞；抑或是失去自我的同義詞？我們將透過馬來西亞劇場天后──愛美麗亞 (Amelia) 精湛的詮釋來瞭解三位女性背後的故事。這次我們也事前採訪愛美麗亞，聽她分享對這齣劇的想法與感觸。
The Storyteller: ......because you are a woman(《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》) is a monodrama which focuses on three women living in Penang (檳城) and their different perspectives on marriage. Is marriage a passage to gain their happiness, or a trap to lose their freedom? Amelia’s (愛美麗亞)impressive performance will lead us to explore the stories of these women. We had an interview with Amelia to learn about her opinions and thoughts on this play.
1. 以往我們接觸到的戲劇表演，通常是透過不同角色的詮釋來引起戲劇張力。但這回《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》選擇用一人分飾三角的獨白方式來呈現，想請問愛美麗亞您是第一次嘗試單人劇嗎？單人劇與您想像中最大的不同是什麼呢？背後最大的困難和挑戰又是什麼？
我也忘了演過多少次的單人劇，對我來說單人劇最大的挑戰就是舞台上就只有一個人，有什麼問題都得自己解決，沒有人可以幫你。
When it comes to theatre performances, it depends on different connotations of characters to create dramatic tension. However, in The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, the director, Lay Chin Wong（黃麗珍), decides to use monodrama, in which one person plays the three different roles to present the dramatic tension. Is this the first time that you did a monodrama? Is there any difference from your expectation of monodrama? What is the biggest challenge that you faced when you did it?
I forget how many times I have played in a monodrama so far. For me, the biggest challenge is the fact that you are the only person on stage; therefore, if anything goes wrong, you have to solve it on your own since no one would be there to help you.
2. 這齣戲劇中，三個角色來自不同的時空背景，除了台詞的差異外，各自被賦予著不同的身分和心態，在單人劇的設定下，氛圍、情境和情感上的掌控顯得更加困難。請問愛美麗亞您在這之中要如何拿捏，然後更完整的呈現？
當初不知道這齣劇是要以檳城福建話 (Penang Hokkien)演出，是跟導演討論後才知道。原本以為演年輕的女兒時可以說很多中文，但最終還是以檳城話做呈現。考量到三位人物都生活在檳城，用道地的方言來詮釋才能精準表達她們。我花了滿多時間在調整這三個角色的說話速度、講話方式、措詞等，來突顯各自的年代感、價值觀。隨著年代的變遷，年輕一代講話已經不再全用方言，所以我想藉由語言的層次（福建話其實夾雜了很多中文、英文）來區分不同年代、不同身份的人，像是老一輩的人說福建話時又穿插許多馬來語。（例如：今天要去看戲，Ａ問：你今天買票了嗎？檳城福建話會變成：哩買ticket了嗎？）
In The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, the three characters come from different generations with different identities and mentalities. How did you manage to play the three different roles on stage?
Considering the background of the play is set in Penang, the director and I decided to perform this drama in the vernacular language, Penang Hokkien（檳城福建話）. In order to express the values and thoughts of the three generations, I spent a lot of time paying attention to the way they speak. For example, the younger generation can hardly use authentic Penang Hokkien to communicate, while the older generation tends to combine Malay with Penang Hokkien when they speak. Therefore, I try to emphasize their ways of speaking to differentiate the generations.
3. 對於祖母孫三人內心巨大的衝突和矛盾，又要如何展現才能更吸引觀眾呢？
因為是單人劇，所以在演祖母的時候要揣測媽媽、女兒跟她講話時，應該要有什麼反應，所以在練習時揣摩了很多，不只是基本的舞台走位，就連我講這段話時，要揣測另外一個角色的心境，要立體化這些反應讓觀眾知道。
How did you perform the conflicts and confrontation between grandmother, mother, and daughter?
Since this is a monodrama, I need to think about the reaction of mother and of daughter simultaneously when they talk to the grandmother. I not only need to be familiar with the blocking on the stage, but I also try to figure out the psychology of each character. As an actress, I should make the character’s emotional expression more concrete and tangible for the audience to understand.
4. 請問這三個不同的角色帶給您怎樣的收獲和啟發？
我離開檳城到吉隆坡 (Kuala Lumpur) 快接近二十年了，已經忘記了檳城傳統女性的想法。但演這部戲時，我從這些人物，慢慢找回祖母、媽媽們對男人和傳統家庭的價值觀。像是很多女人結婚後，重心完全轉移到家裡，生活中也只剩孩子和丈夫。這樣的生活有美好也有痛苦和無奈。相比之下，現代的女性尋找的是自己的自由，按照自己的方式生活，對家庭的價值觀也隨時代的潮流改變。不管是傳統女性的觀點也好，現代女性的想法也好，雖然我不會想走回頭路，但兩者都是我想保留的。
What have you learned from the three different characters? Did you get any inspiration from them?
It has been almost 20 years since I left Penang for Kuala Lumpur（吉隆坡 ), so I have already forgotten how Penang’s women behaved and acted. Yet, through the experience of playing these characters, I gradually remembered the family values that grandmothers and mothers shared in a traditional household. For example, after getting married, many women concentrate on taking care of their family, their husband, and their children. This way of living has both advantages and disadvantages. But as time goes by, family values have gradually changed and developed a different meaning for modern women. What modern women seek is no longer to just support their family, but also search for their own freedom, the freedom to be themselves. Although I prefer to live as a modern woman, I still think that family values are important and worth preserving.
5. 假如《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》不是單人劇，請問愛美麗亞您最想挑戰哪一個角色？為什麼選擇她呢？
我覺得阿嬤的角色挺滿好玩的，因為她就是我阿嬤的形象。很強悍的女人，她獨自一人撫養孩子長大，她雖然霸道卻又不失母愛，總覺得她就像一個社會大佬。
In The Storyteller: …because you are a woman, which character did you find the most intriguing and challenging? Why?
Well, I think the character of grandmother in this production is interesting, because she is exactly the image of my grandmother, who is a strong woman and who raises her children on her own without complaint. Although her concerns and cares for her children might be considered “bossy,” her love for them is undeniable.
6. 有哪一幕或哪一段話特別貼近您的生活嗎？
我會覺得是女兒的角色，因為這也是我現實中的角色。我到了這個年齡還沒結婚，雖然媽媽阿姨們不會催婚，但當她們看了這齣劇時，我想家人們也能理解為什麼我到現在還選擇單身，那是因為我現在有比家庭更重要的事要做。我並沒有想強調這些新觀念，只是透過這部劇表現了自己的價值觀，也讓家人知道我在城市裡忙些什麼。
Is there any scene or conversation that is closely connected to your personal life experience? How does it affect your daily life?
I think it is the role of daughter in this play, because she is so similar to me. Women in my age are expected to find a decent man and get married. My mother and aunts do not give me pressure and force me into marriage. I think they would understand why I choose to remain single after they watch this play. Besides, I have business to take care of, which is much more important than marriage or having a family at this moment. I think this is also a good opportunity to let my relatives know what keeps me busy.
7. 想請問愛美麗亞您在排練《有故事的人：......因為你是女人》時，有參考什麼書籍，或是採訪相關人士來找尋演戲的靈感嗎？
沒有特別參考什麼書，我其實都是透過身旁的人（阿姨、婆婆）找到靈感，從小聽這些故事長大，可以當作很好的參考依據。有時可能會覺得故事很荒謬，但是又是非常真實的。
Did you look for some inspiration from books or interviews when you rehearsed the play?
Actually, I always get inspiration from the people around me. I grew up listening to their stories. Sometimes I feel that their stories are a little bit ridiculous, but at the same time, they are also extremely real and close to our daily lives.
8. 相信愛美麗亞您到目前為止一定累積了無數的演出經驗，請問每當您接到與自身個性反差極大的角色時，會擔心自己無法完美呈現嗎？
將近十五年的訓練，一開始會懷疑自己，害怕無法把角色演好，但到現在，表演對我來說已經變成一件很開心的事，它讓我很放鬆、很快樂，不會是負擔，反而愈挑戰的角色愈是「好玩」，我非常享受這些挑戰。
I believe that you have had plenty of acting experiences. Thus, when you take on a role that is drastically different from your own personality, do you still find it difficult to present the role?
I had doubts about my acting skills when I started my acting career. But after fifteen years of training, acting has become something that is really enjoyable for me. It is something that brings me peace and joy. The more challenging a role is, the more enjoyable and “fun” it is for me to play.
9. 我們相信不論是單人劇還是對話劇，演員與導演詮釋角色的想法一定不盡相同，請問愛美麗亞您是如何與導演溝通、協調，或是如有發生衝突時，您是如何化解的？
雙方一定是先討論。如果導演還是堅持，我還是想先嘗試，一定要先嘗試表演，讓彼此能感受到對方想表達的東西，然後再討論適不適合。但我個人蠻喜歡這種衝突的過程，在檳城表演的時候，每天的結尾都不一樣，這過程也是挺享受、滿喜歡的！
The director and actors/actresses sometimes hold different opinions in certain situations. How do you tackle these conflicts and problems?
Firstly, we negotiate. If the director still insists on his/her viewpoint, I would try to convince him/her with my performance, and that can help us understand each other better. I really enjoy the process of solving problems. For example, during the rehearsal of performance in Penang, we had different opinions, so we reached an agreement to close the show in different ways every day.
10. 我們知道愛美麗亞您得過不少殊榮，包括2001、2003年「十大劇場菁英」， 2010年「最佳女配角」，2014、2015年戲炬獎的「最佳女主角」。
請問愛美麗亞您是否有考慮過從舞台劇演員轉往電視劇、電影發展嗎？為什麼？
我目前沒有這個計畫，也沒有刻意想要走進電視電影圈，不過如果有機會，當
然會想嘗試看看。隨著年齡增長，倘若有天不能在舞台上走來走去，飛來飛去
地表演，我就會考慮在電視、電影中挑戰不同的角色。
As we know, you have won numerous awards, including the Best Stage Practitioner in 2001 and 2003, the Best Supporting Actress in 2010, the Best Actress and the Best Lighting Design in 2014 and 2015, etc. As an acclaimed actress, have you considered to extend your career to a television series or a movie? If so, why?
I have not considered it yet. I am not particularly interested in doing a television series or the movie industry. However, if there is an opportunity for me to participate in TV or a movie, I would like to give it a try. As time goes by, when I can no longer do those physically demanding performances on stage, I will consider acting in a television series and in movies.
