女性的秘密花園——談女人濕地

photo by Yvonne Chan
文︰聞一浩

編舞陳敏兒與編劇黃詠詩合作舞蹈劇場,首先上談這女人最私密的空間和情慾的作品,絕無僅有,想起的就只有《陰道獨白》的翻譯劇演出;至於一個編舞加一個編劇,兩位女性走在一起,以全新文本創作的女性舞蹈劇場,實在也想不出另一個例子。

因此,很想知道陳黃兩人會如何展現這女性秘密花園與人之大慾。借助藝術中心壽臣劇院那灰黑的舞台,加上主要的道具──一個個大小不同的水桶,舞台已建構起一種獨特的潮濕陰冷,相對陰性的空間。不過,在這空間內以倒敍方式展現的情慾故事,卻是尋常不過:一個女人為了富足生活,放棄了令她性慾滿足的男友,多年後情人來電邀約晚飯,令她春心盪漾,精心打扮後赴約,最後在血液與愛液中溺斃。

陰部因情慾高漲而分泌出來的體液,是造就這片濕地的主因,也是貫串演出的重要材料──黃詠詩在開首、中段,以至結束,分別安排了一段抒發對這個女性生理/心理反應的論述,〈驗屍〉中法醫官點出,雖然沒有性交,但陰道濕透,顯然動了情,到〈陰蝨的水災〉更通段以她春潮泛濫為內容,由陰蝨道出她對這位舊愛與丈夫之間的不同反應,黃詠詩撰寫的對白惹笑,兩人扮演陰蝨頗有喜劇感,在戲劇效果上這段頗成功。最後的〈阿婆濕地〉,再以旁觀者的角度大談濕地乾涸之後;顯見兩人坦蕩蕩談這秘密花園的用心。不過,這些惹笑部份,在笑過之後,再咀嚼又不覺有其他的味道。

寫濕地,當然也講性,而幾個以此為重點的段落,都以舞蹈展示。自編自跳的陳敏兒,舞蹈動作一向甚有質感,一個人在台上舞著,依舊充滿能量與感染力。〈女人與男人之性愛〉中的女人回憶當年的纏綿造愛場面,恰可地呈現那歡娛之情而未逾越那道德的界綫,〈女人的容顏〉中把女人的不安與矛盾,那複雜的不知接受與否的心情,以身體及動作,而全晚最動人的一場是〈女人之死〉,半懸的白布像蟲繭,陳敏兒在內裡舞著,最終破繭而出,柔軟的軀體演繹著浪漫化的死亡,動作上細膩而帶著幽怨;過後,卻想:如果創作人會走前一步,女人於慾燄高漲時被殺,雖云不幸,但起碼在快感中離開,加點理直氣壯已可以成為一次宣言。

然而,擺明車馬要衝擊觀眾的,是〈女人買鞋〉,女人在買新鞋,準備赴會,無聲的她在黃詠詩的鞋店售貨員陪伴下不斷試穿,黃在表面殷勤的面容下,說出連篇指涉男女性器與性戲的粗話,除了表達了顧客與售貨員之間的權力關係,則道出了男女性愛的權力問題,平常不大宣之於口的女人慾望,以最赤裸/暴力的語言道出,還要是出於女子之口,的確讓一些觀眾措手不及,但也有些只管笑。然而,衝擊觀眾的目的顯然達到,但對於這權力關係,卻未見更深層的闡釋。

話說回來,《女人濕地》的調子基本上是輕鬆的,創作人或者只是想坦然談女性,並非有什麼女性宣言要發表;之不過,拿起這樣的題目,自然叫人有所期待。

轉載自IATC網上評論
(原載於2008年11月《藝訊》)

Wetlands of a Woman

photo by Yvonne Chan
South China Morning Post
McMuiMui Dansemble & Princess Blackbox
Shouson Theatre, HK Arts Centre
Kevin Kwong

In this dance-drama crossover, which promises to explore a woman’s “most private and forbidden territory”, choreographer/dancer Abby Chan Man Yee and playwright/actress Wong Wing Sze use physical and verbal narratives to unravel a murder mystery.

A woman is found dead in an apartment with her throat slashed. An autopsy later reveals that, prior to her death, the deceased had had a sexually arousing encounter, although there is no evidence to suggest that she had had intercourse. The show then retraces the hours leading up to the murder: the woman receives a phone call from an ex-lover and a rendezvous is hastily arranged, as both are now married. The narrative is non-linear and abstract, which works well as Wong and Chan – the show’s creators and performers – are not interested in simply telling a story – they also want to raise issues that question how women perceive themselves socially, psychologically and sexually.

Is a woman’s obsession with youth, physical beauty and sexual desirability a result of social pressure, or is it something innate and instinctive? Do women want to look good to please themselves or just to please men? Is the woman in the drama a victim of male violence or something of her own doing?

In a shoe-shopping scene, as the woman (Chan) tries out a pair of new shoes for her secret meeting, the shop assistant (Wong) lets fly, mocking her customer’s desire to please and her superficiality. Her use of profane language when referring to female genitalia is shocking.

Chan’s sensuous and powerful choreography works well with Wong’s humorous, dark and somewhat conceptual script. Yuri Ng’s set and costume designs contrast fantasy and reality by juxtaposing posh frocks next to a row of ugly plastic buckets. The wetness alluded to in the title has less to do with sexual arousal than with a woman’s swear and tears.

2008 Wetlands of a Woman 女人濕地

Cameo

Cameo” is a piece about women dealing with issues of beauty, aging, mortality and rebirth.

Cameo was commissioned by the Ear to the Ground program of 
New York’s Chen Dance Center
with funds from the Jerome Foundation of St. Paul, MN. 

“Abby Man-Yee Chan’s clever feminist-tinged trio ” Cameo”. Bursting with originality and a meaningful message about ludicrous behaviors of women dissatisfied with themselves, Chan’s conceptual dance-theatre work needs pruning throughout . She makes delightful use of simple props and invents a sharp movement vocabulary, but every section of her piece needlessly protracted.”

By Lisa Jo Sagolla BACK STAGE

輕鬆有趣但不夠貼身的《十宰身體慶團緣》

Photo by Jesse Clockwork

文︰陳瑋鑫 |

由楊惠美與陳敏兒組成的雙妹嘜舞蹈劇場,今年已踏入第十個年頭。新作《十宰身體慶團緣》由宣傳照到文案都把身體作為重點,唯整個舞作中針對舞者身體而加以發揮的片段不多,但看楊陳二人如何戲謔瘦身狂潮還是令人滿足。

楊惠美與陳敏兒二人皆擅用語言並有很強的感染力,甫開場的一段文字投映,要求觀眾自我熱身及相互按摩就相當有趣,令觀眾很快進入狀態。由於演出以雙向舞台進行,兩面觀眾相對而坐,把演區置於劇場中央,這樣的設計縮短了觀眾與舞者間之距離,方便互動。因此接著由二人分別帶領兩面觀眾一同舞動,互相比「舞」,就更加令劇場充滿派對氣氛。然而,往後的片段卻似乎未能延續這高漲互動氣氛,不過二人幽默抵死的舞蹈編排,還是令人看得開懷。

除把玩語言外,雙妹嘜亦擅於運用小道具,例如搖晃布以模仿海浪,甚或模擬抽水馬桶沖水都甚有效果。其中一段有關豐胸瘦身的片段,楊把一袋奶收藏於胸前,在激烈舞動後把飲管插入舞衣內吸吮,令人捧腹;而陳則把鬆弛的肌肉一一展示,央求楊用蕃茄將它們扔掉,同樣抵死有趣。尾段陳的一段獨舞,一個個膠蕃茄從天而降,既可以被看作被柴台下的堅持,也同時呼應之前有關瘦身的歪理,就頗有意思了。

而演出尾聲極富詩意,二人在大、中、小木椅上起舞,以不同的聲調與節奏扮演兒童、壯年及老年,呈現出人生不同階段的變化。簡單感人的這一段舞蹈,再加上跟隨播放兩位舞者與父母的生活片段,以身體髮膚受諸父母作結尾點題,就相當有力。可是由於缺乏舖排,氣氛及節奏的變化就來得有點突兀。

整體而言,演出雖間有驚喜,但卻未能有機地把各段環環緊扣,對「身體」這母題也著墨不深,但作為雙妹嘜舞蹈劇場十週年誌慶演出,楊陳雙妹還是沒有讓觀眾失望。
(原載於2008年4月25日《星島日報‧演藝評台》)