Iris R. Davis
In Africa and Asia, the art of storytelling still exists where it may take place in the marketplace, around a night fire, or in a sacred plaza. The tales may be told by one person or a group of people who use pantomime, music, dancing, and singing. A particular form of drama has been handed down from generations of the past until it became a tradition using specific techniques such as the Dabuki theater of Japan, the dance drama of Southeast Asia, and certain tribal dances of Africa. The stories have special meaning and significance for the people in these cultures.
Two plays will be concentrated on.
Ananasi, the African Spiderman
which shares three folktales from West Africa, and
Au Wing Fu and the Golden Dragon
, a folktale in Chinese theater style, both of which are found in
Plays From Folktales of Africa and Asia
, by Barbara Winther.
These imaginative dramatizations capture the charm and flavor of these faraway lands, and have the universal elements of humor and wit which are found in folklore. Young people will delight in playing roles of human and animal characters that bring theses plays to life. Both plays are preceded by and author’s note giving background information about the story source and costumes, staging, and settings for easy performance. These plays will give students an authentic picture of other times and cultures and are a rich source of lively and enjoyable drama.
We will start off with the folktale of
Anansi, the African Spiderman
. There are three folktales from West Africa: How Anansi Brought the Stories Down,
The First Talking Drum
, and
Tall-Tale Man.
All of these three are very short and can be memorized in a short amount of time. Props and costuming will be fairly easy to get with the help of parent and teacher involvement.
Au Wing Fu wand the Olden Dragon
is a folktale in the Chinese theater style. Here students will receive some background on the dragon as a mythical creature which is often found in the folklore of most cultures. Though physical characteristics vary from one country to another, most are related to the snake or crocodile, with scales and the head of a lion, eagle, or hawk. This shows students that we are different in some ways, but very alike in other ways. The myth has it that dragons are destructive, but basically good creatures which helps students to realize that people of other cultures are basically good in nature as well as themselves.
Chinese theater has its own traditions when performed. It is a combination of songs, dances, pantomimes, acrobatics, and stylized acting. The scene of the Chinese theater is different from others in that chairs and tables represent whatever is necessary to set the scene.
Students will use a chair and a table as any object they choose it to be when rehearsing the play. Because colors and patterns are symbolic students must be aware of the meaning of them.
Lesson 6
Discuss what exaggerated movements in Chinese theater mean so that students will understand the true meaning of “Ah Wing Fu and the Golden Dragon”. This is another art for of Asia.
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Weeping—bend head slightly and raise arm to wipe away tears.
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Despair—turn palms outward, thumbs pointing down.
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Anger, dismay—stagger back, flinging arms forward
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Happiness—raise hands chest high, palms down, then turn hands up and thrust arms forward.
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Thinking—hold up index finger near temple.
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Rowing—arms in air, imitate motion of oars.
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Speaking—raise hand to cheek and turn to side.
Next the parts will be acted out by the students. Once the parts are set discuss the types of costuming that are needed to enhance the play with just the right flare in order to keep the audience pleased. Urge parents to become involved with the production of the play so that they can help prepare costumes, props, advertisements, and other things that will help to make the production a success.
Lesson 7
Pass out copies of the “Anasi, the African Spider” folktales. Read the play aloud as the students follow along. Discuss the folktale in detail: the actions of each character, the outcome of the tale, and the moral.
Lesson 8
Music is one of the most powerful and profound symbol systems that exists. Just as everyone must study our verbal and mathematical symbol systems, everyone should study the symbol system represented by music. The ability to create symbols and use them is what makes mankind uniquely human and for this reason should be cultivated and strengthened at every opportunity.
Symbolic colors and patterns of the Chinese theater are; red honesty and loyalty, green—devils, yellow—strength and cleverness, blue—ferocity, white—strength or evil. Leading female characters wear white powder base, with exaggerated black eyeliner, rouge on cheeks, and bright lipstick.
To give an authentic feeling to the production of this play, actors should think of it as a dance which tells a story, using movements which suggest the characters: dainty and flowing for Chin Li; abrupt and stern for Chu Yu, the tiger; and so forth. Voice tones should indicate the characters and emotions.
Pass out a copy of the music symbols such as: Treble clef, bass clef, staff, etc. Discuss the importance of each symbol. Make a comparison of music symbols to symbols of the Chinese theater. Give each student a cop of “Ah Wing Fu and the Golden Dragon”. Read the play aloud as the students follow along.
Finally, it is time for the final preparations; dress rehearsals, and the actual performance. The production of the play of your choice will be enhanced by having the students put to good use learned skills in acting such as the voice and how an actor must speak, building a character using the five senses, and the use of concentration in rehearsal and on stage. As stated before, quite a bit of planning will go into the final production of the play. The students must have costumes, props, special effects, personalized jobs, parent support, skills and techniques. These will enhance the production of the play giving students a sense of accomplishment in both music and drama.
