Imagine that you have been in a plane crash. When you wake up you find yourself stranded on an uninhabited island. This is indeed an extreme situation. But it is not a supposition that came out of nowhere as it makes us contemplate about the matter of survival. You may draw into conclusion that the best way to survive is to get rescued by a boat or by a helicopter as soon as possible. However, your mind can change if you have to risk your life for the sake of increasing the chances of survival. There arises a dilemma, whether to remain on the island, thankful for living today or take a risk if possible to dream of a better tomorrow. The 2017 Autumn Performance delivered by students from the Theater Department at Chung-Ang University takes you to a memory of an old man, waiting to be told.
1. Synopsis: Story on the Uninhabited Island
To look back on his life, HoiGo goes to visit the sea. As he finds it hard to write his personal story, he brings UHwa to conjure up of a memory of the woman. With the narration of HoiGo and UHwa, the story unfolds before the audiences’ eyes.
One woman and a man land on an uninhabited island by a plane accident. Although they only have each other to hold onto in such a bleak condition, they have very different thoughts about survival. Two months later, they discover a stream of light. Believing that the light came from a ship, the man sails out every night hoping to be rescued. The woman, left all alone, waits nervously every day for him to come back safely. One day, in complete darkness, they both sense that the light they chased after is no greater than despair. The woman, bewitched by an imaginary light whale that appeared in her dream, wanders into a wave and the story ends as HoiGo remembers her last moment.
2. Facing Today And Tomorrow: Different Meanings to One Another
a. The Man
For the man, today consists of a set of things to be done and works as a driving force for tomorrow. He has a strong will to overcome his ordeal and escape from the uninhibited island to return to his daily life he left behind. He has a firm conviction that he will eventually meet the boat when tomorrow comes and thus strives to live through today hoping that the light will lead him to tomorrow.
b. The Woman
There is a clear difference in how the woman sees the concept of today and tomorrow. Only today lies ahead of her and conversely tomorrow implies death. When the man seeks the coming of tomorrow, she cries out that there is no such thing as tomorrow and they should live today together. For her, the man seems to be chasing a hollow dream. While he is preoccupied with finding the light, she only sees today and thinks dearly of the man she fell in love with.
c. HoiGo
It took quite a long time for HoiGo to look back at the past and think more openly about the meaning of today and tomorrow. While he recalls his memories on the uninhibited island, he tries to catch the slipping moments in his writings.
3. Peeping Inside the Production Note
a. Paper Island On Stage
When you first see the stage, you might wonder why there are so many crumpled sheets of paper lying around. It may look like a dump of trash at first glance. But if you imagine that they are the enlarged particles of sand, you can see that the heap is forming the shape of a rock. And finally the paper island will appear in front of you! The stage is decorated by paper to constantly remind the audience that the story came out of HoiGo’s memory by following his writings from a part of a notebook. Do not be surprised when the paper balls fly around the stage! During the play, the characters throw the paper at each other to show that they are caught up in an emotional conflict, a clever way to use the props.
b. Lighting Effect as a Finishing Touch
It is hard to miss out the distinctive lightening effects that fills the stage. Usually a warm tone of light is used to express a lyrical atmosphere on the paper island. On top of that, there is a difference in how the characters are illuminated, as part of a visual representation of the contrasting features of each character. Moreover, the light whale is presented with glimmering orange lights that makes you daydream as well. Lighting effects work as a finishing touch - an eye-catching tool to delicately deliver the story to the audience.
During the play, there is an impressive line told by the woman as she steps back and takes the picture of the man by blinking her eyes: “Human eyes are like the lens of a camera.” The audience, who has taken several pictures of the scenes from the play, may feel something lingering inside their minds as if looking through an old picture book. The play keenly catches humans’ fundamental concerns over the issues like the passing of time, the searching for hope, the seeking of love, and the meaning of life. It is not told in a dramatic way. However, thanks to the actors’ enthusiastic performances and carefully planned presentments, the audience is able to easily immerse themselves into the play. The curtain went down but the feelings still carry on.
Performance Dates: 2017.08.18~2017.08.20
Location: Chung-Ang University Performance Art Center
이현조 기자
alice3089@cau.ac.kr