Tlingit Shakespeare

[xoxoxoBruce]

Well, it's in English, so I can read the words, but someone is going to have to explain what this means?

Originally Posted by Smithsonian

HURLY-BURLY
A troupe of Tlingit actors takes the stage at the American Indian museum, March 8 through 18, in a new production of Macbeth reimagined with dances, drums and costumes of southeast Alaska's Native people.

Italics, theirs.

I'm gobsmacked. What is Macbeth reimagined? Somebody takes Macbeth and changes it so it's not Macbeth? wtf? Why?
If they say were doing an original work, they won't sell as many seats, but name dropping will draw a crowd?

To hunt, or pig out--that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
Seakdivers BBQ and outrageous portions
Or to take alka-seltzer with a sea of bubbles
And by opposing burp them. To die for, to sleep--
No more--tossing and turning to say we end
The heartburn, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to.

Yeah, I know it's Hamlet, but I reimagined it.

[Trilby]

Dude. This is OUTSIDER ART which, even when terrible to the point of puke, is totally hip. It may even be terminally hip, coz I don't know from hip. This seems a bit like peanutbutter art---kinda dry and bullshitty and doesn't go down well without some jelly.

Look. Some people want to "re-imagine" Dr. Faust as Brad Pitt---same kinda thing.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Brianna

Dude. This is OUTSIDER ART which, even when terrible to the point of puke, is totally hip. It may even be terminally hip, coz I don't know from hip. This seems a bit like peanutbutter art---kinda dry and bullshitty and doesn't go down well without some jelly.

[It's really hard to give an appreciative look on the net.]

[Ishmael]

Bruce, you wrote that it's not about me or the production. I guess you're right, but on the other hand, I'm wondering what you assume "reimagining" means. The play is about 60 per cent translated into Tlingit, while the soliliquies and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in their scenes together are in English. The idea being that there is a change when individuals choose to break from the group.

You see, it's not reimagined for its own sake-- the play does indeed highlight someone's fatal personal ambition. Putting others before the self is a huge value in the Tlingit culture.

I've been told by someone I respect, a poet named Robert Bringhurst, that you can dislike literature all you want, but it's like disliking food or air, if you don't use it you'll get sick. I think about this when folks try to use the old "dead white irrelevant man" argument for Shakespeare. Go ahead and dislike him, or "challenge the status quo". Your loss.

On the other hand, there are great, great poets, writers, artists, unrecognized. I'm thinking of the great oral poets of my area, in Southeast Alaska. Some are survived in texts waiting to be retranslated over and over again for each new generation, and perhaps read by those who learn the original language. I hope, as we gain more recognition, and bring out new artists, that we can bring out that side of the culture.

Thanks,
Ishmael

[bluecuracao]

Ishmael, as Bruce asked about, I hope that you'll post a video (at least a part of it), or a link of a video, of your troupe's performance. I think I speak for a lot of us that we'd love to see it.

Also, will you take this show on the road?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Ishmael

Bruce, you wrote that it's not about me or the production. I guess you're right, but on the other hand, I'm wondering what you assume "reimagining" means. The play is about 60 per cent translated into Tlingit, while the soliliquies and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in their scenes together are in English. The idea being that there is a change when individuals choose to break from the group.

What we say here has no effect on the real world, it's just personal views of how the real world is unfolding. These threads can be misleading, rather than flow, they meander like a brook. A cocktail party, not a scholarly forum, but that's OK, because we don't pretend otherwise.

We couldn't know how your production reimagined Macbeth. That's why we couldn't discuss it particularly, only the concept of reimagining and of course other attempts we've been exposed to, will color opinions.

You see, it's not reimagined for its own sake-- the play does indeed highlight someone's fatal personal ambition. Putting others before the self is a huge value in the Tlingit culture.

Your description sounds like a cool concept. I would think the viewer would have to understand Tlingit or be familiar with Macbeth first, to follow it.
Makes me ponder whether you're importing Shakespeare into Tlingit or Tlingit into Shakespeare. Maybe importing Tlingit into America's consciousness, via Shakespeare.
Caution - Do not try to determine this, while stoned!

I've been told by someone I respect, a poet named Robert Bringhurst, that you can dislike literature all you want, but it's like disliking food or air, if you don't use it you'll get sick. I think about this when folks try to use the old "dead white irrelevant man" argument for Shakespeare. Go ahead and dislike him, or "challenge the status quo". Your loss.

Fair enough. Likening literature to air & food is appropriate. We all know there is a vast range in the quality of all three...... preferances too.
I don't drink coffee, preferring to get my caffine elsewhere. But I realize the vast majority use coffee.... I'm cool with that and neither condemn them nor defend myself. We both wonder about those decaf drinkers, though.

On the other hand, there are great, great poets, writers, artists, unrecognized. I'm thinking of the great oral poets of my area, in Southeast Alaska. Some are survived in texts waiting to be retranslated over and over again for each new generation, and perhaps read by those who learn the original language. I hope, as we gain more recognition, and bring out new artists, that we can bring out that side of the culture.

Thanks,
Ishmael

Yes, I touched briefly on oral traditions in Europe, wondering if Shakespeare was the first to put their age old human conflicts in written English. At least in entertaining stories people would remember.
I should think these human foibles would show up in the campfire tales and bedtime stories of every culture. Could be the basis of many religions, too.

You said. "....retranslated over and over again for each new generation, and perhaps read by those who learn the original language." Are you referring to being translated, literally, into different languages? Or the lessons they contain, the wisdom they carry, being translated into how it can apply to the readers life?
Obviously, oral stories that survive, do so because they struck a chord with each person that passed it on. Contain wisdom and humor every generation could identify with.

Again, a million thanks, for spending a little time to entertain and educate us on another little piece of the world. Hopefully, someone at the Smithsonian is smart enough to capture and preserve one of your performances.

[Ishmael]

Makes me ponder whether you're importing Shakespeare into Tlingit or Tlingit into Shakespeare. Maybe importing Tlingit into America's consciousness, via Shakespeare.

Bruce, I would hope it's all three, and more.

You said. "....retranslated over and over again for each new generation, and perhaps read by those who learn the original language." Are you referring to being translated, literally, into different languages? Or the lessons they contain, the wisdom they carry, being translated into how it can apply to the readers life?

Both. Translations can't help but be a generational interpretation. Last generation's Ciardi translation of Dante's Inferno gives way to Pinsky's.

Again, a million thanks, for spending a little time to entertain and educate us on another little piece of the world. Hopefully, someone at the Smithsonian is smart enough to capture and preserve one of your performances.

Yes, we've videotaped. Watch out for sealaskaheritage.org when it starts being available in the months ahead.

Thanks,
Ishmael

[Trilby]

BTW--for my money--Faust would be played by either Christopher Walken or Harvey Keitel.

[barefoot serpent]

The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry 'Hold, hold!'

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's my point, but you forgot to reimagine.

[Cloud]

Shakespeare is universal enough to be re-imagined and performed in many different ways.

If you are arguing for some kind of "purity" in performing Shakespeare, you are defeated from the beginning, because there was never any attempt in his own day to portray the times where plays were set accurately.

This is part of the 6-month Shakespeare in Washington festival. I almost went to see King Lear there in my trip, but unfortunately I got snowed in. That performance was by the Harlem Classical Theatre and was set in ancient Mesopotamia (as opposed to ancient Britain as Shakespeare wrote it). So what? Did you know that for 150 years King Lear was performed with a happy ending?

See first statement.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Cloud

Shakespeare is universal enough to be re-imagined and performed in many different ways.

If you are arguing for some kind of "purity" in performing Shakespeare, you are defeated from the beginning, because there was never any attempt in his own day to portray the times where plays were set accurately.

This is part of the 6-month Shakespeare in Washington festival. I almost went to see King Lear there in my trip, but unfortunately I got snowed in. That performance was by the Harlem Classical Theatre and was set in ancient Mesopotamia (as opposed to ancient Britain as Shakespeare wrote it). So what? Did you know that for 150 years King Lear was performed with a happy ending?

See first statement.

If it's reimagined and played in many different ways, it ain't Macbeth. A million plays, movies, and TV shows have done the same basic treachery and tragedy, of the rich and famous, story line without alluding to being based on Macbeth. But of course they didn't have to fit into the theme of a, "6-month Shakespeare in Washington festival". That would sort of explain it.

I don't give a hoot about keeping Shakespeare "pure", they weren't meant to be "the classics" in their day, as I understand it. Just entertainment for anyone willing to cough up a coin to keep Willie from starving or getting a day job.

It's going to take a hell of a lot of re-imagining to make Macbeth a musical, in the Tlingit tradition. Are you sure those red devils aren't stealing our culture?

[footfootfoot]

My brain has just folded in on itself. Our resident sexgoddess is schooling xob on Outsider art, and noone has yet mentioned the AWESOME remaking of Macbeth that is:

my brain just misfired.

Scotland, PA.

Put it on your Queue now. Do not post on this thread until you've seen the movie.

This thread is hereby clsoed to anyone who hasn't seen the movie.

Go! Shoo!
Scat!

[wolf]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

My brain has just folded in on itself. Our resident sexgoddess is schooling xob on Outsider art, and noone has yet mentioned the AWESOME remaking of Macbeth that is:

my brain just misfired.

Scotland, PA.

Put it on your Queue now. Do not post on this thread until you've seen the movie.

This thread is hereby clsoed to anyone who hasn't seen the movie.

Go! Shoo!
Scat!

I love this movie. An insurance reviewer recommended it to me. It was the second film I rented from Netflix. Absolutely everyone must see this movie.

[barefoot serpent]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

My brain has just folded in on itself. Our resident sexgoddess is schooling xob on Outsider art, and noone has yet mentioned the AWESOME remaking of Macbeth that is:

my brain just misfired.

Scotland, PA.

Put it on your Queue now. Do not post on this thread until you've seen the movie.

This thread is hereby clsoed to anyone who hasn't seen the movie.

Go! Shoo!
Scat!

saw it last night:

OMG... we're just underachievers making up for lost time.

... thought I was gonna die!