1-1-2020
By definition, exports are a function of international exchange whereby products made in one place are shipped to another place for consumption. Exports are a crucial component of a place’s economy as such exports add to producing wealth. Why can’t the above definition be applied to Hong Kong’s art and culture? In fact, we can substitute the above words ‘economy’ and ‘wealth’ with words such as ‘influence’ and ‘soft power’ too.
I know a young girl Musette Tsang who is the daughter of my friends. She studied in the prestigious Marymount Secondary School in Happy Valley. Fascinated by dramas and acting, she gave up the normal path despite passing examinations with flying colours. Musette went straight into The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for her 5 years’ professional training. She is now an actor, playwright and stage director.
“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.” How many in Hong Kong realize that? In 2014, Musette was fuelled by a drive to do something remarkable in her life. The old belief was that Hong Kong-style Cantonese opera was popular only among the Chinese audience. She wanted to reverse the belief. Having secured the support from Mr Yuen Siu Fai, the big shot in ‘Xiqu’ (traditional Chinese performing art form), she worked hard and finally came up with a mesmerizing and enjoyable performance known as Backstage. The first part is a short play about a foreign reporter walking into the backstage of a Cantonese opera——an adventure similar to Alice in Wonderland. The play is in English and intended to give an introduction to Cantonese opera, its nature, music, characters and techniques. The second part is for fun. It is an interactive session for the audience to come up on stage to ‘play’ with the actors, like symbolic horse riding and special makeup. The theatre was filled with contagious laughter. The third part is an opera excerpt known as Scramble for an Umbrella in which a man met a lady in the rain but there was only one umbrella to use. Their love comforted each other like the sunshine after rain. The romantic performance demonstrates the beauty of Cantonese opera from Hong Kong.
This ‘stage product’ is more than an art and it can prove an economic proposition. The play is so popular among overseas audience that more than 12 cities have presented Backstage with a total of about 40 shows. Her mission touched me too. My Mexican friend Jean Paul and I assisted her and took the show to the charming seaside city of Mazatlán in Mexico.
I asked Musette, “What is your advice for the young people who want their performances to acquire an international audience?” Musette said, “Develop a short, spicy and ‘portable’ program. Any overseas tour of a small art group will face the problem of limited budget and resources. One should create a simple performance targeting at the blackbox or small theatre with a seating capacity of less than 600. The show must be special and carries desirably a Hong Kong touch. It must arouse the foreigners’ curiosity as to who we are and why they must watch our show. Remember: the art consumer is not a high priest of what is good or bad. Most just come to be amused culturally. You should also start off with a team of 2 members: a director and a producer. The former should put a lot of energy on creative matters while the latter should spend more time on administration such as market research and touring logistics.”
I followed up, “why did the foreigners want to watch Backstage?” She said, “Because of China’s emergence as a world superpower, people begin to search the wonderful things of our art and culture. Most have never watched a Chinese opera but before the ‘real thing’, our play can serve as a very good introductory experience for them. I was emotionally overwhelmed when some audience came to talk to me after the performance and said, ‘Thank you very much! You really excite my interest for a formal and complete version of your fabulous opera.’ I felt honoured. I could help Hong Kong make her way out in the international art world. I wish I could share my knowledge with more young artists about art export and Hong Kong would build up an art export trade in addition to the present cultural exchanges.”
It is unhappy to see some young people in Hong Kong are only angry at the domestic limitations. They ignore the big blue sky outside Hong Kong. When they have creative minds, ideas, souls and hearts, I am sure there will be a moored Noah’s Ark waiting for them to get on board. The brave new art world is in front of them!
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