Is it just me or is the world being run by total cunts?
I'm hoping this is all some weird side-effect of my mid-life crisis, and I'm just projecting like a grumpy old queen. However; the more I travel, the more I see that absolutely everywhere total cunts seem to be in charge. Whether they are wearing uniforms or business suits, silk ties or thawbs, everywhere you go, they appear to be rapidly hoarding all the resources and making everyone's lives a misery.
Worryingly, the more I see, the more I encounter a unilateral tolerance of these usurpers from even the most educated people.
Take the rise of extreme right wing politics in Israel for example. I can't tell you how shocked I have been to witness friends of mine coming out in support of the Israeli apartheid regime and aggressive military action.
Seriously, if you are totally okay with that,
1. Go to your bookshelf,
2. Locate your copy of, "The Diary of a Young Girl," by Anneleise Marie Frank,
3. Beat yourself around the head with it because YOU TOTALLY MISSED THE FUCKING POINT!
It's no wonder that in the past year I have been to see several productions of Martin Sherman's 1979 play "Bent," performed in several different countries. Perhaps this is due to a growing internationalism in matters of queer discourse? I don't know, but I like to think there is more to it than that.
Take the most recent production I went to see in the beautiful city of Tainan in Taiwan. The piece has been translated into Mandarin, produced and directed by Han Chung and it is breathtakingly performed by a superb cast.
If you are continually deconstructing and analyzing literary works in the classroom, it's easy to lose focus and become disillusioned. At times you think, well what's the point? Watching this piece which is translated into Mandarin, adds another layer to the performance which is truly exhilarating. Suddenly the narrative transcends the specifics of time and place and it becomes a play about universal oppression and the perils of dehumanizing any group.
It is a remarkable play that ultimately rendered the 200 strong audience of Taiwanese families and friends absolutely speechless. I am grateful to have been a part of it. Professional and slick delivery keeps the pace while giving space to the moments of stillness. I was the only westerner in the audience, and even though my understanding of Mandarin is pretty poor, we all laughed at the camp frivolity of Max and Rudy's decadent Berlin life, and we all cried as the tragedy evolved. Then following the performance, and an adequate break to buy tissues (F.Y.I you REALLY need tissues for this production), the audience and the cast shared their feelings about the play and we all meditated on the myriad of emotions that ensued.
Suddenly this became more than just a play about gays in Europe; it became a wonderfully relevant evocation of suffering, that even people unfamiliar with the horrors of European history could recognize. All in all it has reaffirmed my faith in the fact that people are brilliant and beautiful things and there is hope, despite the inordinate power of the cunts.
And, if by chance, you are one of those people who will look for all sorts of justifications for your cruelty over others, then may I suggest,
1. Go to your Bookshelf,
2. Locate your old program of Martin Sherman's, "Bent," or the script, or even the DVD,
3. Beat yourself around the head with it because YOU TOTALLY MISSED THE FUCKING POINT!
Han Chung's translation of Martin Sherman's, "Bent," is performed by the Tainaner ensemble: Follow the link for more information.
CAST MEMBERS:
TSAI, PAO-CHANG
WEI, CHUN-CHAN
PAO, YI-AN
TSAI, PAO-CHANG
WEI, CHUN-CHAN
PAO, YI-AN
WU, PO-FU
HUNG, WEI-YAO
LIAO, YU-CHING
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