I was very intrigued at the idea of subtle gestures.
The fact that the storyline wasn’t too extravagant, but rather very simple, simple enough to actually mimic or imitate what the characters were “feeling.” I really felt this was evident in Miffy’s character. Her gestures made me see what she was feeling.
-Aara
Five Days in March was an experience unlike any other. It broke that bonds of what I view to be conventional theater. The actors specific movements on stage seemed involuntary and random at times. The repeated actions of the actors seemed to emphasis the desires of the characters. By having the actions be repeated, it turned some things comical. Specifically Miffy and her rant on her trouble with men.
-Connor
I was angry within the first thirty seconds because I was shocked by the simplicity of the story-telling, the story-line, the bareness of the space and production, the cheapening of human life. I was angry that the story was only about sex and war (oversimplification). I hated the production. It boiled my blood to the point of falling asleep. I let go. I didn’t let the show continue to bother me, I merely watched as people moved and spoke. That’s all it became to me. Just people in a room in a space speaking in another language using sounds I don’t understand while a supposed storyline/translation was broadcast on the back wall. The lighting was interesting, but all in all, I was pissed off. I felt taken for a fool. This is it? This is all we’re here to see? No, I get it, I get that it’s about body movement and storyline and simple and sex and war and a slew of other happenings, I get it, I get what the whole idea is and how it was produced, I get it, I understand it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I did not like it for several reasons which I think I have already explained but will again: too simple, too boring, too eh, too whatever, too I don’t give a damn. I liked it. I liked the whole production, I really did, but it just wasn’t doin’ it for me. However, the Master Class that was held with Okada Toshiki, the director of cheltfitsch on Saturday, January 31st was a blast. I learned so much and came to appreciate the production and acting in general on a much, much deeper level. That is what the entire experience taught me and I wouldn’t have had it be any other way. Thank you for producing and supporting Japanese theatre. I hope they make the rounds again sometime soon.
-Jordan Theodore
This production by chelfitsch, “Five Days in March”, was dramatically different from my understanding in theatre so far. As interestingly uncommon and rare of a performance it was, and as much as I appreciate eclectic theatre, I personally had a very difficult time enjoying the show. In the end, as hard as I tried to understand the point of the play, my conclusion was that majority of what was staged carried absolutely no meaning. I felt that I had spent unnecessary amount of money on a ticket that bought me two hours of narration, at which it was impossible to keep up with reading the subtitles at the same time as observing the actor’s movements. For the audience that are not used to reading subtitles or just having to read anything during a performance in general, I felt that it made it not so “user-friendly”. My friend who had joined me for the performance, who has never seen an Asian theatre production had also shared with me after it was over of his huge disappointment of not being able to have gotten even half of the dialogue that had passed. Since our class paper had required me to write an analysis on the physicality of the actors, I felt that I almost had to make a decision between following the story that was displayed on the board and observing the body language. Also, I feel that $24 for this ticket (for general admittance) is completely over-priced (my friend had to pay this much and later really regretted for joining me). As a student, even having to afford $12 becomes a strain at times, and I feel that this was a waste of my money and time.
-Zoe Kim
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