Artist: Ignacio Zuloaga and Zabaleta (Spanish, 1870-1945)
Date: 1908
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: The Hispanic Museum & library, New York City, NY, United States
Description
In this powerful canvas, the opera singer Lucienne Bréval (1869-1935), in an orange-red dress and Manila shawl, looks out towards the audience; Zuloaga depicts her dancing in the second act of Georges Bizet's (1838-1875) Carmen. The artist has spared no effort to construct an authentically Spanish atmosphere through the meticulous reproduction of her attire and details such as the clay jug on the table. But he also emphasizes that this is a theatrical performance by placing Bréval at the front of the stage, where the footlights artificially illuminate her costume and face and cast unexpected shadows on the painted backdrop.
“Portrays Judas’ Death,” Montreal Gazette. September 25, 1931. Page 4.
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Scene in German Added to ‘Passion Play’
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George Fassnacht, sr., who portrays the role of Judas in the Freiburg Passion Play showing at the Forum this week, will add an extra scene to the performances tonight, Saturday matinee and tomorrow night. The new scene is the tragic death of Judas, and will be given in German. It was omitted from the presentation of the Passion Play because of the difficulty of interpreting the tense and delicate shadings of the acting in English.
The role of Judas Iscariot to which Mr. Fassnacht has devoted his life is one of the most exacting in the play. His interpretation of the disciple who betrayed his Master is surprising in that he depicts Judas not as a despicable materialist, but as an idealist whose uneasy dreams led him astray. In his conception of the character Mr. Fassnacht has consciously refrained from emphasizing the intriguing nature which has generally been attributed to the purposes of Judas.
In the interpolated scene which he will enact in German at the last three performances this week he stresses the great remorse of Judas when he realizes the enormity of his sin in permitting himself in a weak moment of temptation to become a traitor. The death of Judas is a scene which calls for the highest qualities of the art of acting and forms one of the most impressive episodes in the Passion Play’s portrayal of the last seven days of the Savior on earth.
Despite the magnitude of the Forum the demand for seats for the final performance this week has literally swamped the box office. The widespread interest in the magnificent spectacle is manifested in the large number of long distance telephone calls fro reservations from religious and musical societies.
[AL: George Fassnacht’s performance was apparently very famous at the time. A film recording of it exists from 1924, and he performed across the United States and Canada in the 1920s and early 1930s. A performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, saw Fassnacht performing as Judas, his son as Jesus, and his wife as Mary. He apparently created a corporation to organize his performances, and hired a ‘platform service’, Alber-Wickes, to promote him, but the two organizations had a falling out over funds and contracts, a falling out that became so acrimonious it eventually went all the way to the New York Supreme Court.]
ATTENTION ALL YOUNG BLACK ARTISTS FROM AGES 14-19!
I represent a 501c(3) non-profit organization called Fine Arts for a Cause started by one of my close friends.
We create student-led Fine Arts Showcases every year, raising money and awareness for the charity of our choice. In the past, we have supported YouthEra, in keeping with our Mental Health Awareness theme.
This year, our theme is “Humanity,” and the showcase is titled “United We Stand.” Unfortunately, we can’t hold a showcase in person, but having a virtual one allows us to reach out to more people. In light of recent events, all proceeds raised will go to Campaign Zero and Black Lives Matter.
We want to hear from as many young black artists as possible!
If you are a Black spoken word poet, dancer, musician, actor, etc., please send us a video of your theme-related piece so we can feature you in our showcase.
If you are not a young black artist, please reblog this post to share with as many people as possible.
The deadline for pieces is SUNDAY, JUNE 21ST, at 11:59 PM U.S. Central Time.
More information on where to watch the showcase live, where to donate and how to purchase auctioned visual art pieces will be coming soon.
You can follow us at:
- @fineartsforacause on Instagram
- @FineArts4Cause on Twitter
- Fine Arts For A Cause on Facebook
- I’ll put the website link in the reblog, so this still shows up in tags
“フレ フレ Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken!”: A Critical Essay
“Fure Fure Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken!” gives off an extraordinary story and performance, a so-called “hybrid” allegorical play with Filipino, Japanese, and Indonesian performers and directors. This play, directed by James Harvey Estrada (Philippines), Aokid (Japan), Masashi Nukata (Japan), with assistant directors Ulap (Philippines) and Mana Seike (Japan), performed by Bunny Cadag (Philippines), Robi Rusdiana (Indonesia), and Mei Yamanaka (Japan), tells the story of paradise called Bayan ng Damo, “a lush, green paradise ruled by A-mat, who uses his dreams to lead his people”. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the play was performed online and in Minamiotsuka Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The play was performed during the Tokyo Festival 2021 on 6th October 2021 until 8th October 2021. Since I participated on the last day of performance online as one of the residents of Bayan ng Damo, called Amatists, the play will be critiqued in this perspective.
The story started in the Bayan ng Damo, a paradise ruled by A-mat. A-mat seems to be a dictator who uses his dreams summoned by Ante’s powers to decide on his political choices to govern his people without first considering whether his dreams are to be trusted or not, or whether those dreams are of ethical virtues or whatnot. It happens that Ante, a prophet, dies and predicted that “A one-eyed goat shall be born, bringing great misfortune to this land [Bayan ng Damo].” Because of this prophecy, A-mat believes him and commands his troops to kill every last pregnant goat no matter what. While Ygme, a young boy who works as a goat keeper, learns of this and escapes with his pregnant goat, Yna. And just like what Ante has predicted, Yna gives birth to a one-eyed goat named Tartaros. Tartaros life is now in danger while A-mat’s troops are on the hunt for every pregnant goat in the paradise, especially when they find out that the one-eyed goat who “would bring great misfortune in Bayan ng Damo” is already born.
Honestly, the story is a bit complex to figure out if you do not have the least idea of its story and origins. For me, the ending is predictable concerning Tartaros’ life. Before watching the play, it is always better to have a grasp of the plot. While others might find it confusing, maybe, I think it is because of the use of allegory with the ostrich and all. This play is a work of art that must be watched for the second or even third time to thoroughly understand its complexity, mostly when you are not a fan of metaphors. But it is interesting to see that every audience has their insights about the performance that differs from others’ insights, this is what art can do to its audience. Judging from its story, it is a play that you should not watch purely for entertainment. However, you will be entertained once you get a better understanding of its context and story. As for the script, it perfectly matches the whole vibe of the play, including the Amatists’ actions and lines. A very immersive experience for a play held online. And fun.
The characters consist of Ante, A-mat, the Councilor, the Ranch Owner, Guards, Amatists (the audience), Alicia, Nihan, Ygme, Yna, and Tartaros. The use of puppets and stuffed toys are a clever way to represent other characters, especially during the birth of Tartaros. Kudos to Yna (also known as Bunny Cadag) who executed her performance well depicting how she gave birth to Tartaros (the stuffed toy) without the unsettling gory portrayal of giving birth to an offspring that could disturb the audiences. Kudos to all the casts as well for cooperating with the other casts to create a remarkable play online such as this.
The casts’ acting served well to portray each character assigned to them. I cried with them, I enjoyed eating with them, I sympathized with them. They contributed a lot to execute a performance that displayed plenty of metaphors in the script without being out of character. While I do admit that I get out of character a few times as an Amatist, I ignore the other Filipino Amatists who–I hope not intentional–say their lines not provided to us, as if they were disrespecting the performance itself because of their jokes when it is not the time to goof around.
For the set design, I think it is decent enough to show Bayan ng Damo to the audience, it is up to their imagination if the set design is not sufficient to their tastes. It is not an issue for me because the play is being held both online and in Minamiotsuka Hall. In my own understanding, the set design reveals the struggle of performing artists throughout the current pandemic. They did their effort in doing the set design, music, and sound effects appropriate to the play without causing them to spend a great deal of money due to the pandemic. I believe this is a new way of doing theatre while dealing with the pandemic without having the risk of being sick. They showed true passion for the arts. They could do better if there is no pandemic.
Without a doubt, the play entitled “Fure Fure Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken” is a fresh new ‘taste’ of Asian performing arts in the pandemic. The play’s title has caught my attention, which is why I decided to participate as an Amatist to watch it. I was weirded out by the title, too, because of the usage of Filipino and English words mixed with Japanese in it. Though after watching the play, its title “フレ フレ Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken!” suits it better than any other titles they could think of.
The “ostrich” in the title holds an important symbolism while the audience finds the ostrich eggs. The ostrich was inspired by the two ostriches who escaped and ran around the streets of Quezon City, Philippines in August 2020. Those two ostriches that were the talk of the town became a symbol of freedom and hope in the country.
The story origins told at the site of Tokyo Festival 2021 “The one-eyed goat that appears in the work came from Ilocos Norte on the island of Luzon, birthplace of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the one-eyed goat was born in 2017 during the time of President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime. In the Philippines, a one-eyed goat is said to be a harbinger of both happiness and unhappiness, so the question is whether the one-eyed goat born in the Philippines will propagate authoritarianism like President Duterte. It is a story based on the question of whether serious illness and misery would also spread, as a consequence of something bad happening like this.” makes me think a hundred percent that the play is allegorically political. Everything is political, according to one of the directors, James Harvey Estrada, saying, “Art will always be political. Whether you speak about politics or be silent about what is happening is a political stand.”
“フレ フレ Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken!” is a play highly recommended to people who seek an immersive performance during this pandemic. I would rate this personally 9.5 out of 10, and critically 8 out of 10. This is a play filled with metaphors yet pleasing to watch.
References:
“From the Farm ‘フレ フレ Ostrich!! Hayupang Die-Bow-Ken！.’” Tokyo Festival 2021, tokyo-festival.jp/2021/en/program/ostrich. Accessed 26 Feb. 2022.
“Pinoy-Directed Play ‘Ostrich’ Joins Tokyo Festival 2021.” ABS-CBN News, 5 Dec. 2021, news.abs-cbn.com/life/10/05/21/pinoy-directed-play-ostrich-joins-tokyo-festival-2021.
Quieta, Racquel. “Pinoy Director Leads Hybrid Play ‘Ostrich’ at the Tokyo Festival 2021.” GMA Entertainment, 7 Oct. 2021, gmanetwork.com/entertainment/celebritylife/hobbies/81355/pinoy-director-leads-hybrid-play-ostrich-at-the-tokyo-festival-2021/story
