Snow in August (3 page)

I wish to extend my thanks to Professor Peter Crisp of the English Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong for reading through the manuscript and making valuable suggestions, and to Ms. Jennifer Eagleton of the Translation Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, my daughter Natalia and my son Ian for their assistance in editing and proofreading.

Gilbert
C
.
F
.
Fong

References

Artaud, Antonin (2001). “The Theatre and Its Double,”
in Artaud on Theatre
, ed. by Claude Schumacher with Brian Singleton. London: Methuen. Revised edition.

Chang Meng-jui 張夢瑞 (2002a). “Shashibiya ye fengkuang: Gao Xingjian tan
Bayue Xue
hua shiji yanchu” 莎士比亞也瘋狂: 高行健談《八月雪》劃世紀演出 (An Epic Tale in the Making: An Interview with Gao Xingjian), trans. by Phil Newel. In
Ronghe dongxi, chaoyue chuantong. Bayue Xue pojian erchu
《融合東西，超越傳統: 八月雪破繭而出》 (A Groundbreaking Fusion of East and West, The Making of
Snow in August
). Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs, pp. 10-24.

Chang Meng-jui 張夢瑞 (2002b). “Po jian er chu:
Bayue Xue
diaozhuo quanneng yanyuan” 破繭而出: 八月雪雕琢全能演員 (Creating Holistic Performers for
Snow in August
), trans. by Robert Taylor. In
Ronghe dongxi, chaoyue chuantong
.
Bayue Xue pojian erchu
《融合東西，超越傳統: 八月雪破繭而出》 (A Groundbreaking Fusion of East and West, The Making of
Snow in August
). Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs, pp. 12-17.

Chang Meng-jui 張夢瑞 (2002c). “Wu zhong sheng you you ruo wu:
Bayue Xue
yi quanxin xiju xingtai huan chanzong yuanmao” 無中生有有若無: 《八月雪》以全新戲劇型態還禪宗原貌 (Made From Scratch: The Premiere of “Total Theater”), trans. by Phil Newel. In
Ronghe dongxi, chaoyue chuantong. Bayue Xue pojian erchu
《融合東西，超越傳統: 八月雪破繭而出》 (A Groundbreaking Fusion of East and West, The Making of
Snow in August
). Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs, pp. 18-25.

Chen Hsiu-hui 陳秀慧 (2002). “
Bayue xue
ju zhong renwu de lishi fengmao” 《八月雪》劇中人物的歷史風貌 (Historical records of the characters in
Snow in August
).
Performing Arts Journal
《台灣戲專學刊》, Dec. 2002, No. 5, pp. 7-19.

Fong, Gilbert C. F. (1999). “Introduction,” in
The Other Shore: Plays by Gao Xingjian, trans
. by Gilbert C. F. Fong. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.

Fu Yu-hui 傅裕惠 (2002). “Zonglun
Bayue Xue
xin shiji xiqu yishu de linghang” 綜論《八月雪》，新世紀戲曲藝術的領航 (Some general comments on Snow in August: The helmsman of the art of drama and opera in the new century).
Performing Arts Journal
《台灣戲專學刊》, Dec. 2002, No. 5, pp. 232-46.

Gao Xingjian (1984).
Yeren
野人 (Wild man). Taipei: Lianhe Wenxue, 2001.

Gao Xingjian (1988a). “Yao shenmeyang de xiju” 要什麼樣的戲劇 (What kind of drama do I want?).
Lianhe wenxue
《聯合文學》, No. 41.

Gao Xingjian (1988b).
Dui yizhong xiandaiju de zhuiqiu
《對一種現代劇的追求》 (In pursuit of a modern drama). Beijing: Zhongguo Xiju Chubanshe (quoted in Quah, 1999: 94).

Gao Xingjian (1991). “Wode xiju he wode yaoshi” 我的戲劇和我的鑰匙 (My kind of drama and the key to my writing), in Gao Xingjian,
Meiyou zhuyi
《沒有主義》 (None-ism). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books, 1996.

Gao Xingjian (1992a). “Zhongguo liuwang wenxue de kunjing” 中國流亡文學的困境 (The dilemma of Chinese exile literature), in Gao Xingjian,
Meiyou zhuyi
《沒有主義》 (None-ism). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books, 1996.

Gao Xingjian (1992b). “Some Suggestions on Producing
Dialogue and Rebuttal
,” in
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, trans. by Gilbert C. F. Fong. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1999.

Gao Xingjian (1992c). “‘
Duihua yu fanjie
’
daobiaoyan tan
” 《對話與反詰》導表演談 (On directing and acting in
Dialogue and Rebuttal
), in Gao Xingjian,
Meiyou zhuyi
《沒有主義》 (None-ism). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books, 1996.

Gao Xingjian (1993). “Ling yizhong xiju” 另一種戲劇 (Another kind of drama), in Gao Xingjian,
Meiyou zhuyi
《沒有主義》 (None-ism). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books, 1996.

Gao Xingjian (2001a). “Shijian, kongjian yu chan” 時間、空間與禪 (Time, space and Zen), in
Wenxue de liyou
《文學的理由》 (The reason for literature). Hong Kong: Ming Pao Press.

Gao Xingjian (2001b). “
Yijing yu zizai
” 意境與自在 (Aesthetic sphere and being at ease), in
Wenxue de liyou
《文學的理由》 (The reason for literature). Hong Kong: Ming Pao Press.

Gao Xingjian (2002). “Chuangzao chu yizhong jianli zai dongfang chuan-tong xiju gongdishang de xiandai yinyue gewuju—yizhong chang, nian, zuo, da de quanneng de xiju” 創造出一種建立在東方傳統戲劇功底上的現代音樂歌舞劇——一種唱、念、做、打的全能的戲劇 (Creating a modern music and dance theatre built on Oriental tradition—An omnipotent theatre of singing, dialogue, movement, and martial arts).
Performing Arts Journal
《台灣戲專學刊》, Dec. 2002, No. 5, pp. 5-6.

Hu, John Y. H. (2002). “August Snow: An Appreciation,” trans. by Daniel T. Hu, in
Bayue xue
《八月雪》 (August Snow) (Program volume). Taipei: Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan, pp. 24-27.

Meyerhold, Vsevolod (1998).
Meyerhold on Theatre
, ed. and trans. by Edward Braun. London: Methuen. Revised edition.

Quah Sy Ren (1999). “The Theatre of Gao Xingjian: Experimentation Within the Chinese Context and Towards New Modes of Representation,” Ph.D. dissertation. Faculty of Oriental Studies, The University of Cambridge.

Quah Sy Ren (2001). “Space and Suppositionality in Gao Xingjian’s Theatre,” in
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Critical Perspectives on Gao Xingjian
, edited by Kwok-kan Tam. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.

Zhao Yiheng 趙毅衡 (1999).
Jianli yizhong xiandai chan ju: Gao Xingjian yu Zhongguo xiandai shiyan xiju
《建立一種現代禪劇: 高行健與中國現代實驗戲劇》 (Establishing a modern Zen drama: Gao Xingjian and contemporary Chinese experimental drama). Taipei: Erya Chubanshe 爾雅出版社.

Act I, Scene 1　The young Huineng.

Act I, Scene 1　Boundless Treasure: “Boundless troubles occupy …”

*
August Snow
, presented by the Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan, December 19-22, 2002. Directed by Gao Xingjian.

Act I, Scene 2　The
Dharma
is passed on at East Mountain Temple.

Act II, Scene 1　The “Wind and Banner Controversy”

Act II, Scene 3　Huineng gives his first lesson.

Act II, Scene 3　Singsong Girl: “… is there snow in August?”

Act III　Pandemonium reigns in the Hall of Worship.

Act III　Fire in the temple.

Annotation

[1-1] Platform Sutra 壇經 (Tan jing), the influential Zen Buddhist classic, which has close to thirty different editions, was attributed to Huineng. It is also the only Buddhist sutra written by a Chinese master—Indian masters wrote all the others. The first few chapters of the book are Huineng’s autobiography, which provide the sources for Snow in August. The ensuing chapters contain his lectures on Zen Buddhism. Fahai, Huineng’s disciple, recorded the words of the master and compiled them into the book, to which he also wrote a preface. Even though Snow in August follows Huineng’s story in the Platform Sutra quite closely, there are also a few minor changes. For example, the character Boundless Treasure is given more characterization and made more dramatic in the play. For a detailed analysis of the play’s characters and their stories in historical records, please see Chen, 2002: 7-19.