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Teacher-in-Role as Gangster: Unity of the Acting Body and the Teaching Mind. Jack SHU. 葉 繼歡 Ye Ji-hun. AK-47 robberies on TV. Ye was shot. Yung Ching-ching’s Dangerous Figures. Preface by Ye in Dangerous Figures :
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Teacher-in-Role as Gangster:Unity of the Acting Body and the Teaching Mind Jack SHU
Preface by Ye in Dangerous Figures: …especially when the media imposed on me some crimes which were not committed by me, I felt extremely pathetic, losing the courage and hope to carry on life. (Ye, 2004: 4)
About school punishment: Chinese culture is marked by collectivism, and is centered on obedience and loyalty towards the family. In collectivistic cultures extended families or groups protect their members in exchange for their loyalty. (Salili, 1996: 86)
As the saying goes… Respect the teacher and value the moral. (尊師重道) --Xunzi (荀子, ancient Chinese philosopher)
The hospital scene (I, the teacher, lay down on the bed. I took up an oblique position so that my upper chest and head were upright. Students entered and stood closely around the bed. I talked through the conversation with the same posture.) Student: (Holding the photo) I now suspect that you have involvement in this crime— S: Five crimes! S: I now suspect that you have involvement in five crimes! You can keep silent, but what you say would become your statements to be presented on the court. S: (Correcting him) You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say would be presented as statements on court. Now answer the question! S: (Pointing at the person in the photo) Is this you? (Some students giggled.) S: You people listen: don’t beat him with a foldable chair! (Students giggled. There was some confused talk but indistinguishable words.)
The hospital scene S: This photo was taken by our witness. Are you the person in the photo? Teacher: (Feebly) I don’t know what you’re talking about. S: Mister. Are you the person in the photograph? S: With your knowledge about ammunitions, do you know which type of gun is this? (Pointing at the gun in the photo) T: (With a low voice) Yes. S: So what is it? T: (Low voice) AK-47. S: Why do you know? T: Because I was a soldier. S: So you have seen this gun? T: I was a soldier, of course I know about this kind of gun. S: So do you know the person in the photo? (Pointing at the photo) T: (Getting impatient, right finger pointing at the photograph) I can’t see the person’s face so how can I know it?
The hospital scene S: So could you…could you prove that this is not you? T: (Getting angry, still pointing at the photo without changing body position) Why do I have to prove this is not me? Can you prove that this is me? (I pointed at myself; students looked at each other) I’d like to ask: What do you see in this picture? (Pointing at the photo) S: We see a person, and a gun. T: You see a person and a gun. Do you see my face? (Pointing at my face) S: We tried to analyse and judge from the shape of his face. S: And where have you gone on certain year certain month and certain day? T: Which year? Which month? And which day? S: …Year 91…January the first! (A student laughed.) S: Ninety one, June the eleventh. T: It’s been so many years. How can you expect me to remember what I did several years ago? S: How many jewellery shops have you robbed?
The hospital scene T: So have you pre-determined that I was the guy who robbed those shops? (Helpless hand gestures trying to help arguing) I only want to ask one question, mister policemen. Have you got the evidence to charge against me? S: Don’t you deny that we haven’t shot you. You won’t say you were just passing by to buy snacks. S: So do you admit that you have robbed some shops before? S: Don’t digress. Did you go to buy snacks? S: So do you admit that you have robbed some shops before? T: I admit I did… S: That’s fine then. T: (Trying hard to argue) …but I don’t know why you need to show this picture and claim that this is me. You always say that this is the only evidence you’ve got, and then why are you using this only evidence to blame me? (Students stayed silent.) I want some rest. (I got up and stepped out of role.)
Setting objectives for a role in actor’s training: Occasionally, another confusion arises between what you have to do and what you want to do. Don’t confuse an obligation with a desire. Actions which result when I have to clean house are totally different from those when I want to clean house. Always define your real objectives with wants, needs, desires. What you have to do may be an obstacle to what you want. (Hagen & Frankel, 1973: 177, emphasis original)
About emotion memory: …what was going on inside of you [the actor] was of much greater interest. Those feelings, drawn from our actual experience, and transferred to our part, are what give life to the play. (Stanislavski, 1936/1964: 164)
The method of physical action: Stanislavski discovered that internal experiences and their physical expression are unbreakably united. …The thesis of Stanislavski, that human psychological life—moods, desires, feelings, intentions, ambitions—is expressed through simple physical actions, has been confirmed by such scientists as Ivan Pavlov and I.M. Sechenov. …A shrug of the shoulders, a movement of the spine, a complete immobility express the mental processes. Sechenov said that our bodies express what we are thinking and experiencing before we are aware of it. (Moore, 1966: 17)
Teacher’s want vs Role’s want Clearly, the function of the “role of teacher” determines the functions of the “teacher-in-role” and the “role”. The teacher-in-role and role both serve to provide an artistic logic to the unfolding events, which are planned according to the teacher’s intentions. …The case study exemplifies my earlier proposal that the function of the teacher-in-role cannot be separated from the aims of the teacher. (Ackroyd, 2004: 105-106)
Figure 2 Objectives of Different Identities of the Teacher-in-Role of Ye
Figure 3 Revised Objectives for the Teacher-in-Role of Ye
Thank you! Jack SHU The Open University of Hong Kong jshu@ouhk.edu.hk
