From a Fan to a Director
Young Falangaw - Chen, Yan-Bin
2017/09/28
Written by Sera
陳彥斌參與莎士比亞的妹妹們的劇團演出《百年孤寂》劇照。
Photo provided by Chen, Yan-Bin
Chen, Yan-Bin, also known as Xiao-Mei or A-Mei. A well-known name and an emerging star at theatre. He is Fangas Nayaw as well. It’s the name carrying the responsibility for young indigenous generation.
It is easy to feel his enthusiasm and love to theatre, to family and friends in his words. He smiles and says that he’s been a fan of 5566, a local boy band in Taiwan, since he’s a kid. On account of his love for the boys, he wanted to be a performer to sing and dance like them on stage. Opposite to his expectation, he received more criticism than recognition as he did their cover numbers. Yan-Bin drew a lesson from the bitter experience and started discovering himself as well as exploring his own world in performing arts.
The Mixed Reality of Beyoncé and Traditions for Young Indigenous
Chen, Yan-Bin
Photo provided by Chen, Yan-Bin
However, the environments are such different from Taitung to Taipei. One is melow and friendly while the other is fast-changing and efficiency oriented. Yan-Bin feels like shuttling back and forth in these two worlds. From determination to confusion, dissociation to persistence, he has to deal with the dramatic changes on his way to dreams. All he wants to be is a true human being and he chooses to comprehend his indigenous traditional culture as a theatre maker.
Yan-Bin took a part as acting director in choreographer Bulareyaung Pagarlava’s production, Pu'ing: Tracing the Atayal Route, for The Formosa Indigenous Dance Foundation of Culture and Arts in 2013. During the rehearsal, he found that these young people who were supposed to carry on the traditional indigenous music and dance actually love Beyoncé more. They were excited or scared for new training programs, also troubled for the distance between traditional arts and current themselves. In his later work si,吃吃,kaen, he presents an intense conversation over a family meal; in masingkiay, audiences join performers talking about the stereotypes of indigenous peoples. Yan-Bin continues his quest for contemporary situation for indigenous peoples in Taiwan at the era of globalization.
The Clash of Art Works and Ethnic Identification
《Mataaw浮島》演出劇照。
Photo provided by Chen, Yan-Bin
In 2015, Yan-Bin directed a new work, Mataaw浮島, tried to tell traditional stories in theatre. The original intention was to present the music and dance of Tao, one branch of Taiwan Indigenous on Orchid Island and its cultural spirits. However, since doing his field research, he constantly being questioned even blamed. The pressure from Tao communities, government, and academics overwhelmed him then. All he could do was to keep the conversation and observation open. That did not stop him feeling like an outsider though. ‘I was so desperate in that year. I did not know what to do and how to do it, feeling like I would fail some people no matter what. It was not possible to please everybody.’
The dilemma of presenting Mapabosbos, Tao’s traditional ceremony faithfully or talking about the current issues of Orchid Island hovered in his mind. He chose not to present the seemingly good but to stand by his people and provoked the conversation about termination of nuclear as well as development of tourism in Orchid Island in his Mataaw.
‘In Mataaw, what I was looking at were the invasion and destruction outsiders brought. Although it might simplify the conclusion to “all outsiders are villains.” Our people agree with this for it remains to be true.’ At the same time, confronting the issues directly is always an option for Yan-Bin. ‘They have been ripped off for so long and so much. And they have strong ethnic consciousness, treasure their own lands and resources dearly. It is totally understandable for they playing rough to outsiders. Unfortunately, that roughness becomes a great wall to art creation. It turns to fear now.’
It was the first time Yan-Bin had to reflect how to articulate a big cultural proposition with performing arts. His drive to push through the challenges was probably his love to people. For him, culture needs to be integrated and people deserve to be respected too.
When the Willpower of Inheritance Exceeds Language and Songs
Unlike field research and cultural communication, creation making is relatively easier for Yan-Bin. Nevertheless, he keeps working on the concept of indigenous theatre.
In 2016, Yan-Bin collaborated with Chu-Yin Culture and Arts Troupe on “Mailulay: Traces on the Wall”. The play intends to elaborate each faki and ina’s life experience by presenting Malan polyphonic music. It was shortlisted to Taishin Arts Award 2016.
As a creator, Yan-Bin was wandering and searching in Mataaw and he found his belongingness as making Mailulay. He felt that he has to commit himself as a child of his community. Therefore, he keeps going back to villages listening stories, singing, and communicating. When he looks at his mother, aunties, and uncles sharing family pictures and stories on stage, he actually senses that the willpower of inheritance has exceeded all language and songs.
Facing all challenges in life, Yan-Bin embraces them as a Malan, an actor, a director and a teacher. His parents and community also welcome this different but brilliant man.