新勝劇場（The New Victory Theater）是紐約最備受關注的兒童教育劇場之一，早前它和一個口述歷史博物館合作製作了一部原創兒童偶劇，我和同事一同觀看了試演，才明白兒童劇場絕非兒戲，它更像是跨越代際的思考場域，邀請成人與孩子共同參與。
這個新劇名為《Layer the Walls》，筆者姑且將其譯作《牆壁上的層層疊》。故事發生在紐約一棟將被清拆的老房子裡，作為老居民的兩隻小老鼠收集着一片片剝落的牆紙，翻開其中埋藏的移民家庭故事：第一個故事描寫了一位頑強地對抗病魔的孩子，為險境中工作的父親帶來了希望和勇氣；故事二則圍繞一名曾以航海捕魚為生的青年，帶着希望來到紐約，卻面臨失業且受盡歧視，後來他給迷路的途人指點方向，終於獲得了工作機會；第三個故事的主人翁是一位製衣女工，她不甘於安逸地結婚生子，挺身為同業的婦女走上街頭，最終在一次次爭取權益的抗爭中取得了勝利⋯⋯三個故事從不同的角度出發帶出了美國的移民史，既記載着移民群體所經歷的苦難與掙扎，也給孩子灌輸了愛、勇氣、樂於助人、平等、自由等普世價值。
這個作品之所以對美國移民歷史有如此生動的刻畫，離不開與紐約市移民住屋博物館（Tenement Museum）的合作。說到這個博物館，它在紐約多元的博物館生態中可謂自成一格：不但博物館建築由移民住屋改建而成，館藏也以移民的口述歷史為中心。雖然博物館只能接受預約導賞，不能自行參觀，但不少本地居民或希望進一步了解美國歷史的遊客都慕名而來─畢竟移民歷史、不同種族間的文化碰撞和融合，正是美國歷史的重要組成部分。而博物館與教育劇場的合作，正是為了讓下一代有機會了解這些正被遺忘的歷史。
拋開作品的教育意義，《牆壁上的層層疊》本身亦是個引人入勝的當代偶劇作品。試演當天，場內主要的觀眾包括一百多位小學二、三年級的學生。我一邊觀看演出，一邊在心裡感到疑惑：孩子能看得懂嗎？給孩子們講種族歧視、講女權運動合適嗎？但一整場下來，我發現小孩都十分投入，既有驚嘆和沉痛的時候，又常有歡樂的笑聲與雀躍的互動，這都歸功於兩位偶劇演員栩栩如生的演出，而且三個故事分別用了布偶、面具、影偶的方式呈現，讓人目不暇接，舞美、音樂設計又都饒有趣味，自然可搏得孩子的歡心。而當孩子願意把故事聽下去，有些價值觀也就不知不覺地烙在孩子的心裡了。藝術教育便是這樣一種潛而默化的過程，賦予孩子觀看世界的一扇窗口。
這讓我想起，一位藝術教育工作者曾對我說，用childish（幼稚的）和childlike（童真的）來形容兒童劇，兩者的意義很不一樣：前者把兒童劇看成只適合小孩觀看的幼稚作品；後者則指以一種兒童都可欣賞的方式來講故事─我想這個作品正屬於後一種。好的兒童劇其實應該老少咸宜，既不小瞧孩子對於世界的洞見，也可讓成人重獲稚子之心，發現世界的本真。
原載於 C2文創誌 第三十二期
The New Victory Theatre is one of the premier theatres in New York that devote to kids and their families. It has previously teamed up with the Tenement Museum, a museum focusing on American immigration history, to produce a puppet play for children. I went to watch the trial performance with my colleagues and thanks to the play I realised that puppet show doesn’t really mean childish. The puppet play appeared to be more like a thought experiment that transcends through generations and invites both the parents and their children to participate in.
The puppet show is named Layer the Walls with the story set in an old apartment in New York that is about to be torn down. Two mice, old habitants of the old apartment, are collecting pieces of the wallpaper that have fallen to the ground, reading the stories of the immigrant families that had once lived there. The first story is about a brave kid fighting a serious illness, bringing hope and courage to his father who worked under dangerous conditions. The second story focuses on a young fisherman who came to New York with great hope. Unfortunately, the youngster was discriminated in the city and struggled to find a job. He eventually found employment after providing guidance for a lost pedestrian. The last story features a woman working for a garment factory. She didn’t conform to social norms that tell women to opt into marriage and parenthood and instead she took to the street and protested for women alike. She achieved victory after several protests for better rights protection. The three stories in the play tell the immigration history of the U.S. from different perspectives, documenting the hardships and struggles that immigrants had endured and teaching children common values such as love, courage, empathy, equality, freedom, etc.
The play’s successful and vivid portrayal of American immigration history wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation with the Tenement Museum. Tenement Museum is a very unique member of the diverse museum ecosystem of New York City. The museum is converted from an old building that was once home to actual immigrants in New York. The museum’s collection focuses on oral stories from immigrants. Although the museum only serves reserved tours now, it still enjoys great popularity among local residents of New York and tourists who seek to understand American history better. After all, immigration, ethnic conflicts and fusion are the crucial parts of American history. The museum is now working with the production team in hopes of educating the next generation about the parts of history that are fading from people’s attention.
Besides the educational value, Layer the Walls itself is a very engaging contemporary puppet show. At the trial performance, the main audience had been the one hundred something second and third graders. When I was watching the show, I couldn’t stop wondering whether the kids would be able to understand it. Is it really feasible to educate kids about racism and the feminist movement? But during the puppet show, I noticed that all the kids were fully attracted by it as there were moments of shock and mournful silence, as well as laughter and cheering. The successful engagement is credited to the amazing performance by the two puppet players. The three stories in the play were showcased through stunning puppets, masks and shadow puppetry. The stage design and music were also fun, which naturally brought joy to the kids. When the children are willing to listen to the stories, they also take in the values shown in the puppet play unconsciously. This is how art education can subtly influence children and provide them with a window to look at the world.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with an art educator. “Childish and childlike hold different meanings when you are using them to describe a show for children,” the conversation went on, “The former shows the perception that kids’ shows are only childish shows for children while the latter describes shows that can be enjoyed and understood by children.” Personally speaking, I think Layer the Walls fits into the second category. It’s childlike. A good children’s show is supposed to cater to both children and adults. It shouldn’t underestimate children’s understanding of the world and it should be able to allow adults to find their kid side again and discover the true nature of the world.
Source: C2 Issue 32