Summary

 

“My Life is My Own” is a solo performance piece by drama therapist and artist Cruz Chan,  about gender identity and the female experience in 1980s Cantonese speaking region in China, where traditionally patriarchal attitudes towards women were compounded by China’s one child policy. It is based on her own experience growing up as the youngest of three daughters, and her relationship with her father who yearned for a son. 

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劇情簡介

 

《此生，由我》是戲劇治療師與藝術工作者陳海燕創作的一部獨角戲，講述了20世紀80年代中國粵語地區關於性別認同和女性經歷的故事。在那個時代，傳統的父權觀念與中國的一孩政策交織在一起，對女性的生活產生了深遠的影響。這部作品基於她作為家中三個女兒中最小的一個的成長經歷，以及她與她渴望有個兒子的父親之間的關係。

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A Note from the Scriptwriter:

 

“My Life is My Own” was developed with drama therapy technique Self-Revelatory Performance. Self-Revelatory performance is a method coined by Dr. Renee Emunah, a pioneering drama therapist and the founder/director of the graduate Drama Therapy Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. The goal of the self-revelatory performance is the expression and transcendence of the performer’s current life, “which the audience witnesses and applauds.” It combines the aesthetic demands of theatre with therapeutic goals, fostering self-discovery, emotional release, and profound witnessing. 

As a drama therapist and an artist, I envision creating collaborative experiences with audiences in group settings that subvert traditional artistic relationships. I believe that theatre can serve as a safe place for exploring experiences, allowing individuals to share their stories and find solidarity in community.

It is a success if  this show can transform our understanding of identity and self-growth, creating a more inclusive narrative within the artistic landscape. I hope we can challenge stigmas, celebrate diversity, and inspire healing through the transformative power of art, TOGETHER.

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編劇的話

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《此生，由我》是運用一項戲劇治療技術 - 「自我揭示表演」創作而成。自我揭示性表演（Self-Revelatory Performance）由蕾妮・埃穆娜博士（Dr. Renee Emunah）創立。她是戲劇治療領域的先驅，也是舊金山加州整合研究學院（California Institute of Integral Studies）戲劇治療研究所課程的創辦人。自我揭示性表演的目標在於表達並超越表演者當下的生命經驗，「此一過程由觀眾見證並以掌聲回應」。該方法結合戲劇的美學要求與治療目標，促進自我探索、情緒釋放，以及深層而有力的見證。

身為一名戲劇治療師與藝術工作者，我希望能在團體空間中，和觀眾一起創造更具互動性與合作性的體驗，打破傳統「表演者—觀眾」的界線。我相信，劇場可以是一個安全的地方，讓我們探索自己的生命、說出自己的故事，並在彼此之間找到共鳴與支持。

如果這個作品能為我們帶來對身份認同和自我成長一份更深更寬廣的理解，在表演藝術的世界裡能說出一個更有包容性的故事。那麼，這演出就達到目標了。我期望我們可以一起挑戰既有的標籤與偏見，擁抱多元，並透過藝術的轉化力量——一起療癒、一起前行。