Sangja (Boxes) – an emotional story. | hotos courtesy of ArtStage SAN
Pangaea Arts (Canada) and ArtStage SAN (예술무대산) (Korea) present 상자Sangja (Boxes), showing Nov. 19 to 21, 2015 at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby: a performance art project combining puppetry, music and physical theatre, delving into themes of identity, diversity, culture, race, families and the boxes in which we put ourselves and others.
Symbolizing the supercontinent of Pangaea that once contained the separate continents we know today, Pangaea Arts, in collaboration with Korea-based ArtStage SAN (예술무대산), seeks to bring the world closer together by engaging its audience’s hearts, senses and minds through the combination of various performance arts. With performances in Seoul, Burnaby and various schools in B.C., 상자Sangja (Boxes) brings together Korean and Western instruments for a soundtrack that underlays the visual performance, which combines elements of puppetry and physical theatre.
Bringing worlds together
Sangja (Boxes) tells the story of an international adult adoptee, Sangja, who returns to Korea. Though one might simply refer to Korea as his native home, Sangja’s story deals with the complexities of identity and culture through the lens of someone still trying to fit in. The narrative itself is intimate and personal, dealing with experience and memories, but along the way the story brings to light a broader picture of identity and focuses on the perception of those who do not necessarily fit into typical societal boxes. Heidi Specht, artistic director and actress in the show, explains what she hopes Canadian audiences will take away from the performance.
“In Canada we hope people will gain awareness of people that don’t fit into our cultural expectations of ‘normal,’” Specht says.
In Korea however, the intention of the piece is somewhat different. There, Specht says, adoption is an issue that is often swept under the rug. From personal implications, such as the burden of a birth mother knowing her child is somewhere on the other side of the world, to structural problems of overflowing orphanages, adoption and the issues surrounding it are simply not talked about. Specht, as well as her collaborators at ArtStage SAN, upon learning, discussing and considering this information, wanted to shed some light on the issue:
“In Korea, where very few people talk about adoption, we just want an opportunity for people to have ‘met’ an adoptee, even if it’s just a fictional character.”
In both Korea and Canada, Specht hopes that anyone who struggles with their identity will feel supported by or empathize with the characters – it is common and normal to feel like you don’t fit in.
A personal touch
The story itself was created by collaborating with anti-international adoptee activists, parents with adopted children and adoptees themselves, like Specht’s brother, to discuss the complexities of international adoption and the personal stories of those who have experience with adoption in some form.
Specht reflects on an emotional experience of seeing her and her brother’s past through a more mindful standpoint.
“We had no idea until this project how much my brother struggled with his identity, the incredible loss of his birth culture and family. Through this project he has been able to share his heart and give voice to his experience.”
What Specht came to realize, through all the research, collaboration and dialogue that went into the project, was that all the complexities and details couldn’t possibly be stuffed into a one-hour play. However, in the end, Sangja (Boxes)is a personal, intimate story about identity,and finding strength when you feel you don’t fit in.
“Our goal was to tell a singular human story by bringing a personal issue, merely to tell a true story through the eyes of one child,” says Specht.
For more information, visit www.pangaea-arts.com
