Blog # 6 How do you say......? By Kitty Inouye

My experience in other countries (23 so far) has taught me that there are many more ways to communicate than just using words. Sometimes communication is in mime, sometimes in hand gestures or another body language, and often just in facial expressions. Pictures can help and of course, there is Google Translate or some other language translator app. However, when performing a play, there is a myriad of other considerations, such as culture (trying not to offend others), humor (other countries have different senses of humor), dress (some places have rather sensitive ideas of what is appropriate), and even whether or not women should wear a headdress or veil. Some even want women to wear dresses that reach to the ground. Often, learning as much as possible about a culture before going helps avoid many misunderstandings.

Performing in Ukraine was amazing! There were different stages in different cities and different cultures between different cities. Adapting to various stages was challenging, but exciting. However, my greatest fascination was in how different audiences reacted to the performances. There were some who found humor in scenes that were not intended to be humorous, yet miss the American humor nuances. At other times, it appeared they were trying to find meaning in props that seemed obvious to us. The most stretching performance occurred in the City of Lviv, renowned for its international scene and cultural acumen. They did not react to scenes meant to be humorous. They seemed pensive throughout the performance, and to the actors, accustomed to audience reaction, it was unnerving. We wondered if we were missing the mark in our performance, and so we exerted every effort to give it our all. With trepidation, the last word of the performance was uttered, and we nervously took our bow, then astoundingly, there was thunderous applause with the audience rising for a standing ovation. It felt overwhelming to see how much this audience really did appreciate our show. It felt exhilarating to know that despite the language and culture barriers, we had made such a strong impact on these Ukrainians.

If someone were to ask me, would you do it again? I would respond, “Without a shadow of a doubt!” I know it is possible to communicate a meaningful play despite language barriers if you have the right equipment and a deep desire to communicate through performing arts. Many other countries enjoy having Americans visit and share with them, and I believe that theatre arts cross the language barrier because it is storytelling at its finest. Live theatre engages the whole person, both actor and audience member, with sight, sound, action, expression, and emotion. It is a wonderful sharing of cultures.

Edited by Beverly Dennison