Yonsei University, Seoul
Red Bull Theater’s Sardanapalus & Global Watch Party Review
By Ye-rin (Gaby) Jung, DongKug Lee, and Hae Jin Yang
Ye-rin (Gaby) Jung:
What is the intention behind this idyllic portrayal of Sardanapalus as, for a lack of better term “loving hippie”, beyond the obvious satire? I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the engaging discussion after the play on the way home, and would love to connect, as I’m currently working on a poem based on this interpretation.
DongKug Lee:
First of all, I sincerely appreciate the members of the play; it provided me with tremendous ideas of literature and Lord Byron. There are several things I would love to share with you in terms of the literary materials from the play. Firstly, to be honest, I was a little disappointed with the lack of performance and background of the stage. However, I was soon persuaded because I was able to focus on more lines from each character, and I could understand the plot within the circumstances of the play. Secondly, in the first part of the play, Sardanapalus exposes and spreads out his monarchy; this makes me figure out the divine right of the king, who believes that the king is subject to no authority other than God. His monarchal arrogance, desire, and authority take over nature, such as women, slaves, and loyalties.
Sardanapalus:
To immortality—the immortal grape
From which he first expressed the soul, and gave
To gladden that of man, as some atonement
For the victorious mischiefs he had done.
Lastly, the gender position will soon be reversed when the crisis comes upon Sardanapalus. This phenomenon makes Sardanapalus seem more feminine; on the contrary, Myrrha manifests as more masculine at the beginning of part II.
Sardanapalus:
The carcasses of Inde—away! away! Where am I?
Where the spectres? Where—No—that
Is no false phantom: I should know it 'midst
All that the dead dare gloomily raise
up From their black gulf to daunt the living. Myrrha!
At this point, I got some ideas from cross-dressing in The Marchant of Venice, 1598, and As You Like It, 1623, by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has disclosed through the genre of the comedy play productions to make the audience reconsider that men are more feminine inside and women are more masculine outside in their characteristics through a theatrical technique. In certain satirical lines, Lord Byron illustrates the fragile monarchy, and this makes women, slaves, and loyalties to be respected roles in the play.
I have much more to discuss about the play, but this is just to express my appreciation to the cast of the play. Though, I have one question. Why did you change the appearance of Myrrha? I totally agree she has to be brown as a brave woman than “whiteness” from the original plot.
Hae Jin Yang:
Firstly, thank you for allowing us to enjoy such a wonderful event! I have not attended a reading of a play before, but I found I could really focus on the emotions contained in the spoken words rather than being distracted by set props, etc. I also loved the comedic moments that the cast brought out despite the tragic nature of the work. The play highlights the contrasting opinions of Sardanapalus and Salamenes on the issue of military glory. Do you think the play offers an opinion on whether Sardanapalus’s pacifist views or Salamenes’s militaristic views are more effective for minimising violence? Or would the revolt and tragedy have come about either way? If you were to do the reading again, is there anything you would do differently?
