High Life Issue #5

HIGH LIFE #5 February 2017 33 “It was always a goal to involve as many people as possible, as much young talent as possible,” he begins. “That is why we often have so many small roles. If I wanted, our plays could involve five to six actors only, but instead we are a large group. That serves two purposes. One, it ensures amateur actors can have more support and secondly, it allows for more young people to feel that energy from the stage.” The other factorwas bringing Patuá into the 21st century. “The funniest thing is sometimes coming up with the new words,” Miguel continues. “Back when I was a child we had no computers, for example, so these are words we needed to introduce. In that sense Patuá is just like any other language, constantly evolving.” In terms of content, Miguel also changed much of what was done previously. “The plays were always a bit nostalgic, about a city that was lost in time, about the ‘good old days.’ I was tired of 他续说：“最滑稽的是，有些时候我们得自创新词。我 们这一辈人，小时候是没有电脑的；那就是说，我们需为土 生葡语创造「电脑」一词。在这个层面上，土生葡语与其他 语言一样，均是在不断演变。” 在剧本内容方面，飞文基亦进行了大刀阔斧的改革。 他指出：“以前的剧本往往带有怀旧色彩，缅怀从前的 澳门和「昔日的美好时光」云云。我对这些题材已经感到腻 了。”如今的剧本风格已变得风趣大胆，更不乏针砭时弊的 元素。 “这仍是澳门，我们还是要心怀敬意。我喜欢这样的澳 门，但我认为，我们有社会责任去改善身边的事物。以幽默 的方式去呈现，岂不是最佳做法？” 当被问及话剧团在五月份澳门艺术节期间将会有何演出 时，飞文基不禁大笑起来。 “没问题，这不是秘密，我可以告诉你。话剧的主题将 围绕台风，你能猜到其箇中原因吧？” 澳门艺术节于每年五月举行。有机会的话，请不要错过 观看土生葡语话剧的机会。土生葡语话剧设有中葡英三语翻 译，对澳门居民及初来乍到者而言均有启迪意义，实为了解 澳门的最佳方法。正如土生葡语常言：“这就是澳门。” that,” he offers. Funny and brave, the Patuá plays now have always an element of social critique. “Well, you know, it is still Macau, so we have always to be respectful. I would not want it to be any other way, but I believe we do have a social responsibility to try and improve things around us,” he says. And what better way to do it than with a little laughter? When askedwhatwe can expect this comingMay, Miguel can’t help but laugh out loud. “Sure,” he smiles. “I can tell you, it is not a secret. It is about a Typhoon, can you imagine why?” Should chance allow it, the Patuá Plays – always held during the Macau Arts Festival in May – are a spectacle not to be missed. Translated in Chinese, Portuguese and English, this special show is perfect for both those living in Macau and for those newly arrived. There is no better way to understand the ways of the city. As they say in Patuá, “Macau sãm assi.”