“A masterful meditation on life, death, and the arrival of things when we’re ready.”
Margaret Leng Tan has led an extraordinary life. Originally from Singapore, the New York-based pianist became the first woman to earn a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Juilliard in 1971 after earning a scholarship to study there as a teen.
Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep is her sonic memoir, a one-woman biographical theatre show. The piece explores significant moments along Tan’s journey, including her first meeting with the legendary composer John Cage at Juilliard. At the time, she didn’t know who Cage was and ‘wasn’t ready’. However, a few years later, she booked a 1,000-seat theatre to impress him with her work. Tan went on to work closely with Cage until his death in 1992, becoming a leading exponent of his works for prepared piano.
Despite her diminutive size, Tan is a force to be reckoned with from the moment she enters the stage. She commands attention without demanding it, often playing with her back to the audience. At 78 years old (at the time of the play’s creation), she takes her time. The piece is a thematic meditation, inviting the audience into little stories, vignettes, and interludes, rather than spoon feeding any particular narrative, or rushing to any great conclusions. Tan explains her compulsion to count and how this has fed her love of music. She muses on loss, making the most of our time, and the idea that things come when we’re ready for them.
John Cage’s influence is evident throughout the show. Early on, Tan prepares her grand piano by placing bolts onto the strings, later bows the strings, and at one point, leans into the piano to strum the strings with her fingertips. In quieter moments, Erik Griswold’s music’s expansive ponderousness paints beautiful images, while in dramatic moments, the rhythmic pounding of the keys propels us forward. Tan is known as the “Queen of Toy Pianos,” and Griswold’s music incorporates various toys. Tan uses toy pianos, toy phones, a megaphone, a toy gun, and a melodihorn, which complement the explorations of her childhood and the playful nature of the piece. Tan also uses the toys to create comedic musical pieces with messages about enjoying life and spending less time on our screens.
Tan gently and humorously critiques the younger generation for their phone obsession, and lack of knowledge of great artists like Cage who have so greatly influenced modern music, but this piece is for all, the themes are wholly accessible and universal. The text is concise and funny, with Tan’s deliver of her pithy one-liners always getting a laugh.
The direction by Tamara Saulwick is clear, engaging, and physical. Nick Roux’s captivating video work features black-and-white numerical and line patterns and shadows from Tan’s past, forming a dynamic set and an additional character that Tan interacts with.
Dragon Ladies Don’t Weep is a captivating performance that masterfully blends music concert stage play, and visual art installation. Tan’s ability to reflect on her life and work while engaging the audience with humour and depth makes this piece a must-see.