简介：itwasinterestingtoseetheacrobaticJapaneseactorsoftheTenjosajikicompanyinShujiTerayama’sDirectionstoservants.ThetitleandsomeofthetextweretakenfromSwift’ssatire,butthemaininspirationseemedtocomefromGenet’sLesbonnes.Multiplyingthemaidsintoalargecastofservants,maleandfemale,whotakeitinturnstoimitatethemaster,Tereyamahasphysicalizedandpartlymechanizedtheaction.Dominationisimposedpartlythroughmachines—weseeamansubmittingtoanimperiousvoiceonataperecorder,loweringhistrousersandclimbinginsideasadisticmachinethatbeatshisbarebuttocks. Theingenuity,thesadismandtheoffbeathumourareallcharacteristicoftheproduction.Themaincrueltytotheaudiencewasintheover-amplificationofJ.A.Seazer’smusic.Isatwithmyhandsovermyearsforalotofthetime.Thevisualassaultwasalmostequallystrong,andsomeofthetheatricalimagerywasquiteunlikeanythingthathadbeenseeninthiscountry.Inonemeticulouslychoreographedsequencetheservantplayingatbeingmasterthrowsabonetoasuccessionofservantswhoplayatbeingdogs.Inanother,aservanttryingtostealfoodfromacupboardisterrifiedtofindthatitislikeapuzzle:eachpanelconcealsafacethatsingsathimaccusingly,andhecansilenceitonlybyslidingapanelthatrevealsanothersingingface.…