In recognition of their heritage, ACSian Theatre paid a well-deserved tribute to Asian theatre with their Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) performance, Dorimu Shoko Jotai. A deconstruction of two traditional Japanese Noh pieces, the uniqueness of the form appealed to the actors of ACSian Theatre, who had only primarily experimented with Western conventions prior to the SYF.
Needless to say, the theatre form was arguably one of the most difficult that ACSian Theatre had undertaken thus far. The challenge of delivering the lyrical verse was only compounded by the immense amount of physical control required, leaving actors with aching muscles by the end of the day. Initially, “feeling” the energy of the other actors was a foreign concept, resulting in the chorus’ uncanny resemblance to a line of drunks as they rose from their knees to a ramrod-straight standing position. Ultimate synchronicity was required for a flawless performance, but ACSian Theatre would settle for nothing less than that. Teeth were gnashed, knees were bruised, and sweat poured off brows, but on the day itself, the judges were presented with the very picture of theatrical perfection.
Even in the face of Afro-Caribbean jazz dance and 19th-century waltz, the heavily stylized Dorimu Shoko Jotai was by far one of the most challenging that ACSian Theatre had undertaken. In the end, however, a Gold award and a placing in the final SYF Showcase were the sweet fruits of their labour, earned through nothing but the utmost dedication to their work, and the grace of God.
Bryant Chan (2AA5)
ACSian Theatre ~ ‘Chrysalis’
Celebrate Drama is an annual Theatre Festival by the SDEA (Singapore Drama Educators Association) that explores the various facets of drama and its uses in business, education and healthcare. ACSian Theatre proudly represented ACJC in the ‘performance’ section of the Festival with ‘Chrysalis’ on 20 and 21 August 2010 at the Arts House.
‘Chrysalis’ is a deconstruction of famed local playwright Kuo Pao Kun’s ‘Silly Little Girl and the Funny Old Tree’. It tells the story of a girl and her special relationship with an aged tree. After realising the tree is a living entity that can interact with her, it becomes her confidant, advisor and above all, friend. The girl asks the tree probing, innocent questions about life, questions we often take for granted. The performance incorporated the elements of song, dance movement and text, imbuing a stylised, fantastical quality to the world of the girl and the tree.
The performance was received very well by the audience, some of whom were in tears right at the end. There was a certain poignancy o the story and presentation of the tale that left many thinking very hard about the repercussions of the actions of the people and bulldozers.
ACsian Theatre is fortunate to have been part of such an experience and would like to thank the school, SDEA and our teachers in-charge, Mrs Creffield, Ms Wong and Ms Lim for having given us this opportunity to represent the school and showcase the work of an all JC one cast.
Iniki Bridget Mariano (1AD2)
