The Illusion Wall

2007-12-23T01:42:00.000+08:00

another review by our committee member, Johann Lim, via his blog. thanks man.

2007-12-22T01:53:00.000+08:00

The Star's review, much thanks to Priya K.

we're closing tomorrow! maaan.

Taking a Bow

2007-12-21T23:44:00.001+08:00

I know I know... I've been meaning to post here for ages but when i finally find the time, we're one show away from the close. What can I say? It's been an awesome run thus far, and I'm not saying this just because I'm part of the crew and there for biased, the general feedback has actually been very positive, ranging from satisfaction to exceeding expectations.

Anyway, I haven't got much to say... Actually I do, but I'm in no condition to articulate anything so I shall do what i do best and have a picture speak those 1000 words for me. :D

Here's to a fantastic closing show. :D

2007-12-14T09:38:00.000+08:00

Check out the Star article...

I'm a YOUNGSTER!!! Woohoo!!!

And I didn't even need to show my "face of love"...

There is a God! Muahahahahahaha!

link

2007-12-14T01:50:00.001+08:00

our article in The Star today, much thanks to Geraldine J.

Feeling nervous about not feeling nervous

2007-12-12T13:09:00.000+08:00

When I was just a wee lad, and was going on stage for the first time, I turned to my coach and asked: "Why am I nervous?"
And she, in all her erudite and venerable ways said simply: "Don't ask so many questions. Just get out there."

Which, for a young boy of a singular digit age, was most crushing. It was not until I had reached high school that I got a much better answer: "Nervous is good. It means you care."
Ironically enough, both answers apply greatly to the principles of acting. For additional irony, the first slot of advice used to be pasted up in our rehearsal space itself. (Of course, in a more coherent manner, advertised as actings' golden rule): "Don't think. Just do."

The 2nd slot of advice applies here, where; on the brink of 2 months worth of rehearsals and tinkering and memorizing and experimentation, I personally find solace in the nerve-wracking feeling of sweaty palms, shallow breathing, and hair tearing. (Not applicable in my case, fortunately) The sheer unwelcome shot of adrenalin as I get into character in preparation for the play serves as a reminder of just how hard we've all worked to breathe life into this play. And while a lot of people would receive this reminder as a grim responsibility to not fuck up, it only takes a very small paradigm shift to realize that as an actor you can't fuck up.

Sure! You could forget your lines. Yes! The lights may not be queued properly. Indeed! The careful coordination of movement across the stage may be torn asunder by a simple misstep, but thats just not the point anymore. The point is that both the cast and crew have created something absolutely mind-blowing in the past 2 months, and if some edges turn out to be abit torn, it won't matter, because we have gone through the whole rigmarole of preparation and know exactly what we're capable of, and exactly how good this play has become, and if perhaps some of the audience don't see that on a given night, its fine; because we know that we have created something beautiful. And failing that, our most wise director always reminds us: We are not alone on stage. So yes. Save for the set itself to be eaten by termites, (Touch wood, no pun intended), we are good to bloody go.

Hoist the curtain

2007-12-12T13:04:00.000+08:00

DUDE!

Tonight's our preview.

No more rehearsals, no more making things and carving things and cutting things and adjusting things (oh who am I kidding? I'll be adjusting my pretty little head off until the 23rd), no more reads and changes, no more empty Dram, no more just us watching the play being run night after night after night.

Tomorrow is our opening night. People are buying tickets (oh, that reminds me. I must go empty my bank account to make sure my friends get seats), people are going to come, people are planning their evenings based on OUR PLAY!

I am so excited. The excitement is bubbling up in me (you can't tell, but I am swiftly resisting an urge to check the script to quote a line) and quietly erasing memories of having breakdowns while all alone in that black box of a space we've been rehearsing in.

For weeks, this play started out to me as nothing more than a blank, lined picture. Bland, white, clean. So perfect for grand possibilities.

Then we - yes, we, the cast, the crew, the director, the audience, the space - started with the smudging and the heavy handling and the messy fingerprints and spilt paint and styrofoam bits and paper strips and lint and that clean, white (resisting urge to quote script AGAIN!) picture was clean and white no more.

Weeks grew into more weeks, and I saw the play as a paint-by-numbers piece, and blank, gaping pieces freaked me out more than it inspired me. I was frantic, scribbling in colours as fast as I could, messy, unorganized, all over the lines. Seems every time I managed to neatly finish a small blue section, the blaring red screamed out to me "Finish me! Finish me!"

Now weeks and weeks grew into days and hours. We abandoned grand ambition and settled for compromises. We abandoned all sense of colour and shape and things started looking messier than they've ever been.

And finally.

That clean white page on which the paint-by-numbers sections were drawn on so carefully has now turned into this giant collage, heavy with glue and pictures and colours and shapes and smudges and time. Sweat from the drilling and the climbing of ladders. Blood from my pricked fingers as I attempted to sow. And tears from that faraway time when I thought I couldn't do it and I would disappoint everyone.

I wish I could have seen then how beautifully everyone else (the wonderful, fantabulous, magnificently talented cast, the diligent Nurul whose company helped me survive those long hours in the Dram, the quietly brilliant Jason, the too-nice-to-be-true and all around helpful Ashaari and of course, the eternally patient and soothing (even if I don't want to admit it) Kelvin) would cover the gaps and fill in the spaces. That amazing foresight would've saved on a lot of despair.

Too late for that now.

The Illusion begins tonight (well, really tomorrow night, but let's say tonight for argument's sake) and I am so excited to unveil our collaborative effort to you.

Matamore Muses

2007-12-12T09:52:00.000+08:00

Well. This is it.

And this, I must confess, is my first post and contribution to The Illusion blog.

It's been a very mixed, up-and-down, exciting, sad, strangely welcoming and weirdly fun journey from start to finish.

... In The Beginning ...

I remember the day Isma (that "Gleaming, Beaming, Peerless Wonder!") mentioned to me that The Oral Stage was looking for an actor to replace one who left.

Tunku the Musical (my previous production) had just ended and I was feeling not a bit exhausted after almost 20 weeks of seemingly endless rehearsals and shows. It was great! It was exhilarating! But it also took a toll on me and left me very drained...

So I told myself that I'd take a break indefinitely. No more rushing to rehearsals after work; no more staying up late til 2am before going to work at 7am; no more "lack of social life". Just a quiet, relaxing and contemplative end to the year.

But, I, being a glutton for punishment, decided, "What the hey, let's just go and check out this Kelvin fellow and his Illu-whatchamacallit production."

Walked in, read the script and immediately identifed with the character.

... Matamore ...

Matamore (as I mentioned to Kelvin) reminded me of a character I once played way back in college in 1995 (yes, I'm *that* old).

Like Matamore, Don Adriano in William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost is a braggart and a boast. A man so full of himself, if he were any fuller, you could just push him and he'd bump and roll on the ground like a balloon.

And like a balloon, all he needs is one little prick and he'd blow up, exposing him as a fraud and a sham, full of nothing but hot air.

The main and most significant difference, however, is that (voice drops to a whisper) Matamore is, well, to put it lightly, not entirely here nor there. ;p

I'll leave the rest for the audience to discover...

That he is (possibly) the most interesting character in the play and the most "fun" character to portray convinced me to accept the part. Added to this the fact I've not acted in a full length play since 2004. I was dying to act again! And what better part than Matamore!

... Revelations ...

"Father, " cries Isabelle, "Hear me!"

And so I cry too. "Hear me! Forgive me, too, for I have sinned..."

I was very close to dropping out of the production at one point.

The whole routine of rushing from work to Dram for rehearsals, sleeping late and waking early for work, and not having any time to do anything else was, again, wreaking havoc on my health (or lack thereof) and the normally well-ordered confines of my oh-so-predictable life...

I was also a wee bit dis-Illusion-ed (pardon the pun) about the production. My initial impression was that of a school play by students for students... Unconvincing, slow, dreary and what talent there was, I could fit into the little finger on one of my hands (that's what playing Matamore does to anyone, by the way!).

Two people (one, a very good friend; the other, my "little Star of the Dawn") convinced me to stay on, so I decided to stick with it and make the best of everything. "After all," she said, "You might actually find yourself having fun."

... Evolution ...

That I did. A epic kaleidoscopic rollercoaster full of fun!

And what was an ugly duckling blossomed into something of much beauty and great promise. The players, so shy and reserved, so hesitant and unconvincing, began warming up to their characters and slowly, yes, but surely, *became* their characters.

I began to feel the their emotions, empathise with them, sympathise with their conflicts and learned to love the play for its own unique quality. I felt Isabelle's anguish, Lyse's pain, Clindor's happiness and Adraste's anger. Too, I felt the Father's regret and the Bomoh's arrogance. I experienced the helplessness of the Amanuensis and the hideousness of the creatures.

Confidence replaced hesitation. Certainty replaced anxiety. There was energy and there was excitement. Above all else, there was fun and, I would like to believe, there was love.

Love for the play, love for our characters and love for what we are doing.

... The Unseen ...

And as for the production crew... When I walked onto the set last weekend, I was impressed. The stage looked like a Bomoh's cave with creeping vines and tombstones all over while the lighting was spot on - an eery green which gave me chills, then softened to warm shades of red and orange as the scenes changed... Kudos to Shar and Jason for a brilliant job.

Nicholas, too, surprised me with the programme book - I'm sure other productions would *kill* to have such a beautifully designed and laid out book! I especially love the photos he took of everyone (especially mine, of course!)...

Then there was Nurul - I've never had a Stage Manager go to the extent which she did - all the while during rehearsals she'd be vigorously scribbling notes (this is standard practice for SM's throughout the universe - it's what they *do*) but later, she'd actually send us the notes (*gasp!*) with little reminders of changes to the schedule and so on. And of course, in between being a scribe, she also acted as our resident photographer (when Nicholas was absent).

As for Herr Direktor... My thanks for giving me this opportunity to go wild with Matamore! I'd also like to say, that for any director, one's quality can only be measured by the quality of one's work. In which case, I feel that Kelvin should be doubly proud of what he's done with the play.

Last but never least, to my own adored, my Aphrodite, my Venus, my Muse, the wonder of my heart and the joy of my soul, my thanks and endless gratitude for bringing me into this play. Most of all, I thank you for being you.

... Showtime ...

To be modestly honest and honestly modest, I believe there is always room for further improvement.

But at this time, at this moment, I'd say we're very much ready for the world to see us and experience The Illusion.

break a leg. or two. or three.

2007-12-12T00:47:00.000+08:00

having two nicely done tech runs the past two days, i'm more than confident that The Illusion is gonna rawk. nine weeks of endless rehearsals, shuffling of cast members, countless experimentations, incessant changes and fine-tuning, and the show finally opens tomorrow. if you, our audience, feel even a tinge of what The Illusion is about, well done to the production team. remember, what you gather from the play is yours and yours solely- there are no right or wrong answers. thank you for supporting us, and we'll see you on the other side. enjoy the show!

Reflecting...Maybe I got it from Matamore

2007-12-06T00:58:00.000+08:00

I remember during Screwed audition January this year, I read. And when I say read, I meant just read. Coming from a public speaking background, I knew a thing or two about the delivery of words, but nuts about acting. I've been fascinated by theatre for a few years, as part of an audience, but I can't remember why, early this year I just felt like becoming involved in it as an actor. I was enthralled nevertheless to stage manage for Screwed, which I couldn't do in the end, because of other commitments (i.e. exams breathing down my neck). My first acting job (which I got slightly before the Screwed audition) was done in a very hentam saja lah fashion because like I said, I had no idea what to do.

Then came Joe Hasham's Acting for Beginners. There, I didn't just learn acting skills like interpreting scripts and voice projection but also transferable skills like focus, discipline and respect. His class was not comprehensive, after all it was just one session a week for 10 weeks, but it provided me with a strong foundation for which I am grateful.

Then came Tunku the Musical, a couple of made-for-TV movies, a Malay play, five short films, and now, The Illusion...

I remember viewing kakiseni in Australia and dreading the fact that I won't be able to make it to the auditions for this play. Then Kelvin contacted me, with the suggestion that I audition online.

And so I did: www.youtube.com/ismahusein

Some of you have heard of these videos from Kelvin... "Drama..!! She was on the floor and all!!" :P Anyway, there was supposed to be 2 Isabelles and 2 Lyses but for some reason only one of the Lyses got uploaded.

Besides wanting to know what it is like being in a full-length play like this one, I thought it'd be very nice for me to end my year with Oral Stage, since I started the year with it. :)

And with my exams coming nearer, this play is the last one for me till middle of next year. Damn it, I'm feeling sad already. I don't want it to end!

Oh well... as if time would stop for me...7 days till opening night!!

ticket contact

2007-12-02T22:29:00.000+08:00

contact for tickets: 017-2276428, not the previously stated 017-2776428.

phew.

Obligatory Map post

2007-12-02T10:48:00.000+08:00

Right, so I've been plugging the play as much as I can like a good boy. (Halo) Which happens alot, given the fact that I shaved my head, so alot of people I know (and don't know, come to think) will always ask "What happened there?" And after making brief and over-the-top shaolin monk jokes, I tell them the real reason and conveniently hand out postcards of the play in a show and tell manner.
But I've found that everytime I do, the conversation always goes something like this.

"Oh, The Illusion! What's it about?"
So I tell them.
"Cool! Where is it!"
And I tell them its in section 17.
"..."
Okay, my brain says, granted, section 17 is a big place. So I ask if they know:
a) Happy mansion
b) Food foundry
c) the school on road 17/13
"..."
So yeah. I see a massive problem in plugging the play.

So I am glad to be able to say that I was quick witted and most practical in my solution to these mapless wanderers by directing them here to this blog. (I hope you all bloody well heeded my advice.)

So, dear reader. Here you go.

And if you STILL don't know where that is... *deep breath* Call someone. :P

1st December 2007

2007-12-01T22:00:00.000+08:00

Don't be fooled by his serene smile - he is in fact, screaming, writhing & flailing in mortal agony inside. Silly director.

Picture taken before reminded that it'll only be a week before preview.

Mixed response. Expected, I suppose.
And they got a wee bit strange too..

... yes, a wee bit strange.

Jason also mentioned how excited he is for the show...

Happy Ending, I suppose.

no extra charge

2007-11-29T14:17:00.000+08:00

our programme books cum tickets rock. you buy the ticket, you get the programme book. and it's a nice souvenir to bring home and keep 'cause nicholas, our resident graphics designer's so bloody talented. oh, seats are starting to fill up and they're limited 'cause the dram's not a very large space, so get it quick if you wanna catch the show.

show opens in less than two weeks. fun.

Booksdown: 26th Nov 2007

2007-11-29T11:33:00.000+08:00

tired thespians

warming up
matamore = vainpot

bomoh & amanuensis

melibea/isabelle/hippolyta & calisto/clindor/theogenes

geronte

drama queen

pleribo/adraste/prince florilame

When a Prince has Lame in his Name

2007-11-28T17:01:00.000+08:00

In regards to the constant reminding of Mr.K (probably Datuk K in the future?) to make sure EVERYBODY posts in this blog, My apologies for posting late yeah?

Hmmm, I must say, I have enjoyed myself very much from day 1. Amazing crew we have. Chemistry in and out of the studio is just splendid. There seems to be a certain positive energy flowing throughout rehearsals, with harmony and tolerance between each member. There is freedom to suggest without hesitance and I respect that. Kelvin's approach has been very unique, a new thing to me as his style is different from my previous directors. Experimentation through questions based on the lines of the characters is so far the best way I believe. Young, Fresh, Eager and Naive rings in my head. On the other hand, Who are you? What do you want? What do you do to get what you want? Is it working? are the core questions of each cast to portray their role at its best.

Apart from the cast members, I salute Nurul, Syar, & Jason as I see them concentrating on each other's task while we do the acting. A challenging task surely, important enough to complete this beautiful play. I look forward to making this look the best by giving the best. All the best to everyone involved. Take care of your diet, and DON'T get close to those who have fever or flu. hehe. Avoid fizzy drinks, iced drinks, erm cut down smoking? and most importantly, get enought rest!

Take Care guys... pleasure being part of this! and.............. I have devoted myself entirely, to discovering the sight, the sound, the word that will finally awaken you to my devotion... the word that will............... (voice fading off)

They kiss

2007-11-28T02:21:00.000+08:00

I first met Kelvin during the auditions for Screwed. Every now and then, we bumped into each other... not to mention when he went to watch Tunku and DID NOT notice me on stage singing my lungs out... Yes, Kelvin, I'm still picking on that... This eyeliner-clad, tail-haired creature is an intriguing one... but I never, NEVER thought I would get lessons on kissing from him!

Well, during the last rehearsal, I did. A few giggles here and there (Mark and I of course), a few blushes here and there (Kelvin of course) and then it happened. Hence the line They kiss is not merely a line for me anymore...

Now to do it at every rehearsal...and...show!

And thank you, Kelvin, for sharing with me your affinity of using a certain part of your body as a further development of kissing.

Nurul's not the only one who can post pictures

2007-11-26T08:37:00.001+08:00

Actually, it's not out of spite that I post this pictures (and really, our beloved stage manager takes so much better ones), but I have documented a bit of rehearsal and some of the prop-making process to share with you all, here on the Illusion Wall. (Does Nurul rhyme when she posts pictures, I don't think so. :P) ((Just kidding, Nurul!))

The view I have from our little 'judge's desk'

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

The painted carvings

So much gray paint.

The space you can cover with styrofoam, newspaper and string.

Drying outside the Dram.

Navin attempting humour. Our tombstones are worth WAY more than that.

Ko ingat berlakon tu is child's play?

2007-11-23T11:10:00.001+08:00

After being taught by gila babi successful people such as Puay Tin, Rey Buono, Lagenbach, Marion D'cruz, Anne James, Sek Thim , Nala Nantha, James Lee in acting (sorry, folks-name dropping here), I can state 50 reasons to you why acting is so damn hard. It really is. Know ur character-intentions, motivation, body, turning points, movement centre, height, colour for aura, tempo, heartbeat, breathing, gestures, facial features, focus, LISTEN, blocking, timing, dun be OTT/ or be OTT, dunt-be-dead, speech, accent, learn-to-improv, be-comfy-with-the props/stage/lighting, energy, and of course, auditions and dosh- who can blame the actor-wannabes when they start to lament? But despite me understanding that acting is so damn downright mah fan, but I'm still here anyway.Knowing that I dunt have the most tenacious spirit, easily crushed by feedback I rather not hear, being not egzactly a glass half full girl, I feel queer and even amused that I'm still going for this. OH, I'M SO FRIGGIN' PROUD OF MYSELF!

And the whole team for The Illusion too, of course. We have a brilliant cast( and director, designers) here, seriously. I lurve the chemistry that all of us have with each other. No divas whatsoever- woohoohoohoo! Yes, lagih senang hidup, you know...And kudos to The Oral Stage for having a specific costume and set designer...and stage management is getting much, much better now. Feedback from Tuan Direktor is posted to us from time to time by Nurul so we can remind ourselves of whatever Kelv said. I print out all of 'em. Our oh so kawaii Tuan Direktor is getting better and better too at directing. He paksa us (ok, ok, not paksa...) Encourage us to keep a journal to keep track with what's happening with the play and our characters. which is great coz like what Dr. M said "NEVER rely on memory, we forget things". Cool. Great way of developing characters.The poster- not egzactly my type- I still love random, colourful , abstract stuff- BUT i LOVE IT STILL! Really, it feels like the moon and "rose-smelling-faintly-of-blood" are glowing! Love it! Shar, costume and set designer is incredible- where did we find you, Shar? Jason, our sweetest gila babi lighting designer- I haven't seen his work yet but I know he'll do great- just like wut he did in Screwed. and yes, Nick, thanks for the poster and pics-making us look good! Hehe..

I'm playing the Bomoh- and like what every actor would say about any character that they play, playing this particular character ain't child's play. AT ALL . IT IS A CHALLENGE. BUT...i love challenges. I feel very honoured that Kelv 'bestowed upon' me this role cos it really pushes me out of my comfy rut and plus, I am madly in love with the character (yes, tho' it's hard to portray her). The toughest challenge? To. be. still. Very, very, very limited gestures- except for when she motions. Her eyes are like a camera- when she looks at a character, she zooms in like hell- to sorta 'x-ray' people (gila wo), her chin in the air, very limited head movements even! And being Zalikha@Batsheba, who is so infamous for being generous to a fault when it comes to gestures, movement- OTT, in other words..it is tough. But yeah, thanx, Kelv, for giving me a chance to grow through this.

Yup, that's it, so far..But i'm gonna stop here..Enough of left-handed compliments. By the way, yes, guys , come and watch this play- it's FUN, MAGICAL, GREAT, VARYING TEMPOS IN THE PLAY, FLOWERY, DONE BY YOUNG, ENERGETIC PEOPLE and most of all, it's a LOVELY play. And of course, we have worked so hard for this..

The Naked Truth,
Batsheba Zlikha Arsalan

It Is What It Is

2007-11-22T10:49:00.000+08:00

Wise idea for the director to have his stage manager a.k.a. minion to write down rehearsal notes. I found it quite handy after all - my knowledge about putting up a show being fed very well so far. Considering these thespians have other jobs & obligations, I'm assuming they need a lil' hand in remembering what they did (or didn't) after each rehearsal.

One problem I can't help myself from would be analysing the play as a text rather than its very nature - to be staged. Pathetic. Once rehearsal(s) started taking shape though, it was not hard to ignore the fact that it is what is and not a text. Instead of merely thinking the why's and what's, you'll also start to notice the how's and ways to approach it (as in perform it). Nice, love it when it gives us options.

Deadline is in 3 weeks; worst have yet to come until then (or so someone told me). I should hope (demand) for walkie-talkies. It makes me look organised.

Over & out.

Latest Pix (13th Nov)

2007-11-22T10:41:00.000+08:00

Zlikh & Mark Beau

Mark in B/W Azmir Abdullah

Christine Ellis

Kelvin Wong

Square Thingy's

2007-11-22T02:28:00.000+08:00

6 hours: to transport a pair of huge square thingys (platforms). Advice for lorry services - give them 2 hours (and above) stretch. That way you'll only have to wait for another 2 hours. If you don't, be prepared. At times they just don't come at all :) Such, was our case. In the end we had a much much needed help from Brian with his van. Berjuta-juta terima kasih to Brian, who ended our slow misery...

The stage's looking great with the new platforms. It's got attitude now.

And yes, the fight scene yesterday was ultimately nice to watch. We didn't even hire a fight coordinator (take that Americans!)

Oh and please blacklist these lorrymen:
0166835544 (SayaDiKajangMungkinLambatSikit)
0163030111 (OkOkSayaCallDia,NantiSayaCallBalik)

Carving Up A Storm

2007-11-21T22:18:00.000+08:00

I spent all afternoon with a friend and my helper-boy/downtrodden slave, Navin Kumar carving roses on styrofoam tombstones.

They look awesome. Even if I do say so myself.

Can't wait to start painting them.

The set is coming alive. Isn't that too cool?

Next week's agenda? Making plant life and greenery out of wire, newspaper and paint.

And masking tape.

Lots and lots of masking tape.

sword wave

2007-11-21T00:53:00.000+08:00

fight scenes are bloody, bloody fun.

update

2007-11-19T11:37:00.000+08:00

it's a constant reminder to everyone in the production team that this play is really about nothing else but love. and cliché as it may sound, it really does make the world go round. it wouldn't be the more (if not most) played around theme in pop culture if it wasn't that significant- songs, books, movies, etc. and it isn't just the dinner-then-sex kind; in the play itself we're exposed to all sorts, overt and subtle. love for a father, for a son/daughter, for a friend, for a client, for themselves, for riches, and of course, the lust-induced one. to quote one of the characters in the play, "at times, i think there's nothing else."

update on blocking. i've decided to give the cast and chorus the free hand to roam about the stage to their characters' desires, and if it doesn't work, we'll change them accordingly. if it does, great, we'll keep it. i realize it isn't of help if actors were given specific blockings page after page- they'll focus too much on getting their positions right they lose their focus on the play altogether. of course there are a few instances of which i'll require them to be at certain parts of the stage, but those would only be the basics. the rest would be at their discretion. if you allow things to work themselves, they will. looking forward to seeing what happens next.

am getting a few friends to come in to catch rehearsals in the next week or two- a third eye's view is invaluable. the entire production team may sometimes miss even the most obvious things- things that'd have us slap our heads going, why didn't we all see that? and it'd be nice to give the cast and chorus a sense of an audience, someone else watching them, apart from me, nurul and syar.

three more weeks to opening. can't wait, man.

a month left?

2007-11-13T11:16:00.001+08:00

(Yes, supposedly there should be more pictures on this site. I have no excuse.)

I can't blog much about theatre - seeing that I know so little - the technical side of it; how the process works and its progression, all but amuse me.
29 days left (thx isma for reminding, hmpphh..)

Do enjoy the pictures. There's three of them.

dimensi

2007-11-13T04:29:00.000+08:00

and then came the toughest part of me directing: blocking (placing actors on stage). after trying it out on a mock flat stage and having to play to three different sides of the audience, there came the realization that that wasn't gonna work. breaking the news to the entire production crew that staging was gonna have to change wasn't easy either. and poor syar. i bet you she's gonna wanna stab the prop dagger into me real soon.

so yes, we're changing the way the play's gonna look. there still will be three sides of the audience, but the cast and chorus'll be playing to a clearer, more dimensional stage. and it'll look less messy too. it's amazing how set dimensions can affect the actors, its delivery, the entire play.

on the cast's side, we're still experimenting possibilities, different dimensions (again!) of their characters, of which we'll narrow them down next week onwards. what you'll see on stage in mid-december will be a result of incessant explorations of a wide array of characters and the psychology behind them (what they really want, how they'll go about getting it, is it working, etc.), all in hopes of getting you to see what we see.

posters and postcards are gonna be out by this week!

more soon.

Logistical Illogical

2007-11-08T12:46:00.000+08:00

It's so amazing how my slacker life which used to be filled with lazy days watching TV and eating other people's food is now filled with endless logistics.

Where will I find chairs? When will I put up the curtains? How can I make a realistic looking skull? What time do I do this? When do I have to send that?

I'm not going to lie, there has not been one part of this production that I looked at and found myself going "This is going to be easy, I can TOTALLY do this!". All in all, it's been one scary, exhilarating ride and it's only been about three weeks.

I think what scares me the most is that everything is still in the incubation stage (thanks for providing me the great jargon, Zlikha) and nothing has been made tangible. I'm great with ideas, give me a few days and I can fill up books with possibilities. But the doing is the hardest part. Of course I have to start, like, yesterday but the minute I start building stuff or putting things up or buying thing it becomes more real. What else becomes more real? The possibility of me screwing up.

I mean, going to rehearsals and seeing the characters evolving and the actors really fleshing them out and the director bringing them all to life...this play is taking form and I better get with the program. It's my job to make sure this play not only looks presentable (minor goal A) but looks great (major goal A). So, pardon me for biting my nails and freaking out a bit.

Get back to me when I've started building the first tombstone. Or putting together my first skull. Or finding my first medieval pair of lace up boots.

Exploring Illusion

2007-11-08T00:32:00.000+08:00

Every time I look at the script, there's always something new. A new reason, a new motivation, a new joke, a sarcastic remark that I didn't notice before. Of course, they're never new, just recently discovered by me. At first, I look at the script as one bulk of words. Can you say INTIMIDATING? But then I started to break it down into smaller parts, and analyzed them bit by bit, and I feel less scared by it all. Since that helped me to get to know the play, I feel that it's more do-able, although I can't deny I still feel quite lost and puzzled sometimes.

I'm eager to explore my character, but like I mentioned during rehearsals, holding the script actually holds me back. And this being a wordy play, plus the fact that the Director is, very particular about each word being right, I hold on to the script like my life depends on it. So learning my lines would be a great help. And the sooner I do that, the more I get to explore Melibea/Isabelle/Hyppolyta.

When I get into a production, I'm always humbled by the people I meet. And this production is no exception. Their talent, their willpower, their lack of fear to try out new things...they're all beautiful things to experience and observe.

Sometimes I think theatre is just a way for us to be kids again. To strip down all those years of fear and self-inhibition imposed on us through formal education, family, friends. I've lived more than two decades, somewhat neglecting myself, saying that society is more important than me. Well, not anymore, I'm gonna explore myself like a kid again. :)

It's at Flickr

2007-11-06T12:15:00.000+08:00

I won't be posting every picture I took here, only a gist of it. For more pictures of this production, click here.

Bugger all this for a lark.

2007-11-06T11:38:00.000+08:00

Our benevolent director gave us a brief run down of the set just yesterday; and I have to say: I'm getting more and more excited to see this play come into form. Espeeeecially the magician's chorus. I haven't even the faintest clue as to how to bring these 4 oddities to bear on stage.
And the chorus are oddities. They don't have any lines, are under direct control of our resident magic-maker, and are supposed to somehow bring the Illusions of each scene into tangibility. And their stories. *shudder*. There's something you don't want to run through your mind in a dark room.

Speaking of chorus rehearsals. Now there's something to test your body language. We're all damn near cross eyed with fatigue after we're through, but we can never stop laughing over what we just did. Without lines or even a clear step-by-step direction at the moment, the chorus rehearsals become more of an exercise in adaptive thought and body expression in the art of story telling. Which is entirely new to me, (and most of us, I'm sure.) and immense amounts of fun to go through.

The chorus rehearsals, like the principle rehearsals, are orchestrated in layers. Each time we come back we all find out new facets of our characters. Little little details that just somehow step into relevance. It adds a certain... evanescence to each practice with each epiphany reached by cast members and backstage crew alike. Which, I imagine, is how its supposed to be. I imagine that stories that progress like this don't just come in one lump sum.

Speaking of backstage crew. We also got a run down of our costumes yesterday. I'm running out of synonyms for excitement. =P

Set/Props& Costume Designer

2007-11-06T10:58:00.000+08:00

Syarifah Syaliza Alia

First Reading: 17th October, Wednesday

2007-11-05T12:35:00.000+08:00

Furthest left (clockwise): Ka Vee, Mark, Isma, Syar, Zlikh, Marvin, Christine, Kelvin, Becca & Shamir

The Hero & Heroin

2007-11-05T12:21:00.000+08:00

Mark Beau de Silva (Calisto/Clindor/Theogenes)

Isma Hanum Husein (Melibea/Isabelle/Hippolyta)

a part of the magic

2007-11-05T09:12:00.000+08:00

being a part of the illusion has been such a journey thus far. if there's such a thing as a positive distraction, this has been it.. just the thing i've always yearned to be part of, but for some reason or another, never got myself to it.

this is my first foray, my debut in theatre. as a cast member pointed out, many of us think that people doing theatre are different (elitist even, may i add), but how wrong could that perception be. it was probably never easier for me to get comfortable with a new group as i did from the first day of rehearsal. everyone's so normal. maybe the difference lies in the way we are willing to express ourselves - our views and our feelings. and yes, the attitude that kelvin wants us to cultivate - always taking from, giving to and making each person look good on stage.

rehearsals are going well. i do look forward to attending each and every one. we got off to a good start - it's a matter of weeks but it seems we've been friends for years. and the more we rehearse, the better it gets - in getting closer to each other and of course, in making our characters richer. all this leading to the grand opening that we can't wait for.

back to my day job then...

update

2007-11-04T23:00:00.000+08:00

so in the last two weeks of rehearsals we've been going through the script bit by bit, and we'll splice them together tomorrow onwards. it did look like a lot of work when we first read through the entire thing three weeks ago, but it really didn't seem as bad when we took it page by page, scene by scene. it'll be something to look forward to, with everything put together on the day we open. one thing about full-length plays is that the more you read/rehearse it, the more insights you'll discover, and the characters, the play gets richer. even after the show's over i don't think we'll find everything out- the magic's in that.

it came with time, i think, after two plus years of directing shorts that i decided to direct a full-length play. there are tons of good, established playwrights out there from all over the world, of which i had trouble choosing from. i settled for The Illusion, which was also the first full-length play i worked on under Rey Buono's direction during my stint at Sunway Uni-College's performing arts department in 2004. seeing how i approach its direction after performing it back then would be interesting, something i've been looking forward to. like i mentioned, we discover more each time we rehearse the bits and pieces, even insights i don't think i was aware of three years ago.

the cast has, in a few words, been a blessing. to put together a group of people from various backgrounds in theatre and steering them towards a similar direction has thus far been going well- very well, in fact. i guess it all comes down to casting- putting together a group of actors who are brilliant but won't feed off each other and can't work together is as good as digging your own grave. cast the right people and you know they'll help, guide another other and ultimately, you with your direction.

the set and costumes (yeah we gonna be having real costumes for once!) are in its planning stage, and if all goes well, the play's gonna look great. seats are limited 'cause the dram projects isn't a very large space, so get your tickets early.

more soon!

Welcome!

2007-11-02T13:13:00.000+08:00

hello all. welcome to the illusion's production blog. we'll be posting up pictures, rehearsal updates, snippets of characters from the play- a preview of what can be expected come mid-december. bookmark the page, watch out for the space.