Young adulthood
Growing pains take centre stage in the double bill of Still Taming and S’kolah.
BEING a young person is never easy. The adolescent years are supposed to be a time of self-discovery, of trading the innocence of childhood for the responsibility of adulthood. Without proper guidance, however, it can be a very scary age to be.
Still Taming and S’kolah, a double bill of newly devised Malaysian plays, takes us back through the ups and downs of youth, and the difficulties of growing up. Directed by Mark Beau de Silva, The Actors Studio’s resident director/actor, and Ho Lee Ching, actor-in-residence, the production is a captivating exploration of themes that will resonate with Malaysians.
The plays Still Taming and S’Kolah will be staged at KLPac from Dec 8-11.
“It’s all very real-life, very relatable Malaysian stories. There is comedy, there are sad stories, there is some drama. But the tone of the whole show is very young. There are some very relevant and important things we want to say through it,” says de Silva in an interview at KLPac in Kuala Lumpur.
Both plays will be performed by the 17-member Masak-Masak Ensemble, a newly formed theatre group, comprising former members of this year’s Theatre For Young People (T4YP) group.
Still Taming tells the story of the “Girl”, and it is derived from a collection of stories told by the ensemble members when they were still in T4YP. The play, inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew, uncovers the past, present and future of the Girl as she deals with issues such as faith, sexuality, womanhood and more.
The play was first performed as part of T4YP’s Graduation Showcase at KLPac in July this year.
“Many who came for the first show said they could relate to
some of, if not all of, the stories in it. And many guys who came said they understood women better after it. They said, ‘Oh, I never knew girls went through so much of these things!’” reveals de Silva, 37, with a smile.
S’kolah, on the other hand, is a coming of age drama dealing with the pressures of society, family and friends. Set in the 1990s, the show centres on the hopes and dreams of the students from the fictional SMK Sri Larut as well as the aspirations and histories of their teachers and families.
Co-director Ho, 26, reveals the idea for this play came about after a T4YP exercise, where the ensemble members talked and researched stories with their own mothers.
“They went to talk to their mums and (later) we sat in a circle and shared stories! Most of them spoke about education, how their mums wanted to further their studies but couldn’t. Many times, the sons could study, but the daughters couldn’t. This was a story we wanted to tell,” says Ho.
For the actors from the T4YP, taking up their roles in S’kolah was a challenge. Many had not played a single character in a full-length play before.
“It’s also set in a different era ... the 1990s. We had to take that into consideration. Mark (de Silva) kept telling us no American slang!” says Emlynne Tham, who plays Lina, a brilliant student with hopes on furthering her studies at a local university.
“You really see her (Lina) grow throughout the play. You see her journey from her happy days to a very depressing time. But Lina is a fighter. She has a whole lot of ambition, although there are a lot of things in life that bring her down,” explains Tham, 18.
Among Lina’s challenges are to deal with a strained friendship with Susan, one of her best friends, played by Amanda Xavier.
“Her friendship (with Susan) in this story is really tested up until the end because both have their own ambitions. They both want to explore the world, but the things holding her (Lina) back are the same ones that also hold Susan back. It really strains their friendship,” says Xavier, 22.
Adam Luqman, on the other hand, plays Aliff, a “typical boy” who wants nothing more than for people to calm down, and for things to return to how they used to be. The 18-year-old actor says there is much in the show to be enjoyed, particularly how it touches a common chord with young people.
“I think that for anyone who has ever been to school in Malaysia, there will be something in this play for you,” he promises.
Still Taming and S’kolah will be staged at Pentas 2, the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac), Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur from Dec 8-11. Showtimes are 8.30pm on Dec 8-10 and 3pm on Dec 11. Tickets are RM43 and can be purchased at www.ticketpro.com.my or via the KLPac box-office at 03-4047 9000. More info: www.klpac.org.