THE SPIRITS PLAY and CREATIVE LAB by TETC

CREATIVE LAB Chinese online review - pulse.sg

2009-08-27T12:54:00.001+08:00

《创意实验室》：表演者也能是创作者

12345(1 Vote)生活 Lifestyle - 艺苑 Arts
Monday, 24 August 2009 20:00

首次举办创意实验室的外传统游艺团（Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus, TETC）聚集了8位来自不同国家的游子艺术工作者，希望能为剧作家郭宝崑生前的作品《灵戏》提供不一样的现代诠释。

这项免费活动与上星期上演的舞台剧《灵戏》做了巧妙的结合，让观众了解这8个新文本与原剧文本对话的种种可能性。

8位艺术工作者这半年来都通过电邮与彼此勾通和分享自己的创作，其中3位也参与了《灵戏》的演出。他们必须在短时间内为两个表演作准备，可说有相当的难度。

他们在3个星期前抵达新加坡后便紧锣密鼓地开始把各自的作品串联在一起，为呈现一个更完整与清晰的表演。

被问及为什么要把8个独立的创作编排在一起，特刊编辑陈财龙认为虽然剧本的素质足以允许他们单独被演出，但秉持实验剧场的精神就是要艺术工作者聆听彼此的意见，通过合作精神将8个不同风格的作品融合在一起。

他强调当演员的也能成为剧本创作者、制作人或导演，而尤其因为戏剧昂贵的制作成本，演员如果可以身兼二职，当个creator-performer，那是最理想的。

这些新作品反映了战争与动乱在现代社会所遗留的现象，如来自印度《活死人》的创作者Mohamed Kunju Noushad以互动剧场的方式呈现斯里兰卡内战的混乱与殴斗场面，而来自香港《请问》的创作者洪节华则透过自己六四天安门事件的经历，诠释了为母者的丧子之痛。

艺术工作者当中也包括了来自新加坡的何子祥。他的作品《拾荒者》通过加龙骨尼（Karang Guni）的角色讲述一些充满本地色彩的故事，还把《灵戏》中的“残”译成英语的“can”，将它比喻为新加坡政府，引起观众大笑。

这些艺术工作者之后将回到各自在各地的工作岗位，但他们不排除以后合作的可能。他们当中一些参与者也会把作品重新整理组合，到马来西亚再次演出自己的剧本。

记者：黄伟曼

FLYING INKPOT ONLINE REVIEW - THE SPIRITS PLAY

2009-08-21T16:40:00.002+08:00

Production: The Spirits Play

Company: Traditions and Editions Theatre Circus

Six spirits played by six actors from six countries each speaking in a different language actually doesn't make practical sense since all the characters in the play are supposed to be on the same side of the war in Kuo Pao Kun's landmark The Spirits Play. Rather than argue that it is a symbol of how the play's themes of sacrifice and loss are universal, I prefer to simply enjoy the mythical quality it invests the work with. It also allows the great pleasure of experiencing the fierce power of Themis Lin Pei-Ann (Taiwan), Andy Ng (Hong Kong) and Beto Ruiz (Meixco). Sadly, an overwhelmed Eemien Sia proves to be a weak link - she had difficulty articulating the text convincingly.

Director Kok Heng Luen does a magnificent job of creating the play's world, especially with help from lighting designer Lim Woan Wen, costume designer Anthony Tan and music composers Vivian Wang and Leslie Low. This is a work of great majesty and infinite heartache - but Kok handles the comedic moments deftly as well. In the last third of the play, Spirits begins to spin its wheels but Kuo's and Kok's evocative theatrical vision remains an irresistible force to the end.

CHINESE ONLINE REVIEW The Spirits Play- pulse.sg

2009-08-21T16:39:00.002+08:00

《灵戏》：反思战争对错

生活 Lifestyle - 艺苑 Arts
Monday, 17 August 2009 20:00

有对或错吗？这也许就是郭宝崑先生笔下的《灵戏》对于战争的反思、反省。五个灵魂（妈妈、将军、汉子、姑娘、诗人）聚在空洞的灵的世界，上演他们的独白、他们的故事。然后，又因为彼此性格与信仰上的不同，形成角色间的冲突与对峙。

他们喃喃自语诉说属于自己的战争故事，却因为故事的相呼应，产生彼此间的对话。灵与灵在说话，而五个灵魂也在和观众对话。

由外传统游艺团（Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus, TETC）呈献、戏剧盒艺术总监郭庆亮导演的《灵戏》取了郭宝崑先生经典剧作的精髓，但也不忘创新，为戏剧爱好者拼贴出一部具后现代性的艺术表演。

更难得的是，演员阵容跨国界邀来了台湾、香港、墨西哥、印度与日本的表演工作者与本地演员同台演出，新鲜地以不同语言和方言呈献此剧，而结果便是一段美丽的众生喧哗。演员们都是剧场训练与研究课程（Theatre Training & Research Programme, TTRP）的学员。

墨西哥演员Beto Ruiz认为《灵戏》里的角色面临的便是彼此间的矛盾与隔阂，而在真实生活中，演员们也因为彼此文化与语言上的不同，在表演上得解决与角色同样的隔阂问题。

把原本史诗性的《灵戏》搬到小小的黑空间，用五条长长交织的白色木制台架与白色枫叶为布景道具，是剧组的创意与勇气。它可以说像二战时日本广岛太田川的七条河流、也可像绵绵山峦或是任何灵魂们在寻觅的回家的路。总之，任何意象与颜色都用演员们的话语与观众的想象力慢慢填上。

令笔者印象深刻的是饰演中立的观察者的日本演员。台词仅限于开场与结束，但全剧眼睛蒙上绷带、受伤的日本兵士的在场是导演巧妙的安排。战争在他眼前展开，但他是不是选择了不看见？日本兵士，是杀戮者，但也是受害者。

唯一遗憾的是，演员们操着五种不同的语言，观众就得追着字幕逐字看，这不免是妨碍观众专注的累赘。然而，《灵戏》实验性的诠释的却让笔者离开了观众席后，仍然不停回味，思考战争的意义、和平的美丽。

记者：黄伟曼 | 照片：外传统游艺团提供

Last chance to catch CREATIVE LAB: Responding to 'The Spirits Play'

2009-08-21T15:48:00.022+08:00

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Miss THE SPIRITS PLAY? Pictures are here now.

2009-08-21T15:28:00.018+08:00

CREATIVE LAB IN ACTION!

2009-08-18T12:19:00.010+08:00

CREATIVE LAB 8 Solos this week! 创意实验室八个独角戏这星期上场！

2009-08-18T12:12:00.003+08:00

On behalf of TETC, I am inviting all of you to attend CREATIVE LAB 创意实验室, from August 20-23, this Thursday till Sunday.

Immediately after our 'The Spirits Play' multilingual production last week, we are now presenting this inter-related theatre production consisting of 8 original solo works. It shall see 8 different TTRP graduate artists' creative responses to 'The Spirits Play' written by the late Mr Kuo Pao Kun. A rare and exciting theatre-watching experience awaits you.

If you are able to confirm a specific show to watch, please email us at tetc@live.com.sg and we can reserved seats under your name accordingly. If not, do pop in for any shows and try your luck at the door.

We sincerely hope to see you in NAFA Studio Theatre this week!

Gratitude,

Peter Sau 苏佳亮
Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus (TETC) 外传统游艺团
Producer / Chairman
Mobile: 97450795

'CREATIVE LAB' 创意实验室, presented back-to-back with the ticketed ‘The Spirits Play’ performances, aims to promote and encourage the re-invention of theatre classics. With ‘The Spirits Play’ ticket stubs, audience will enjoy priority entry to witness original works created, self-directed and performed by TETC artists: a showcase of individually unique and multi-layered creative responses on the play proper, presented free to the audience. Audience who has never watched the 'The Spirits Play' will find equal relevance and powerful resonance from the 8 solo pieces of work which touches on a wide spectrum of universal themes ranging from love to war.

CREATED & PERFORMED by

Beto Ruiz (Mexico）
- THE END 结束 (wordless)

Felimon Bonita Blanco (Philippines)
- PROMISE ISLAND 希望岛屿 (English)

Hung Pei Ching (Taiwan)
- 无颜：An eye for an eye will turn the world blind
(Mandarin and English)

Miyuki Kamimura (Japan)
- ATOMIC SHADOWS 核弹烙印 (Japanese and English)

Mohamed Kunju Noushad (India)
- LIVING DEAD BODY 活死人 (English)

Seng Soo Ming (Malaysia)
- 心山血河 HEART MOUNTAIN BLOOD RIVER (Mandarin)

Wah Wah, Hung Chit Wah (Hong Kong)
- 请问 MAY I ASK? (Cantonese)

Zachary Ho (Singapore)
- ALL BUT NOTHING 拾荒者 (English)

A multilingual production with English and Mandarin surtitles.

FACILITATED & ADVISED by
Peter Sau (Singapore), Andy Ng Wai Shek (Hong Kong) and Themis Lin Pei-Ann (Taiwan)

DATES
August 20, 21, 22, 23 - 8pm
August 22, 23 - 3pm

VENUE
Studio Theatre, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Campus 3,
151 Bencoolen Street

FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL (priority entry for “The Spirits Play” ticket stub holders)

TODAY ONLINE press review for THE SPIRITS PLAY

2009-08-16T11:35:00.001+08:00

Online Only - Theatre Review: The Spirits Play
Re-staged classic work by Kuo Pao Kun is a beautiful, haunting and rewarding experience

by Mayo Martin
06:10 AM Aug 15, 2009

During the latter part of The Spirits Play, one of the characters compares the image of millions of worms chewing on the bodies of dead soldiers to silkworms chewing on mulberry leaves.

It's an unsettling yet, for me at least, extremely beautiful juxtaposition of two images that makes you recoil in horror as much as it inevitably draws you in.

Which sums up my feelings watching the re-staging of this particular play by the late Kuo Pao Kun unfold.

The Spirits Play is a fitting "debut" production from the newly-formed group Traditions and Editions Theatre Circus, which is comprised of former students of Theatre Training and Research Programme, the education programme Kuo co-founded.

Written in 1998, it revolves around six spirits seemingly in a state of limbo and looking for a way "home". In the meantime, each of them takes turns recounting his or her own personal tale about the horrors of the last century's Pacific War that eventually link up to a its heartrending climax.

From a nurse's tragic story of being gang-raped by soldiers on her side, to a soldier recounting the complete massacre of his fellow men-at-arms, The Spirits Play makes us confront some complicated issues that are still very much timely - the moral ambiguity of war, clashing perspectives of what can be considered a victory or otherwise.

The "heavy" stuff is buffered by two legends, reenacted in a humourous fashion: A mythical beast with cannibal instincts and a mythical selfless bird who sacrifices itself during a drought.

Director Kok Heng Leun has opted to "slice open" the monologues and seemingly veers towards abstraction.

He intersperses Kuo's texts with those of his actors and strips down the play to its essence by way of Noh theatre's stylised approach.

But most importantly, he breaks it wide open by turning it into a multilingual production (English, Malayalam, Spanish, Hakka, Cantonese and Japanese) by a multicultural cast from Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, India, Hong Kong and India.

The result is a situation that is free from the baggage of any one particular historico-linguistic context, consequently underscoring the universality of the theme of war.

That said, I was not particularly convinced by the inclusion of the actors' own anecdotal monologues into the piece. Given the already forceful, poetic, and complete voice of Kuo's text, I wondered if they were needed at all.

While there were some solid acting going on - particularly Andy Ng as the gung-ho, blinkered General and Lin Pei-Ann (Themis) as a grieving wife in search of her husband - it is the experience of simply sitting through one of Kuo's classic plays (renegotiated through Kok's eyes and, I should hasten to add, complemented greatly by the ethereal soundscapes of The Observatory's Leslie Low and Vivian Wang) that is, in the final instance, the ultimate reward.

Here's to the next Kuo Pao Kun staging by TETC.

The Spirits Play runs until Sunday, 8pm at NAFA Studio Theatre, Campus 3, 151 Bencoolen Street With 3pm weekend matinees. Tickets at $28 from Sistic. Multilingual, with English and Mandarin surtitles.

Creative Lab, a series of performances inspired by The Spirits Play, will also be held on Aug 20 to 23, 8pm, at the same venue. With 3pm matinees. Admission is free, with priority entry for The Spirits Play ticket stub holder.

FIFO.sg review of THE SPIRITS PLAY

2009-08-16T11:33:00.002+08:00

New Voices, New Languages - The Spirits Play review By ragetan 15 Aug

tags: theatre drama The Theatre Practice tetc Kok Heng Leun Kuo Pao Kun

The Spirits Play assaults your intellectual senses subtly but intensely – through thoughts, words and gesture. Pacing slowly and deliberately, the work skilfully draws out the universal from the personal, such that the tiny details of an individual’s life take on epic hues.

In the literal sense, Spirits brings together a clutch of personalities affected by World War II in Asia. The characters include a general, a war poet, a mother, a comfort woman, and a soldier, among others. These spirits are without any physical context. The hodge-podge of personal tales unfurls at first in a jagged manner, and eventually converges in a scathing indictment of the war.
This pared-down, monologue-heavy interpretation of the late Kuo Pao Kun’s script has a post-modern flair of its own. In the words of Director Kok Heng Leun, the play is images, memories, survivors, jigsaw puzzle. Eschewing linearity, the strength of TETC’s maiden production lies in its sudden flashes of brilliance, searing scenes or words into your memory. One such bittersweet monologue is by Taiwanese actress Themis Lin, whose character marries a soldier sent on a suicide mission. Conveying sparse but impactful detail, Themis relates how they enjoyed half a night of married life before he departs, his fading figure disappearing into the mist of the night, never to return.

The talented and charismatic cast, all TTRP alumni, anchored the production valiantly. The dedication, discipline and chemistry in the cast were evident. A quirk of TETC’s production, to have the international cast speak in their own languages, adds volumes of intensity. Cantonese, Spanish, Malayalam and English mingle naturally without awkwardness, even though the original script is in Mandarin. In this language-centred work, the use of mother tongues contributes marvelously to the authenticity and force of each character. Unfortunately, the practical need to constant read the subtitles added a layer of labour that taxed the audience for an uninterrupted 140 minutes. One also occasionally wished for more physical interaction between characters, as the few instances of interactivity were highly effective and enjoyable.

The Spirits Play by TETC may not be the first choice for those seeking fun and lightness, but its rewards will remain with you long afterwards.

OBSERVATIONS / REFLECTIONS

2009-08-13T01:19:00.000+08:00

观察/回望为什么要搞演出？

近几年看新加坡剧坛百花齐放，每几个月就有这个节那个节的。再仔细瞧，大部分卖座的戏不是海外制作，就是本地音乐剧或标榜另类恋情为主题。新加坡人搞演出、看演出的心态很有趣。
于是问一群高中生：什么是戏剧？
他们很认真地思考：戏剧是生活的放大。
不禁让人琢磨，我们的剧场是不是与生活脱节了？
他们点醒了我：我们太少关心生活、太忽略这片土地。

战争，哪一片土地没经历过？
以战争为主，家乡的经验为题，这次的结合很丰富。第一次走进试验室，看这群游子艺术工作者卸下每一块土地繁华的外表，穿起每一个地方满目疮痍的故事，忽然好似开启了灵感的泉源，也开始在脑海里构思着自己一个战争故事。应该是《创意实验室》的魅力所在吧。实验室里的游子艺术工作者，每一位都很有想法、很愿意分享、很能够聆听。每一次实验后，大家都很踊跃地互相给意见，以求新突破。无奈四个星期太短了。相信给予更多时间实验，成果必定更扎实。不过，他们的热忱提醒了我们：是时候抛弃习惯的无病呻吟了。重新接触生活，寻找演出的目的吧。

陈宛诗，剧场工作者
(nywind@gmail.com)

Pei Ching - Black Angel wth a suitcase

2009-08-13T01:16:00.001+08:00

"無顏" : An eye for an eye will make the world blind

I can never forget watching a real footage of Taliban’s misdeed. One day, to demonstrate their power, a group of men dragged a girl to a school field. Her face was fully covered with black cloth. After shouting some slogans they pointed a pistol to her head and executed her. It was gruesome. Then I wonder what was really in the girl’s mind in those few minutes of unknown. We cannot see her face but would her facial expression be of fright or of vengeance? The idea of a witness in the form of a Black Angel came into my mind for creation. Perhaps this angel has seen many and stands as a testament to human proceedings. For eternity.

閱讀”靈戲”劇本後我讀到了關於戰爭與死亡戰爭是人性最大的測試測試人性中最好與最壞死亡是生命變化其中ㄧ個顏色. 然後我是ㄧ個沒有經歷過戰爭很舒服的現代人

台灣二二八與白色恐怖是台灣至今最大的ㄧ個”結” 那個年代有許多委屈許多深厚情感和至今無解的痛這和劇本很相近不同的是那些故事都刻意被施暴者與受害者埋起來忘掉了所剩資料不多但它是這塊土地歷史上最重要的ㄧ個篇章ㄧ個不願面對過去的人或國家又如何往前在我家鄉隔壁不遠處一間媽祖廟曾是當地最重要的人士活埋的地方他們是仕紳醫生律師最好的畫家他們像肉串一樣被鐵絲穿過手心與腳底在槍支下威逼下自己挖自己的洞跳下去活埋自己那隻手還在土外晃動一切沒有任何理由歷史課本沒有任何記載那些地方現在像不曾發生過任何事沒有留下什麼而就在我家附近我卻從不知道只剩下一些受害者與倖存者永遠無法磨滅的記憶和每夜驚醒的惡夢殺的不是敵人是自己人像這樣事情在中國或世界各地都還在發生

第二個我一直忘不了的畫面真實的紀錄塔利班為了威脅當地人任意抓了ㄧ個少女少女穿著傳統從頭到尾包著黑布拖到學校的空場地頭上套著俘虜的黑布開槍然後倒地這段槍擊被媒體播放以此警告當地人她的死亡被許多人目睹但她的表情與死前的心情卻沒有人看的到她眼前只有一片黑色我無法想像槍擊前她跪下那幾刻十幾歲的少女她內心的流轉在黑布底下與槍口抵住的後腦杓沒有人看的見她的心情那張臉是恐懼是不甘那些沒被看見的臉成為我的戲另ㄧ個主軸

顏色：看完靈戲的這段期間我開始特別地觀察生命的變化不只是人還有周遭自然任何一小小的變化不管是一天當中雲彩的變化或是一棵樹在早晨與夜間給我的氣息我看著一棵樹它座落在台北幾十年我心裡想這棵樹親眼目睹過多少故事我家旁那間百年媽祖廟的那塊土地吸收了多少血現在成為一個公園或百貨公司等那些浩瀚的自然生命中它沒有語言不能說話, 但是它在那裡看著於是我有一個觀察著的角色只有他目睹了一切—黑天使

最後一本書；the book thief 让我一直在想死亡是什麼不是終點那靈魂又是什麼偶然間的這本書我找到了一點蛛絲馬跡在那些美好與暴虐時代中都會有一些超越永恆的精神與情感在那些高尚的靈魂讓人溫暖也讓人難忘他們是我想說的人類無限的可能。

Miyuki - A Day of an Ordinary Man

2009-08-13T01:15:00.001+08:00

ATOMIC SHADOWS 核弹烙印
一个人跌倒了后又站起来，他不知道他已经死了。

广岛核炸的死难者不是军人，是平凡的老百姓。广岛也不是战场，它只是个城市。如果说广岛核炸是场教训，那惩罚的目的到底是什么？

Hi Peter.

I want to talk about one of the ordinary family story of Hiroshima city, between 7:06am to 8:15am...

In the beginning, I just stand on the stage with some posture ( this is his shadow)and he fall down. But he did not know that he is already dead. My story is that he talks with his shadow.

Most of Hiroshima victims are not soldiers, they are ordinary people, and Hiroshima city was not a battlefield, what kind of sacrifice do they make?

I have a special feeling for 'The Spirits Play', because this script is one of my reason that why i decided enter the TTRP, it is very difficult explain with my cheap English. Sorry.

One of the challenges of making this version is that the original script does not contain my character. So I needed to find the some clue from our rehearsals. It is very exciting and also big challenge for me as an actor. Sometimes it is very difficult find the way, it is lonely work but I'm enjoying this process very much.

I wish continue TETC constantly, because i find and felt a lot of things from the Spirits Play production, I'm very honoured work with member of Spirits Play production.

Do you get my hopeless English? I wish.

HA,HA,HA....

Miyuki

Soo Ming - The History Teacher who died unknown

2009-08-13T01:12:00.002+08:00

HEART MOUNTAIN BLOOD RIVER “心山血河”

In this modern time, the noise from the outside is getting bigger and bigger. TV commercials, street demonstrations, political speeches, shallow greetings, aimless slogans, pop music etc. We seem to have lost the ability to listen and to voice out our thoughts. We don’t know what we have lost. Memories are in chaos within us. One day we are going to wake up and realize we have forgotten who we are.

This time, I am creating a ‘non-existent’ person, and because this is so abstract, the process is challenging. How can I present what my intuition tells me? How can I perform ‘a person without a soul’?

这个年代，外头的声音越来越多。电视广告、街头示威、政治家的政治宣言、人们见面时泛滥的客套话、各种各样有的没的口号、内容空洞言之无物肉麻当有趣的流行音乐、商人的花言巧语，还有车声、电话铃声、人和机器发出的被扭曲的音乐声...我们的声音，越来越听不见了，我们开始失去了发声的本能，我们开始只懂得接纳外头的声音，我们永远搞不懂内心的空洞是什么，我们持续寂寞，我们欲言却言之无物，我们根本不懂自己失去了什么。这是个讲求个人主义、自我、自由，却又是人人都没有自我的无灵魂时代。这时代，谎言成了霸权者。有一天我们醒来，将忘掉自己是谁。

脑袋空空的、心里空空的，挂着的身体不知是谁的，不知是哪儿来的。我们记忆混淆，只好运用仅存的身体记忆在空白的外壳上谱写自己，如孩子见到画纸欲往上画些什么似的，有种探寻的喜悦，喜悦又转化为挣扎、恐惧、兴奋... 我们看不到外界，因为眼睛不见了；我们见不到内心，因为灵魂不见了；
是谁挖走了我们的眼睛？是谁蒸发了我们的灵魂？只觉自己身上都堵死了，出不去、进不来；头部总是昏眩，脑袋如梦似幻。

《灵戏》写于90年代，灵感取自40年代的一场浩劫。今天，21世纪第一个十年要过了，可一切好像还在发生，可能不在我身边，却在世界不同的角落如戏台一样锵锵锵陆续上演。即便是活在安愈舒适的生活，战争已然以不同的面貌存在着，只是换了舞台--媒体？网络？...而被轰炸的甚至屠戮的对象，直击我们的‘灵魂’。虽没流血、不疼痛，但在没有意识下，灵魂被轰掉了。《灵戏》透过“灵魂”来说故事；我选择了“躯壳”（或说“空壳”）。相同的是，二者在各不同的时代背景都是被丢弃的一方。

1. 阅读《灵戏》，观察、探讨现代社会现象与戏里吻合之处，创造一个想象角色形象
2. 建立角色模型：一个没有灵魂的迷失个体，长什么样？在做什么？
3. 通过排练，感受、体验角色的生活
4. 理出一个没有故事，只有情节的，不太完整的小品之结构，作为伏笔，以便在交流时进行拼凑

《灵戏》像是种情感的宣泄，透过灵魂的表白道出作者的控诉：表面上看是对战争的控诉，底子里亦隐含着对人性荒唐的无奈、杯葛、感叹，尤其戏中隐喻的“人为牲口，亦为狼群”的现象。我相信事情总有其两面，正、反；内、外；历史、现实等，更令我关心的是，到了今天，我们离那一场浩劫以超过半个世纪，对于这场人性浩劫，我们有了什么样的醒觉？我们有改变了吗？因此我选择了另一面，以现代社会作为一个探讨，作为自己的疑问。这次创造的是一个‘不存在’的角色，虽不完全是无中生有，但也是一个极大的挑战。更难的是，心里千头万绪，如何通过一个“没有灵魂的人物”表达出来。。。

Beto - 'HE'

2009-08-13T01:10:00.000+08:00

The End 结束

在我的国家，贪污猖獗，政治混乱。我们尽管愿意相信执政者，却也一直与谎言纠缠。但我深信只要树上的叶子会不断变色，国家的希望仍旧存在着。我的政治启蒙老师是古巴的一个音乐创作人。他的一首歌里写到：我发现我说谎了，我一直都在说谎…….” 我不禁扪心自问：我身为一个艺术工作者，到底编织了多少谎言？

He is militant and indoctrinated. He was taught not to question or critically examine what he has learned. He is well-domesticated. He can do whatever: a killer, a clown, a dog... He saw - by accident - the lies around him. He wanted to revolt, but it was late... was he killed? Did he commit suicide? There are all kinds of lies, big lies, white lies…. but when is a lie justified? When they come from ‘Respectable Authorities’?

In "The Spirits Play" the Poet's character has an unique element: He is conscience he lied, and he regret of it. This movement from ignorance to clarity and its consequences is what I like in this Kuo Pao Kun's play. But lies is something everywhere not just in war. For centuries lies have been an effective tool for politics, religion, education, economics, publicity, love, etc. And somehow in all cases, a similar image comes to my mind every time: a blind man smashing into a wall, meanwhile he thinks is a huge vertical pillow. The personality is suppressed. Even sometime it seems to me a kind of voluntary slavery.

I started working with image/figure of "liar" who mislead other people; I play with characters like: a teacher, a business, a clown. But I was using a lot of words to get it. Don't speak. Consequently I found out I was embodying the one who believes the lie and lives with it... a blind man smashing into a wall. So I decided to change into the one who is lost in the lies. I didn't want to depict an specific character like soldier or a consumer, so I decided the character would be a "He", who reflects a alienated behaviour. But one day, the bandage I was using in rehearsal to created the blindness felt down accidentally, so I asked myself: what do I have to do if I "see" the "reality"?

I think of Mexico with its corrupt government and politics. I think in all those Mexicans that we want to trust in our country but at same time we struggle against lies... I think along as the leaves continue changing colours, there's hope. There is a song from Cuban composer Silvio Rodriguez, where he says: I have realized that I lied, I have always lied...So, If I as an artist talk about lies, I should start asking myself: How many times I have lied? To reach audience into this theme from my own Mexican experience but in an open language, so they can read it from their own experiences. To do it without words. I hope all artists involved use this chance to be honestly artist connecting with audience. I hope freedom, craziness, passion, intelligence, fun will happen in both: artist and audience.

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land
-THE END (BY THE DOORS)

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST

2009-08-04T11:58:00.004+08:00

In the Island of Promise
A self-devised work by Felimon Blanco (Philippines)
for the Creative Lab of THE SPIRITS PLAY

SYNOPSIS
A dead photojournalist tells of his story in an island that has witnessed decades of conflict. He experienced war at such a young age and had lived in evacuation centers’ leading him to dream for a better island. He wanted the world to know of their lives in the war that has also caused his death.

STARTING POINT
Having lived in an island that has experienced long-time armed conflict, it came to a point where I just have to live with it. War is not just about the actual fights between two groups of armed men, but also about displaced families, homeless and dying children, and living in the evacuation centers.

I see the important role of photojournalists in making the world see the effects of war. I believe they are brave enough to risk their lives to make the world know of the sad fate of people in war.

PROCESS
When I decided to take the character of a photojournalist, I started to contact several photojournalists. Some were so kind to replies to my emails. Some of them just ignored it. Geejay Arriola, a friend of mine who has done a music theater production on war, was so kind to provide me with photos and videos that her company used in their Salima production. Looking at the photos and videos she sent, I started to develop the piece from the point of view of the photojournalist. I made the character a victim of war, who had been an evacuee himself, and even killed in the war. I experimented on a script that underwent many revisions, until I finally got to feel what I want to show. The incorporation of the video and music came last. But working on the floor again resulted to further discover new things for the play. There had been constant revisions until it got its final shape.

THE SPIRITS PLAY AS THE TRIGGER
I personally believe that The Spirits Play speaks of the universal language of the effects of war. It speaks to me as millions of spirits who had been victims of war. Imagine that if these spirits will speak of their stories one by one, it will be a whole lot of anguish. We felt sad when we heard that many lives are wasted in the war, but we failed to acknowledge that they have their sad stories to tell, which are often neglected and forgotten. From the play, I take on the character of the Poet as my starting point. I find the importance of transmitting the truth in a war. The real picture must be seen by the majority, and stories must be told in order for us to reflect on war and its consequences.

CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge is how to convey such message to an audience who has no direct experience with war, and how to make them realize and see the evils of war through my solo work.

TETC AS A COMPANY
This is the kind of theater I have been looking for after graduating from TTRP : multi-cultural, multi-lingual exchanges, and a theater that questions and investigates.

When the first idea of the Creative Lab was conceived, I immediately send my interest to be involved in it. I believe that Creative Lab is a good platform to creatively experiment and artistically investigate form and content of a contemporary theater practice. I see this as a continuing learning experience for artists to be actively involved into the whole creative process. I hope that this Creative Lab project will continue for contemporary artists to constantly investigate issues through theater.

ZAC, the Karang Guni Man - C LAB

2009-08-02T23:10:00.003+08:00

"All but forgotten"

A karang guni man, collects unwanted possibilities, tells discarded tales and redefines himself.

When I first read Kuo Pao Kun’s Spirits Play, it struck me as a series of stories. Similarly, in his other plays (e.g. Coffin, Eunuch, Day I Met the Prince, Lao Jiu), the storytelling element is very strong. To me, stories are the tapestry of life, as Neil Gaiman so aptly said. And what I see in Spirits Play are people trying to find their way back or their way out, but the only link to their existence are their stories.

I choose the karang guni because I see him as a sort of spirit of modern times in Singapore. With recycling becoming more systematic, even the disposal of waste is more practical. And to some extent, people don’t bother to evaluate what they throw away nowadays. Which is what the karang guni used to do, he’ll give you a fair deal for what you want to throw away. He is also a lovely image from my past.

"everyone is born a god,
but somewhere along
the way
becomes a false idol."

Too much to be said for one small piece, so many echoes of Kuo Pao Kun’s other works come into mind. Singapore stories need to be told, they need to be heard. But how does one tell them? Through exploring the elements of street theatre? Noisy, fun and communicates. Possibilities we discard. Possibilities we retrace. So what exactly are we?

In the spirit of storytelling, for the spirits in stories.

Zachary Goh, Singapore
The Karang Guni Man in CREATIVE LAB free showings,
August 20-23, 8pm, 22-23 - 3pm
NAFA Studio Theatre
151 Bencoolen Street

Trigger for Wahwah- Creative Lab

2009-08-02T23:08:00.002+08:00

媽媽，我是多麼想回家
多麼想緊緊地抱住您
瘦小枯乾的身軀
多麼想輕輕地撫摸您
風中飄動的白髮
多麼想好好地陪伴您
能天天為您泡一杯熱茶

媽媽，我已不能回家
媽媽，我已被他們的子彈和坦克
推入地下
媽媽，我已不能回家
作者：MIST

The emotional trigger for Wah Wah, Hong Kong, now conceptualizing and rehearsing for CREATIVE LAB

CREATIVE LAB - Noushad

2009-08-02T23:06:00.001+08:00

Dear countrymen,
Why war?
Why terror?
Why are you killing ?

Change to you or change the world?
Is it for freedom?
Is it for liberation?
Do you have freedom in this free world?

I died many times in each war,
You mourned for me
You prayed for my soul
You lit up the candle for me

I am re-birth again
You wished me for long life
but.... It is a universal shame.

Noushad.M, India

Creative Lab thoughts and excerpts

WITNESSING CREATIVE LAB

2009-08-02T22:40:00.002+08:00

OBSERVING ONE REHEARSAL 观察/回望

‘Objectives’ are everything in life

From Stanislavsky, we learn that ‘objectives’ provides direction, intention and purpose for characters and actors. For teachers, ‘what are my students learning?’ is key. For creators, ‘what am I saying?’ helps guide the production to some clarity. However in artistic collaborations, the journey is never as clear. Why go on an adventure if you know what to expect from point A to point Z? It is the brave who will travel the untaken path and the creative who will hunger for constant exploration and improvement. How hungry are we?

Watching the first day of the ‘Creative Lab’ rehearsal, I saw four actors sharing their solo performances created in response to Pao Kun’s ‘The Spirits Play’. Each performance was very different in style and delivery but they were almost at performance level with some clarity as to what they wanted to say. A few questions emerged, how precious and open are the actors in listening and adapting their work to collaborate with the others? Is there a need to collaborate if the individual performances are already strong and almost complete? If a dialogue is wanted, collaboration is absolutely necessary. How can one be critical and keep challenging fellow creators/performers? How is language used? Do we use English to ensure that others understand what we are trying to say? What is lost in the translation? How will this group of eight collaborate for the ‘Creative Lab’?

The ‘objectives’ of why we do what we do in theatre or in life, is extremely crucial in creating works that matter.

Thank you for allowing me to watch the creative process and I hope we’ll start a dialogue about life, art and living.

With theatre in my heart,
Jeffrey Tan
Theatre Director, drama educator, arts administrator

CREATIVE LAB Premise

2009-08-02T22:11:00.002+08:00

From: elitepigs@hotmail.com
To: bei_gi@yahoo.com.tw; wahwahmickey@gmail.com; zachary.ho@gmail.com; sooming219@gmail.com; fbb1973@yahoo.com; icaroybeto@yahoo.com; noushad_nadan@rediffmail.com; miyukikamimurajp@yahoo.co.jp
CC: ng_wai_shek@hotmail.com; themis_lin@hotmail.com
Subject: Exchange Spirits
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 03:08:22 +0800
Dear creator-performers of Creative Lab,

It will be another two more months before our lab exchange. I hope you have been conceptualizing and rehearsing by yourself, and are maturing your pieces of work. You shall join force with all the others when we all re-unite in Singapore.

REMINDER:
This CREATIVE LAB is NOT a night of individual projects joined together and performed one after another, as in TTRP studying times. It should be a workshopped piece of integrated work that has seen contributions from all the participants and has been worked through in an intensive 2 weeks of devising and working together. It is also our best hope that, two or more participants can merge their pieces of work together and co-perform together to further bring out the theme to SPIRITS PLAY.

The solo work that each actor has prepared before arriving in Singapore will serve as a starting point for this Creative Lab. The creative response is based on each actor’s sentiments and thoughts as developed from their reading of SPIRITS PLAY written by Kuo Pao Kun. It could be in any forms of theatre- word or wordless.

This CREATIVE LAB is a platform of in-depth discussion, exchange and actual floorwork, which reflects good about TTRP's vision and the will, passion and artistic discipline of its graduates to conduct cross-cultural works. Thus, Keep your email exchanges alive and active. Let’s reflect on each other ideas and giving different perspectives to challenge each other’s creation. The more we throw into discussion now, the more we can play with later. Before the physical exchange in rehearsal studio, our dialogue should start now in MIND and SPIRIT.

Proposed timeline / workflow

1) Presentation of solo works - July 27th, 28th - 8 hours.
2) Brainstorm and discussions - July 29th, 30th, 31st - 12 hours.
3) Partnership and workshopping - August 1st, 2nd - 12 hours.
4) Work-in-progress showings / feedback / detailing
- August 3rd, 4th, 5th - 12 hours.
5) Structuring and flow - August 6th, 7th - 8 hours.
6) Detailing and full run throughs - August 8,9th - 12 hours.

As you can see the time we have is short and compact. We either fail or succeed.

Looking forward to your exciting works. 加油！

Peter 佳亮

p/s: I am still waiting for your confirmed air flight and fare. Not all have done so, email me. ASAP

A poem from the soldier

2009-07-21T18:32:00.005+08:00

Bits and pieces
that's what is left.
Bones and ornaments
under a stone flab.

Old names are forgotten,
New names for the bones.
A god in placement of a human.

When they were alive, they have their own name,
When they died,their bones have new names.

The rich have decorative tomb,
the prositute has one flab.
Rough jagged stones identifying the officers
buried with collections from the war scene.

The General was there,
And so was the poet.
He who once ruled the East Asia military during war,
now share a place beside the one who wrote about the war.

All their souls rest here now in this soil,
in wasan road.
they look at me, as we sat isolated under the trees.

At that moment,
I felt the spirits.

NOTE:
A poem by Noushade. He was inspired after a trip to the Japanese Cementry.
During a time where the artists were indulging in a moment with the spirits while siting quitely on stone benches under the trees)

Conjuring inside our lighting designer's head

2009-07-13T22:32:00.029+08:00

Lim Woan Wen has no words to describe her process, she only has visuals inside her head. And wow, so many....

The Lone Tree

The Never-ending Path

The Blinding Light

Lim Woan Wen
Associate Lighting Designer of The Finger Players since 2004

AWARDS
2006
Best Lighting Design, 6th Life! Theatre Awards
'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea'
by The Finger Players

2008
Best Lighting Design, 8th Life! Theatre Awards
'Wong Kar Wai Dreams' by The Finger Players
Nomination, Best Lighting Design, 8th Life! Theatre Awards
'0501' presented by The Finger Players

2009
Best Lighting Design, 9th Life! Theatre Awards
'Pinnochio’s Complex' by The Finger Players

An award-winning lighting designer for 3 years in a row (a year gap in between).Come witness her intricate and nuanced lighting for 'The Spirits Play'.

Joining Lim Woan Wen is also award-winning set designer, Lim Wei Ling and Singapore's top fashion and costume designer, Anthony Tan. Not to mention our very exciting music ambassador to foreign countries, THE OBSERVATORY with lead vocalists cum composers, Vivian Wang and Leslie Low. They will be doing live music for each performance.

This is a rare gathering of the best designers in Singapore, lending their much-needed gravitas to the powerful script by Kuo Pao Kun, direction of Kok Heng Leun and TETC's international actors.

Should you come watch? Need we say more?

Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus = TETC = Talented, Educated, Top and Cool!

Peep into our set design

2009-07-13T22:07:00.004+08:00

THE SPIRITS PLAY - 'All the world's a stage'

Can you visualize this?

Design by Lim Weiling

Intrigued by the complex workings in our life, she continually explores more satisfying ways to make sense of the world in her contemplative works. Wei Ling is constantly seeking reflective immersion by extensive dwelling in one continent after another. As a cross‐disciplinary spatial designer, Weiling incorporates a wide range of media in her creations that include architecture, installation, theatre, film, and graphic.

In 2005, she co‐founded [+O], a non‐profit multi‐disciplinary group, which recently has been selected as a presenter of Singapore Supergarden, Singapore Pavilion in the 11th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition 2008. Her works were seen in major festivals both in Singapore and overseas.

Some of her notable works include:

Installation
'Blueprint', Milan, Milan Design Week 2008
'Sound Seed Project', commission by Hua Yi Festival, Singapore.

Installation and scenography
'0501', a collaborative work devised and conceptualised by 10 artists, The Finger Players

Weiling is a graduate of the National University of Singapore in Architecture and subsequently received Masters of Arts in Design Futures with Distinction from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

She has just completed the prestigious 'Creator‐In‐Residence' at Tokyo Wonder Site in Japan this year.

Awards
President's Design Award 2007, Design of the Year, installation work for '0501'

Peep into our costume design

2009-07-13T20:55:00.004+08:00

THE SPIRITS PLAY costumes

CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

The GENERALThe MOTHER costume 1The LITTLE BOY costume 1 The GIRL The SOLDIERThe MOTHER costume 2The POET The LITTLE BOY costume 2 Design by Anthony Tan

Current Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at the Department of Fashion Studies, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)

Some notable productions under his belt:

2001
'Best Production Design’, Life! Theatre Awards,
for ‘A Tinted Edge’, Toy Factory

2003
CHINGGAY PARADE

2004
I NUOVI COSMETICS 2004 SPRING/SUMMER COLOURS LAUNCH

2005
'QUIDAM’, Singapore, Cirque Du Soleil,
THUNDERSTORM, Hua Yi Chinese Festival, Singapore Chinese Orchestra
UNIFORM for TIGER BEER @ Asia Pacific Brewery
PEROFRMANCE UNIFORM for Singapore Chinese Orchestra

2006
'Best Costume Design’, Life! Theatre Awards,
for ‘Ten Brothers’, Toy Factory

2007
Head Designer, NATIONAL DAY PARADE at Marina Bay

2008
HUGO BOSS NEW FRAGRANCE DEEP RED FASHION SHOW
SHANGHAI BLUES the musical, Hua Yi Chinese Festival, Toy Factory

2009
THE CRAB FLOWER CLUB, Singapore Arts Festival, Toy Factory

6min45secs,Presentation Part 4,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:26:00.001+08:00

10min,Presentation Part 3,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:25:00.002+08:00

10min,Presentation Part 2,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:25:00.001+08:00

10min,Presentation Part 1,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:23:00.001+08:00

8min51secs,Rehearsal process Part 6,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:19:00.003+08:00

10min,Rehearsal process Part 5,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:18:00.003+08:00

10min, Rehearsal process Part 4,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:18:00.001+08:00

10min,Rehearsal proces Part 3,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:17:00.002+08:00

10min,Rehearsal process Part 2,The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:16:00.001+08:00

9min56secs,Rehearsal process Part 1, The Spirits Play

2009-07-13T00:14:00.003+08:00

32secs,Rehearsal video,solo showing,Miyuki,LITTLE BOY

2009-07-13T00:11:00.001+08:00

5min57secs,Rehearsal video,solo showing,Themis,the MOTHER

2009-07-13T00:10:00.000+08:00

32secs,Rehearsal video,solo showing,Beto,the POET

2009-07-13T00:09:00.001+08:00

4min11secs,Rehearsal video,solo showing,Ee Mien,the GIRL

2009-07-13T00:07:00.000+08:00

30secs,Rehearsal video,solo showings,Andy,the GENERAL

2009-07-12T23:38:00.006+08:00

Who took the alarm clock from the GENERAL?? 誰拿了將軍的鐘？

2009-07-12T11:00:00.000+08:00

--關於《靈戲》的靈異事件～～恐～怖～喔

話說，如果排"靈"戲，沒有發生一些奇怪的事情，還真入戲不深...
事情是這樣的...
我們的香港將軍，Andy，習慣把他的小鬧鐘放在床頭的小平台上，
每天鬧鐘都會在固定的時間開始響。
有一天早上，將軍還是被鬧鐘的聲響叫醒，他習慣性的伸手一摸....
咦，鬧鐘不見了！！！
可是"滴滴滴滴"的聲音還是在....
心想是那個調皮的室友阿～～
仔細一想，同室的一推叔叔伯伯老人家們，Miyuki不可能,Beto他沒空幹這事，更不要說是Noushad了
當下決定立即起身，無論如何先順著聲音找出鬧鐘再說，
找著找著一路找出了門....
開了房間的門，進入2樓大廳，又開了通往浴廁的隔門，聲音還在滴滴滴
轉頭一看，終於看到鬧鐘獨自一個，被放在小廚房的桌子上，還在滴滴滴地響...

有獎徵答，
請問：是誰拿了將軍的鐘？？
WHY？？WHY？？WHY？？

-- 台灣Aunty，Themis代述代問囉
答對的獎品是什麼？？好問題，就送你將軍的心愛小鬧鐘囉～～大哥可以吧？？

An incident revolving around a SPIRIT –
Warning: contents may not be suitable for the faint-hearted

If one is staging ‘The Spirits Play’ and nothing supernatural happens, then the actors must be quite shallow in their rehearsals.

The story goes like this…..

Our GENERAL from Hong Kong, Andy now staying in a guesthouse together with us, has placed his small alarm clock by his bed. It always rings at a fixed time every day. One morning, the GENERALwas awoken by the alarm ringing and he stretched his hand to want to turn it off……

But the alarm clock is gone!!!

Yet the ‘Di Di Di Di Di Di Di Di Di DI Di Di Di Di’ went on and on. "Sigh, it must be my room mates trying to be funny....."

But wait a minute, we are a bunch of 'senior citizens' (the age range of all actors in this production is between 41-48 yrs old) and among all staying in the same dormitory room, it can’t be Miyuki......Beto is too busy with his 'stuff'.......not to mention the very mature Noushad.

So Andy decisively went down the bed, determined to search the source of the alarm sound. He went from corner to coner in the dorm room, then stepped out of the dorm, then walked along the corridor, then opened the door to the shared toilets and shower rooms. The alarm kept on ringing all the time and the GENERAL was getting frustrated.........then, he turned around. The poor little alarm clock, was resting on one small table at the pantry area. "Di Di Di Di Di Di Di Di Di DI DI Di Di.................."

(Sound of suspense movie plays……)

"Who took MY alarm clock? “WHY?? WHY?? WHY??”"

Now the MOTHER from Taiwan, Themis is writing and asking on Andy's behalf (the GENERAL is actually too scared to be asking this directly, in case more things happen to his alarm clock or perhaps other personal things or perhaps to hi.............ssssssshhhhhhhhh........)

Please send in your answers! The correct or most believable answer will receive a memorable gift - Andy’s precious-but-slightly-confused little alarm clock.

Hope this is ok with you, Mr GENERAL.

Signed,
Themis,
MOTHER,
'The Spirits Play'

(Sound of suspense movie stops.)

TETC - The Origins

2009-07-11T20:56:00.000+08:00

In May 2008, Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP) organised an Asian Cultural Conference and about ten past TTRP graduates and some former teachers got together. On the last day of the conference, current school director, Sasi shared with us first hand that due to the financial challenges for the school, TTRP will need to temporary close for a while. The ten graduates and the 4th cohort were very sad and puzzled by the situation.

We started exploring about the setting up of an alumnus to keep in touch, to continue exchanging what we’ve learnt, what we’re doing and also help maintain the visibility of TTRP. After three months of numerous email discussions, I was elected to be chairman.

We all decided that the company will be on an ad-hoc basis since we are all artists. We wanted the company to be fluid. We wanted to explore what type of plays and languages we will use i TETC’s productions. Most importantly, whether we could work together?

It is our hope that TETC changes its host country for each production. We believe that the impetus and environment that shapes the work is different in each country and can in turn provide varied creative impulses and mindsets. This would also means shared responsibilities administratively and logistically, which does not bear the potential burden of running a repertory theatre company and narrowing the artistic scope of any one particular TETC artist.

Peter Sau
elitepigs@hotmail.com

Tranquility 一片安宁

2009-07-11T20:50:00.000+08:00

'High above me the sky is all blue
All around me there is absolute silence
A single white crane flashes over my head
Painting the entire world as peaceful and tranquil'

The POET, Scene 7, The Spirits Play’

"天，一片蔚蓝

四周，沒一点声音

一只白鸟从头上飞过

把全世界，画得一片安宁”

诗人，第七场，《灵戏》

Drop by ok? 有空来坐坐好吗？

2009-07-11T20:45:00.003+08:00

From: House Programme Editor, Jeffrey Tan (jefftan72@yahoo.com.sg)

An open letter to Pao Kun after watching one rehearsal.

Hi Pao Kun,

How have you been?

Today, I witnessed a rehearsal by the newly formed TETC. Peter Sau got Heng Leun to direct some of your past TTRP graduates in this new multi-lingual production of The Spirits Play. When I walked into the rehearsal room after lunch, the actors were meditating and warming up their voices. It’s been such a long time since I witnessed such a serious rehearsal atmosphere. When the physical warm up started, the agility of the actors to keep the wooden poles in the air was amazing to watch. Such strong stage presence, serious and at the same time playfully creative! Besides rehearsing for the play, they each had to create individual performances and sharing of what they have been doing creatively since graduating from TTRP.

I had a chat with Heng Luen and am excited about his concept of the play. Instead of moulding the very diverse actors to your play, they decided to respond, experiment and create their own multi-lingual version of this very exciting play.

Flashes of the first three mandarin and English productions came back… You writing the play as we rehearse the premiere version at waterloo street. Then you got sick and we were really worried. Even the elderly Lin Lian Kun, (fantastic actor from China) was so calm and concerned. Then you surprised everyone by getting Stan Lai from Taiwan to helm the maiden production for the Singapore Arts Festival. Later that year, we toured your own version to Hong Kong for the Chinese Drama Festival. Being production manager, it was such a joy working with you! Keng Sen’s mind blowing version of The Spirits Play at the Battle Box and Victoria Theatre with the Japan performance artists blew my mind to the endless possibilities of your universal play.

I’m so looking forward to this new exciting version as the cast and crew organically experiment, respond and create their own versions of your play. I wish you were here to see it.

Drop by ok?

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Tan
(Resident Director, The Theatre Practice 1997 to 1999)

Our Principal, Our Mentor, Our Guiding Light

2009-07-11T20:37:00.000+08:00

Kuo Pao Kun (b.1939 Xiaoguo village, Hebei, China - d. 10 Sep 2002, Singapore), was a playwright, director, producing plays in both English and Chinese. He is considered one of the most significant dramatists in Singapore and a pioneer of Singapore theatre. Many of his works, produced over four decades of creative work, have been translated into Malay, Tamil, German, Japanese, Arabic. And many, too, have been produced and performed by theatre companies in Singapore and abroad.

Kuo is widely regarded as a pioneer in Singapore theatre. His performing arts school and theatre company have nurtured and produced many performing arts practitioners over the years. Kuo himself taught a whole generation of directors, including Action Theatre’s Ekachai Uekrongtham, Theatreworks' Ong Keng Sen, The Necessary Stage's Alvin Tan and WildRice’s Ivan Heng.

When he converted The Substation into an arts centre in 1990, it provided an avenue for local arts practitioners and audience alike which transcended language and discipline. The four arts institutions which he founded - the Practice Performing Arts School, The Theatre Practice, The Substation and The Thetare Research Programme – have become major arts institutions in Singapore. Through his role in these institutions, Kuo has inspired a whole generation of Singapore artists.

Awards
1989 : Cultural Medallion
1993 : ASEAN Award for Performing Arts
1997 : Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (knighthood of arts and letters), France
2002 : Excellence for Singapore Award.

He passed away in late 2002 and is dearly missed by everyone one of us from TETC, not to mention all the hearts and souls he has touched through his outstanding Singaporean dramatic works and academic writings.

Do you know the history behind 'The Spirits Play'? 《灵戏》的历史

2009-07-11T20:25:00.001+08:00

Written in 1998 by the most important Singaporean dramatist-playwright of our times, Mr Kuo Pao Kun, founder of Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP), The Theatre Practice (TTP), Practice Performing Arts School (PPAS) and The Substation.

Mandarin Productions of THE SPIRITS PLAY 《灵戏》

1998 The Theatre Practice, directed by Stan Lai, 10 June, Victoria Theatre, Singapore Arts Festival

1998 The Theatre Practice, directed by Kuo Pao Kun, 13 Nov, Victoria Theatre, Singapore

1998 The Theatre Practice, directed by Kuo Pao Kun, 22 Nov Hong Kong City Hall, Chinese Drama Festival

English Productions of THE SPIRITS PLAY

'THE SPIRITS PLAY- 6 Movements in a Strange House'

Performance conceived & directed by Ong Keng Sen

A collaboration between cutting edge Japanese performance artists and veteran Singapore actors. Separate performances, specially designed and transformed for two different venues.

Presented by Theatreworks:

17 – 20 August 2000: The Battle Box, Fort Canning Park, 8pm
25 – 26 August 2000: Victoria Theatre, 8pm

Oct 2001: Morishita Studios, Japan

R(A) - Restricted to audience 18 & above

EMBRYONIC process 怀胎酝酿

2009-07-11T14:59:00.000+08:00

Circus People Stellar 剧场梦幻团队

2009-07-11T14:09:00.002+08:00

The GENERAL from Hong Kong - Andy
香港的将军伟硕

The MOTHER from Taiwan - Themis

台湾的母亲浿安

The MAN from India - Noushad

印度的男人 Noushad

The GIRL from Singapore - Ee Mien

新加坡的姑娘伊敏

The POET from Mexico - Beto

墨西哥的诗人 Beto

The LITTLE BOY from Japan - Miyuki

日本的 小男孩 美裕起

Tapping into one's past - Noushad from India, playing the SOLDIER in 'The Spirits Play' shares his childhood and growing up years

2009-07-10T18:29:00.000+08:00

1st week of rehearsal - Moment, experience, recollection, stillness-to-analyse-myself, words-to-performative-thought and then body exploration with limited but complex set, struggles and conflicts between actor to character and vice versa. wha!!!....... Good, creative, relaxing and enjoying time with Heng Luen and our six GREAT 'Spirited' actors, including me.

Day by day, I am seeing Kerala (India) closer to me as i work through my text translation from English to my mother tongue, Malayalam. Really, my home village is also like the character MAN's village as mentioned in 'The Spirits Play'. There are big rice fields, canals, rivers, mountains, the landscape is full of greeneries. In my childhood, I helped a lot for farmers who were working in our rice field, such as bringing food from their homes to the fields on time, carrying the bundle of rice plants in the big cane baskets, washing the mud from the roots from one field to another.........planting, fertilizing, ploughing , storing water from the brooks to field ,shaping the borders of the field. When we go back home after the work from the field, I cleaned the bullock, buffalos and ploughing tools from the canal. And the smell of the sweet, happy working farmers, planting women in diffrent lines - their comments, the birds, cranes, crow,s mienas, pigeons..........the smell of the field, the touch of the rice plants, the smell and chemical action of the fertilizers (ammonia, uria, potash, ashes, cow dung etc.)

Wow.......its like re-opening up a can of memories again now through this play i am performing in.

My school days - I could see the Centrel Reserve Police Force (CRPF) doing excercises -running, marching and walking from 7 am every day . Their tall height and strong personality, their duty and their energy impressed me very much. Two time, I tried to join the CRPF in 1984 and1985. But my short height means I couldn't enter even the main gate of the camp; there was one measuring rope tied across the main gate of the camp whose height is about 1 meter 70 cm. Well, if you are in standing position and your head touches the rope , you will move onto the physical test. But I was unlucky. I prepared myself for the next year; running, jumping, chin up (hanging in tree) push up etc. But I was also unlucky the next year. Then I never tried again.
Two of my uncles were in militery those days. One was stationed in Punjab and another was in Kashmir. They discouraged me to join the police force when they came back for holidays. Because of their training, routine, duties and responsibilities, they shared thier loneliness and emotional experiences in the camp in front of my parents. My parants discouraged me further. I finally took all advice not to join the police force. But still I love those heroes who are fighting agianst terror and harsh weather.

JAI HO...........Now I am the man, playing the SOLDIER (I can finally tap into my childhood spirits as I rehearse this play in Signapore) and I am going to revisit all these old memories to re-create my long-lost CHARACTER.

Noushad, India, based in New Delhi, born and raised in Kerala

Some things are for free 有些东西确实是免费的

2009-07-10T11:58:00.001+08:00

Creative Lab, presented back-to-back with the ticketed ‘The Spirits Play’ performances, aims to promote and encourage the re-invention of theatre classics. With ‘The Spirits Play’ ticket stubs, audience will enjoy priority entry to witness original works created, self-directed and performed by TETC artists: a showcase of individually unique and multi-layered creative responses on the play proper, presented free to the audience.

创意实验室紧随《灵戏》之后，与观众见面。这部作品,旨在推广经典剧目的实验性再创造。入场免费，观众可凭着《灵戏》票根, 优先观赏这部‘外传统游艺团’借《灵戏》为出发点，自创自导自演的独特作品。

Created and performed by 表演与创作:

Beto Ruiz (Mexico 墨西哥）
Felimon Bonita Blanco (Philippines 菲律宾)
Hung Pei Ching 洪珮菁 (Taiwan 台湾)
Miyuki Kamimura 上村美裕起 (Japan 日本)
Mohamed Kunju Noushad (India 印度)
Seng Soo Ming 程守明 (Malaysia 马来西亚)
Wah Wah, Hung Chit Wah 洪节华 (Hong Kong 香港)
Zachary Ho 何子祥 (Singapore 新加坡)

Dates 日期:

August 20, 21, 22, 23 - 8pm
August 22, 23 - 3pm

Venue 地点:

Studio Theatre, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Campus 3,
151 Bencoolen Street 黑箱剧场，南洋艺术学院第三校园

Ticket Price 票价:

Free admission (priority entry for “The Spirits Play” ticket stub holders)
入场免费 (持有《灵戏》票根的观众将享有入场优先权)

'The Spirits Play' creative team 《灵戏》创作群

2009-07-10T11:37:00.000+08:00

The Spirits Play
CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright: Kuo Pao Kun
Director: Kok Heng Leun (Artistic Director, Drama Box)
Presented by: Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus (TETC）
A collective of TTRP graduate artists from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Japan, Philippines, India, Poland and Mexico.

Set: Lim Wei Ling
Lighting: Lim Woan Wen
Costume: Anthony Tan
Live music/sound: Vivian Wang and Leslie Low
(The Observatory)
Producer: Peter Sau
Production Stage Manager: Helmi Fita

《灵戏》创作群

编剧: 郭宝崑
导演: 郭庆亮 (戏剧盒艺术总监)
呈献: 外传统游艺团
成员皆毕业于‘剧场训练与研究课程’, 他们来自各国, 包
括了新加坡、马来西亚、台湾、香港、澳门、中国、日本、
菲律宾、印度、波兰和墨西哥)

舞台设计: 林玮翎
灯光设计: 林菀雯
服装设计: 陈安东尼
音乐创作兼现场配乐: 王嘉佳和刘怀立 (The Observatory)
监制: 苏佳亮
制作兼舞台总监: Helmi Fita

Starring 主演

Andy Ng (Hong Kong 香港)
Beto Ruiz (Mexico 墨西哥)
Ee Mien Sia (Singapore 新加坡)
Lin Pei-Ann, Themis (Taiwan 台湾)
Miyuki Kamimura (Japan 日本)
Mohamed Kunju Noushad (India 印度)

Who Are We? 我们是谁？

2009-07-10T11:34:00.000+08:00

Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus (TETC)

A theatre collective comprising 29 graduates (over 4 cohorts) from Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP). TETC is based in Singapore, but spans different countries- Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Poland and Mexico.

Sharing similar artistic sensibilities and emerging from the tutelage of the late Mr Kuo Pao Kun, we have come together to continue the legacy of our mentor’s significant vision of inter-cultural theatre in the world. This is our collective effort to keep alive in practice, his artistic vision and the training methodology expressed in the unique curriculum and inter-cultural approaches of TTRP, which he co-founded with current Director T. Sasitharan.

Our company’s creative philosophy is driven by a passion to cultivate global cultural sensitivity, steeped in the multiculturalism reflecting Singapore, so as to contribute dynamically to the current world’s identity of diversity. For each production, we will aim for a stimulating creative exchange among artists and draw on one or many easily-forgotten / neglected Asian memories and the associated dogmas, beliefs, traditions and heritages - not from the "museumized" and limited ‘official’ versions – so as to truthfully comment on contemporary questions regarding living in a modern world.
__________________________________________________

外传统游艺团

一个荟集了29位‘剧场训练与研究课程’毕业生的剧场组合。成员横跨多个国家 - 新加坡、马来西亚、菲律宾、香港、澳门、中国、台湾、日本、印度、波兰和墨西哥。

受惠于已故戏剧家郭宝崑先生和现任院长沙士德兰的教诲,我们秉持着相同的创作理念,致力于发展多元文化剧场，更希望持续探索‘剧场训练与研究课程’ 扎实的培训法。

浸濡于新加坡的多元文化环境，我团的创作宗旨在于培养对国与国之间的文化敏感度, 积极地挖掘全球文化的多重差异。每一次的演出制作,我们要探索的是，在人类历史上被遗忘或被忽略的回忆,以及其相关的传统、制约、信仰、教条等, 从而真实地反映当今社会的现象。

THE SPIRITS PLAY ticketing 《灵戏》售票详情

2009-07-10T11:23:00.000+08:00

TICKETING 票务详情

Dates 日期

August 13 - 8pm (for invited and charity night guests only, 只限嘉宾)
August 14, 15, 16 - 8pm (for public sales, 公开售票)
August 15, 16 - 3pm (for public sales, 公开售票)

(90 minutes, no intermission / 90分钟，无中场休息 )

Venue 地点

Studio Theatre, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Campus 3,
151 Bencoolen Street 黑箱剧场，南洋艺术学院第三校园

Ticket Price 票价
(Not inclusive of $3 SISTIC ticket surcharge /
不包括 $3 SISTIC手续费)
$28
$20 (concessions for full-time students, NSFs and senior citizens age
55 and above / 全职在籍学生, 服役人员和乐龄人士)

·Students from secondary schools, junior colleges and ITEs can utilize the Tote Board Arts Grant to get 60% subsidy off the concession ticket price. For TOTE BOARD GRANT enquiries, please visit http://www.nac.gov.sg/aep/faq.asp or call 97450795

We welcome general enquiries, please email tetc@live.com.sg or call 97450795 to contact Peter Sau 我们欢迎您发出任何疑问，请电邮 tetc@live.com.sg 或拨电 97450795 联络苏佳亮

Tickets available through all SISTIC Authorized Agents islandwide
欲购票者,请前往遍布全岛的 SISTIC 售票处

Book online上网订购：www.sistic.com.sg
SISTIC hotline 热线: 63485555

《灵戏》剧情简介

2009-07-10T11:20:00.000+08:00

灵的世界,一片混沌。

战争结束。荒野上。

五个被遗忘的人，心神不定地寻觅着回家的路。

辛酸的过去、流离的命运、逝去的梦想……

他们，唯有在凭吊中寻回一丝抚慰。

记忆留存, 痛楚不灭, 愧疚接踵至。

因为往事不堪回首，五个人的爱恨情仇难以释怀而纠结一起……

有人不堪：“以死报国，是死得其所！”

有人反击：“可是我们有打胜仗吗？我们是英勇坚强的吗？”

由始至终，他们漂移着。
_______________________________________________

郭宝崑先生创作的《灵戏》是新加坡的经典剧本之一。它唤回我们对二十世纪太平洋战争的记忆，深刻地揭示了战役所带来的痛楚、愧疚、错乱，并回溯这一段被忘却的残酷杀戮。以人道关怀的角度出发, 写于1998年的剧本至今仍受到关注。

这部以多种语言呈献的作品，将集合三代艺术工作者的创意巧思——已故剧作家郭宝崑的经典剧本、戏剧盒艺术总监郭庆亮的执导和‘剧场训练与研究课程’毕业生的演绎。虽然大家来自五湖四海，在不同的领域各自发展，但我们深信艺术不分国界，创作的精神、理念是相通的。

'THE SPIRITS PLAY'' synopsis

2009-07-10T11:11:00.000+08:00

Synopsis

The world of spirits is a world of flux.

Five post-war personas in a state of limbo gather at a deserted place.

Searching for a way home, they stop only to hear each other’s poignant tales of war and loss, endeavors and bygone dreams.

Soon, haunting memories of guilt and pain are unveiled and they realize they are tangled to each other in their choices and consequences.

With their relationship to each other now clear, they unleash a series of questions about the sense and senselessness of war.

‘To die for the motherland is to die in glory!’ against ‘Did we win the battle? Was there any real deed of bravery?’

They start drifting again.
___________________________________________________

The Spirits Play, one of Singapore’s most important theatre classics, was written by the late Mr Kuo Pao Kun in 1998. It evokes memories from the 20th century Pacific War which swept through Asia and Europe and investigates the guilt, pain and complexities which the war incited. A play that is valued across generations for its universally embracing theme for Asia and the world, and its powerfully delivered message - the triumph of human oral histories over silenced war atrocities.

This multi-lingual production unites creative energies across three generations: highly cherished dramatist-playwright Kuo Pao Kun, esteemed director Kok Heng Leun, artistic director of Drama Box and TTRP graduate artists. It is our belief that the living and the deceased are only separated physically but never mentally, spiritually and creatively.

Meeting up with the Designers

2009-07-10T00:38:00.000+08:00

Meeting up with the set and costume designers
A time of listening and sharing

Before the meeting, a simple presentation was done for the designers

after 4 days of improvisation work.

The tabis strews all over the floor was one of the many ideas.

The director, the set designer and the costume designer

The boss making an animated speech

The Japanese Cementry Park

2009-07-10T00:03:00.000+08:00

One of the research area for the script
And yes, it's in Singapore

The General's resting place.
He is the general for Asia during World War 2

And next to the general, the poet's resting place.
The poet's name: 二叶亭四迷

Among others, are short stone stubs,

belonging to the KARAYUKI SAN.
The Japanese prostitutes who were in Malaya.

The photos of the soldiers' grave were missed out.

There were blocks of stones craved out in memory of the Japanese soldiers who died in WWII

The First Week!

2009-07-09T22:16:00.000+08:00

Before we start rehearsals:
15 min of mediation and 20 min of warmup.

Some laughable creative moments!

More candid moments!