Monday, March 25, 2002 :::
Bio of a Poor and Struggling �Playwright Wannabe� -
by his alter ego Brian
Leslie Williams, a �Play write wanna Be� has been working in a technically biased background since graduating with a BSc (NUS) and an MBA (Henley Mgt College). He has only recently been delving into the �make believe world� of playwriting as a reflection of real world people and events having been initiated into it by his participation in the Playwriting Workshop, Play: Write a Theatre Works Outreach Programme. His first attempt at writing a play (a comical skit on singles) almost saw the light of day at a dramatised reading in conjunction with The Central Singapore District Arts Festival held in November last year.
Leslie has been living and schooling in Singapore since his birth, more than three decades ago and has accumulated experiences peculiar to the �Singapore Experience�, �air conditioned� or otherwise. His association with grassroots work in his capacity as Sr Mgr in Peoples Association (PA) has given him crucial interactive exposure to a diverse group of �heartlanders�. He has also contributed articles for PA in their various publications, especially �Citizen�s� a magazine highlighting events and activities at CCs. Since last year he has taken on the voluntary role of a key committee member of �Club Cosmopolitans� a club set up to cater to the social needs of PRs and expatriates providing him with usefull networking opportunities with �cosmopolitan� types.
Leslie�s forays into the dramatic art began when he was invited to audition for an acting role in a Church Play �The Apostle� by the Hossana Music Ministry in 1994 where he landed the roles of a Soldier and Pharisee. This involvement later progressed to a more prominent role as the eldest son of Noah in the play �Noah�s Ark� staged by Holy Family Church in 2000 to raise funds for it�s rebuilding.
His prime motivation in taking part in the �Hearing Voices� project is to be able to contribute a unique perspective of the unexpressed and underrepresented sectors of society through the most engaging form of the entertainment medium �The Play�.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:19 PM
Sunday, March 24, 2002 :::
This is in reply to Anonymous' view that a Malay should be writing about the subject matter Edwin is tackling. It might be easier for a Malay to do the interviewing (the subjects might be less guarded), and a Malay might approach the issue with greater passion and intensity simply because it is more personal to him. However, I believe there is some merit for a non-Malay to tackle the issue. Edwin can detach himself from the subject and look at the whole picture and perhaps represent what various Malays feel as opposed to what the Malay writer himself feels. Just like how a lot of European directors can make a truly American film. As outsiders, these European directors can see something about the American culture that Americans themselves take for granted.
I have similar difficulties as Edwin in that I am a Singaporean trying to see the Filipino community through Filipino eyes. Sure, I can never fully understand what it is like to be discriminated against or feel what a Filipino nurse or engineer or maid feels. But I believe that if we open our eyes and our hearts, and be observant to not just what a subject says but how he says it, we can write something credible.
::: posted by swee san ng at 2:12 PM
Half-Hour Presentation
As for April 1st, what am I supposed to present during my half-hour? Is it peculiar to playwriting, as in my own experiences? Or sharing some of the joys and disappointments in bringing a play to fruition? Don't want to present something that is not relevant....
Edwin
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It's Your 30 Minutes
Hi Edwin,
Engross, entertain, inspire us for half an hour. Read something, tell a story, relate a personal experience, bring a game which helps to be see something in a new light or which will get our creative juices flowing, make us do some physical exercise. Anything goes. I will be taking a back seat during that time. The group is yours.
Each of the rest, including myself, will also be doing a one-minute 'Sharing in a Circle'. I have two things I want to talk about, but not sure which - read out a Tang poem I cam across recently (er, in English) or talk about my wife and her views on Machine and how that affected me. (But the kaypohs in all of you, I am sure, will want to know about the second...)
Tarn How
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:53 AM
Suet Lee�s Proposal
A few months ago, while making a regular trip to my local wet market, stallholders informed me that the market was going to be demolished in 2004, to make way for a new condominium. I found this news quite devastating. I have frequented this market for the last seven years, and to me, it is more than just a place to buy your chicken and veg. Despite the overpowering smells, wet and slippery floor, hustle and bustle and general haggling noises, it is a comforting place of familiar faces. A place where I know I won�t be cheated; a place where I can seek advice on recipes for my first Reunion dinner; a place that I can rely on.
How will I cope, when it�s gone? Sure, I can go to another market. Or even one of those omnipresent NTUCs. But it won�t be the same. It�s not that easy to replace an old friend. And what about the stallholders? The young ones will probably move on. Perhaps they have little affection for the place anyway. But the old guys, what will they do? Some of them have worked at their stalls for half their life. It is their life. How do they feel? Maybe they�re too tired to uproot and start afresh, in a new place with new neighbours. Or maybe they relish the opportunity to conquer new ground. I don�t know.
But that�s what I hope to find out in this project. I propose to interview several market stallholders of varying ages at my local wet market. I hope to find out about their lives, what they feel about the decision to demolish the market, how they are likely to be affected, and what are their hopes for the future. I hope to hear their voices.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:49 AM
Er... but you are not Malay...
""Dear Edwin,
As much as I'd really like to help you, I still believe a Malay person should be writing about these issues you're exploring.
(name withheld)""
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Hi Tarn How,
A Malay
playwright (see above) has brought up an interesting point. Must someone be in a similar predicament to be able to present truthfully the voices that are not being heard? I beg to differ....
I will be conducting another 2 interviews next week. Will forward the
transcripts to you once ready.
Edwin.
From Tarn How: Any views on
this? And how does it relate to your own projects?
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:41 AM
Tan Suet Lee�s Biodata
Once upon a time, many years ago, Suet Lee graduated with a degree in Accountancy from the University of Wales. She then inflicted more pain on herself by going on to become a Chartered Accountant at KPMG Peat Marwick, where she practiced as an auditor for a number of years. This experience provided the inspiration for her MSc thesis topic - Earnings Management (commonly known as �Cooking the Books�), which she later completed at the National University of Singapore. Currently, Suet Lee (a mother of two boys) plays multiple roles. These include; chauffeur, housekeeper, school tutor, and general punch bag for her sons� boxing practice.
Whenever she can escape, Suet Lee dabbles in a little theatre and TV acting, as well as play-writing. Her first serious attempt at play-writing was at the age of seven, when she wrote a twenty-paged play that involved a �far away land, a queen, and several peasants.� Her more recent attempt was a play called Choices. This was developed at a workshop conducted by Theatreworks and Central Singapore CDC, and was performed at The Singapore River Buskers Festival in Nov 2001.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:23 AM
Taufiq's Bio.
Taufiq is a boring 27-year-old who has no life!
Graduated from Uni(Deakin University Melbourne Aus)
at the age of 24. Majored in Media Arts.
Flunked his O'levels with flying colours.
(Hated "structure", plus his principal was a NAZI commander).
Started own Company, a Design House,
Became a sleeping Partner afterwards to pursue a career in Broadcasting.
Write in his own spare time, short stories, poems and scripts.
Taufiq sucks at punctuation as he believes that these little dots and strokes disrupt his flow.
And finally, he talks too much.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:55 AM
