Today's Muse: Peneng

Chingay performance tomorrow and Saturday. Betting pool running on who keels over from heat exhaustion first. My money's on the Pimpin' Cat - Um. DandyLion. (Sorry, Travis and Dom, but the odds are stacked, man.)

Seriously, after running around in that bloody field, Orchard Road is going to be a piece of cake. There won't be any sneaky hidden potholes, for one.

I'll be the one making rude faces at small children. See if you can pick me out from the masks.


Again I wonder, will the rest of my career be like this? Mad rehearsals all day for various projects, and inbetween that mad rushes to complete portfolios and essay-things, and inbetween that mad mad mad rushes to find bloody hospital gurneys and floppy poodles for shows?

Holy crap, I'm not going to make it to forty, am I?

Today's Muse: Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me

New toy - A first gen Creative Zen Neeon. A steal, too - 6GB for just $149. Finally, the transition from disc player to mp3 has been made. Even the bundled earphones that came with the player are miles above my old ones.

This video makes me happy. Trying to get me filthy mitts on the Ergo Proxy OST.

More work pouring in. There's the Chingay parade, which promises to be great fun. Assessment projects are taking shape, and expectations are definitely a notch higher than last year. Dance; presentation on Jacques Lecoq for Movement; Legend of The Curse piece for Play Analysis; duologue for Acting... And the Youth Company schedule! Woo.

Everything's going pretty smoothly, methinks. Legend of The Curse, for example, is a self-directed presentation for mid-semester assessment. It's a chorus piece from Berkoff's Agamemnon, and we've got the largest group. But it's surprising how much we've choreographed already, despite our size. In fact, rehearsal processes are a dream - everyone's giving ideas AND listening and considering. We all seem to be on the same wave-length, with movements coming very naturally.

Oh, oh!

Hungry.

We presented about half-an-hour's worth in Scene Prep, and we pulled it off. We had shown various scenes here and there in class this semester, but this was the first time we were running it through for an audience; complete with transitions, something we had been wrestling with since the beginning. And it went well. That's the truth. It is amazing what even a small audience will do - besides our classmates, the Tech Theatre Level 1's sat in. We do have to clean up some of the transitions; get rid of dead time, which I think ate into our half-hour limit.

Teach Matt commented how the surreal nature of the script allowed us to explore; more breathing space around performances - and I think that sums up why Hungry was chosen for this project. Something different, something new, something to play with. And it paid off, playing with character choices and movement - despite the quirky and sometimes extreme performances, they were all balanced.

A shout-out to Jac, our baby-in-a-jar - she's been working really hard on this, despite the difficulty and weird positions the character entails - but during that presentation it really paid off. "Excellent performance developing", were the exact words, and I know those mean a lot to you. I grin at you.

I think we should slow down now, before the final presentation, before we burn out. Just tweaking bits here and there. Hell, yesterday while watching Smoking Incense at the Substation, Laura came up with a brill idea to circumvent the lighting and transition problem.

I get to work with the terrific-est people. Eee hee hee.


First Young Company meet today. It was a working session, involving rolling around and much hopping. Eight weeks of body conditioning for the May extravaganza at Fort Canning. And mooooore shows! On stage! With them bright lights and ev'rything!


I'm so hyped up on how this year is shaping up. And I hope yours is, too. Sweet Amy-girl's all the way in Canada-land, and from her letters and pictures is very happy. Hullo, Amy-girl. I wave at you, here in technologically-primitive Singapore.

And so, I leave you with this:
Bruce Osborn's Oyako Photo Exhibit

Today's Muse: Head. Pillow. Boom.

Got my semester one results in the mail. Honours all round. Whee.

I've steered clear of Friendster, MySpace and what-not. But I have, I'm glad to say, jumped onto the ComicSpace bandwagon. And like Chris of Ghouly Boys writes, I just want to add everyone to the friend horde - they're there because they like comics, just as I do.

At any rate, I'm here. Nothing fancy up yet, though.

GBM ends its run tomorrow night, then it's bump-out immediately, because another show has it's bump-in Monday morning at 6am. Closing party Monday night. Eeeeexcellent.

Then it's a week of scuttling between Yio Chu Kang to help out with Iris' children's camp and school for Hungry rehearsals, as well as finishing up homework.

Then, after all that, I can finally keel over and die.

Today's Muse: Nibble Nibble - The High Point Of Work-a-Day

The more interesting things get, the less I have to say.

Here, that is. If I run into you on the street, I'd talk your ear off. There are just some stories best told in person.

But I want to tell you. I want to share everything that's been going on - the rude jokes I've heard, the people I've met, the accidents I keep getting into. I want to hear you laugh at some of these stories, because I know you'll love them. I want to see you roll your eyes when you hear about how I manage to get hit in the eye with fucking confetti. I want to show you the script I've got here for school; talk to you about the ideas we've got for transitions, and if we're in the dance studio how we're completely screwed. I want to show you the books I found in the bargain bin.

I'm seeing a pattern with the last couple of posts; are you?



I'm working on The Little Company's The Gingerbread Man, for free. I like to think of it as experience gathering. Ma calls it exploitation.

It's ridiculously fun, whether it's watching the cast work, or repairing props, or listening to the tech team chatter over cans while waiting for the house to fill. The past week had me falling into bed still dressed in stage blacks, but now the show has more or less fallen into some sort of rhythm. Some of the people involved - both cast and crew - are already moving on to other projects while GBM is still playing, with people dashing off after the performances to attend readings or auditions or what-not.

It's been a hoot. They're a vivacious, open lot. Even though I'm not getting paid or extra credit for this, I'm definately getting more out of this than I did from the Mediacorp thing. It helps that I actually know why I'm here, what I can do, and what I can't do I can learn. It's... fwoosh bish-bosh-whee!

There is no wing space at the DBS Arts Centre. Throw in the set with the high platform, the poky mousehole and whatnot - ppfft. You practically have to press yourself against the walls, and hope you don't trip any cables or buttons.

They throw a lot of stuff offstage. Eee-hee.

And the kids! They're pretty much part of the show. Oh, some of the answers they yell back. Today's audience was especially sweet - shushing Cuckoo during his song because the other characters were napping.

And there's no subsitute for that moment in the wings, in the dark, the house holding its collective breath, just before lights go up and tick-tick-tick starts the show...


Hungry rehearsals go slowly. The more we delve into the play the more complex things seem to get. Are we in over our heads? Sometimes it feels like that. Are we going about preparing for this show in the right way?

Are the stakes high enough?

Sometimes it feels like a solid "No."


This house ought to have more cake. That would make everything loads better.

Today's Muse: Can you slap a copyright on an internet meme?

My God. It's nice being busy.

It does seem like I've more to do now that school's out. Just today: Hungry rehearsals in school in the morning, looking for a gift for Laura (the loveliest I've known) whilst navigating the shopping district in the rain, then a bus ride up to Tampines for dinner at Fazri's, an insane bus-train-bus trip back to town for GBM rehearsals (where Joyce nearly got crushed by the MRT doors), then some weird shit at Clark Quay into the wee hours.

Now home to read and write essay-like things. And look at Hungry designs. Just look.

It's fantastic having so much going on. So much to do, to say, to see.

There's something to be said for running screaming after a bus with like-minded people. For painting silly titchy flowers on a purple teapot while they sing and dance in the next room. For pulling off one's sweater in the middle of the store in the name of finding a present. For sneaking around looking for empty studios to practice in. For walking out of a library with eight books and that silly, materalistic vibe one gets with an armful of books. For Freudian slips. For pretending to beat the shit out of each other and getting graded for it. For putting your name down first on a brand-new sign-up sheet for performance practice. For cinema antics. For Doctor Who discussions. For making lists that couldn't possibly convey how wonderful and stressful and gnaw-worthy the past couple of months have been.

D'aww, I'm all sappy noooow.

Today's Muse: Process Recess

Well, that went by quickly.

It's almost ridiculous, everything that's seen and done since school began. And it's been only, what, sixteen weeks? Sixteen weeks.

Sixteen weeks.

New names. New ideals. New frustrations.

New me?

Today's Muse: Blessed hum and whir and trudge

After a scary couple of days the laptop appears to be working again. Nearly peed meself in terror at the prospect of all the documents and videos gone.

Bloody cat, knocking it into its end.



Yesterday, during Scene Prep we tried something very different from what we usually do in class. Just discussed what we thought goes into a good and riveting scene.

Irksome: argument for the sake of it. Nnngh.

Was divided into smaller groups. Had to come up with a scene, keeping in mind what happened before it and what was to happen after (motivation).

Whenever tasked with something like this, I tend to start gibbering. But that's good; spewing nonsensical phrases which the group might take and bounce off from there. Stuff like: Monkeys. Before the white flag. No gravity. Talking to superheroes in your head. Subway mob. Kittypillars. Ka-boosh.

Then, as a group, we just start improvising. We jump straight into the scene, and see what happens. And it's both great fun and incredibly liberating - usually we come up with loads of ideas and peel back to get the final product (Which, isn't really final until after we've performed it).

Once, when the group was stuck, I wandered around and pulled a school desk over, and jumped on it like a monkey. Almost at once another member threw himself in front of the desk, and mined death throes. And the others joined in, and we were off.

Improv. Sitting down and talking about it - no. I'm very fond of saying, "Lets just try it and see what happens.", as one lovely pointed out.

With Scene Prep, we started out with a girl simply talking to two imagined people, weirding a bystander out. And with each improv, the story evolved - the imagined people became the personifications of the girl's more extreme personality traits; the bystander became a writer looking for an interesting case; the girl had just come from a humiliating experience...

But even as we performed it, it was still evolving. The writer became an awkward fellow. I played him, and it seemed, at that point, so very natural to keep my hands in my pockets and fiddle with my collar. I didn't have to think about stumbling over my words; it came easily. The oversized shirt I used as a jacket suddenly became a way to hide myself - but as the conversation with the girl progressed, it was allowed to fall open.

I'm not quite sure what it was. As I think about it now, I'm not quite sure if I was simply showing the character or being him. Or just being myself.

Matt, the teach, asked us why we cross-gendered. We hadn't really thought about it, to tell the truth. The one guy in the group, played the frightened, child-like personification at first. As part of the improv process he switched roles and played the writer for a bit, before concluding that, hey, his reactions to the girl seemed more along the lines of the child. So, he went back. I'm being terribly vague.

I guess, we cross-gendered because it felt like it would work well like that.

Matt said it worked for him, and I think the class concurred. That was nice, feeling like you've really done good in that class, after the first couple of presentations you did being so... not good.



Today, Marium and I raided the SGST FLEE! Market. I found lovelies galore, going for so very little. Glee.

The highlight of that little escapade, I think, was finding the suede clutch going for just three dollars. Blood red, and superb lining.

I'm easy pleased, I am.

Today's Muse: Puff the Magic Dragon!

There's a foundation student the music boys call Jesus. I expected something satirical, a savant-esque joke of sorts.

But, nooo. They call him that because when he lets down his hair he's apparently the splitting image of the one true saviour.

There's another chap who deals with the "Luke Skywalker!" and "I am your faaather" jokes with blank looks.

Sometimes, between classes, if you hang out at the Performing building, you can watch the Fine Art and Design students appear in the small field armed with bubble-blowers.

We watched Royston Tan's 15 and a couple of funny commercials yesterday, as part of the semiotics lecture. Woo, test next week.

Today, Michael gave us a crayon each and told us to design a costume for the play we're studying on the spot.

I stepped over the Bonang Barung by accident during Gamelan. The instruments haven't been blessed, but you never know. Gah.

The PEOPLE.

Have I mentioned the pure AWESOME that is LASALLE?

Today's Muse: Awake

Holy guacamolee I am loving this. I've finished my essay for now, I'll probably be editing it until the last minute. Open-ended questions, feh.

Quick, someone give me more dodgy homework!


EDIT: Realised I do have more homework, for voice later this morning. Colouring in the spine and ribs. And me without a single colour pencil in the house.

I wonder if crayons will do?

School so far is filled with pure AWESOME. So great is this AWESOME that to even begin to describe it reduces one to a gibbering mess; causing one to lose control of one's bowels periodically.

I hope no one notices the smell anytime soon.

Today's Muse: Pan Left, zoom in on the steeple of the church

You know, I can put MSI or the Seventh on at full blast (in my futile bid to strike back at the dude downstairs with EVERY FUCKING radio compilation ever spewed) and for the niece to dance to, and no one bats an eyelid.

Then I put on the RENT soundtrack and people come down to my floor asking me to turn it down.

But - Nnngh, I can't get enough of that thing. So, suffer, family!


Hm.

Okay: At the end of last week LASALLE calls and asks if I'd like to take part in a last-minute workshop conducted by a foreign lecturer who was in town to take part in the women's theatre - can't remember the name - festival. Naturally I jumped at it.

It's a bit surreal; watching Christina speak in Italian gesturing violently, then turning to Bruna for the translation. They're part of a theatre company with rather unconventional methods: None of their plays are scripted or plotted. Instead, a series of improv exercises are used and are built upon each other until they... until they have enough for a performance.

Emphasis is put on using only the body. No interacting with the wall, the floor, other people, imagined and mimed objects. Convey the story using just expressions and movements. It's a lot more difficult than it sounds... How does one show the need for attention without pandering to an audience of some sort? How does one laugh at something if there's nothing to be laughed at?

Conventional movements and expressions are frowned upon. Don't show you're happy just by smiling. Swing your arms! Roll around on the ground! Gurgle like a baby!

And the story, the story... What was it that Christina said? "It does not matter if the audience does not understand. What is important is the movement, the things you do matter to you. To the actor. It must signify something important to you."

She likened it to Pablo Picasso's deconstruction of the human face. I don't know exactly how to put it into words. But at that moment, with Christina's face like a rubber band and thin, wiry arms waving around, constantly resting in her grey mane - "Like a lion!" thought I - you get it. You don't understand, but you get it. Do you understand that?

Ach. I'm still not sure where this is going. It's both unsettling and exciting. Who knows what'll happen in the next two days?

There's a great exercise we do before we dive into the improv bits. Working on reaction. Conditioning the body to react instinctively, instead of stopping to think about it. BOOM! Jump! BOOM! Get down! BOOM! Fucking ace, man.

Man, that was vague.


Ten theatre foundation students so far, ranging in age from 17 to 26. One has a driver's license and a huge vehicle. Sweet.

Three days to orientation. Woo bweee. Two weeks to the recital. Woo fuckery.

Today's Muse: HAIL ME!

I did something stupid today.

Eeeeheeeheehee.


EDIT:

Well, that's the ivelostcountactually time some one's told me that LASALLE-SIA is tosh.

Although my intial reaction is to yell "BALLS!" and tackle them in a fit of rage one can only learn from comic books ("I love you!" "RAAAAARRR!" *fling!* ") , I supress it. I pause, and think: Am I really justified in attacking the other person? Okay, I don't really look all that dignified thinking that - my eyes tend to gloss over the same way they do when I break my brain.

I haven't even begun classes at LASALLE (And I'll keep the caps, thank you). I haven't a clue what it'll be like. The opinions on why it's tosh range from "Oh. It sucks" to "After attending their performing arts showcase, I feel that it is infinitely inferior to the stature of So-and-so school's drama club". Even if I were to defend LASALLE, I can't really think of anything to retort with other than "Nuh-uh, it doesn't" which makes me wonder why I bother to read so much.

I could have gone to a Junior College of my choice, kept drama as a CCA or even offered it as an subject. But I chose LASALLE. Not NAFA, not a JC. Why?

Because I didn't want to.

It's as simple as that.

Between going through rote learning for another two years to ultimately sit for yet another major exam and taking a giant leap into pursuing something I am so passionate about full-time and not as a sideline to be pushed aside for more "important" activities like "studying" - The choice is easy, no?

And in LASALLE what I love best is the studying.

I could have gone through JC, gotten my 'A' Level certification and THEN enrolled in LASALLE, with the cert as a "fallback". I was encouraged to choose this route; also to use the time to consider going into the arts. This was an option I took pretty seriously. Was I really sure about pursuing acting - and all to do with it - as a career?

Impatience won out. I loved the stage, on it and off, and if I could get started quicker on that road, why the fuck not?

And after LASALLE, where to?

Who can tell? I have a bunch of information books from schools in Australia, with way too many post-its in 'em. I keep smelly old articles on various art programmes in universities. I devour blogs by students at some of these schools, and blogs by people who are living the stage, in one way or another.

I read loads of comic books, too.

I don't know what LASALLE will be like. Some nights I stay up worrying about it - with so that much talent in one room, will I stand out? Will I get along with people there?

Will I be happy?

But hey, the future's the future, and I'm not regretting my choice.


Occasionally I do feel something close to it, though, when I hear or read about what some of my ex-school mates are up to in their new places. Some of them have done so much, and I'm just here. Waiting.

Ahhh, feck it. This year I have:

1. being a back-up singer with the rest of Vox for Rock Opera - and that was awesome in so many ways: seeing the huge soundstage backstage of the Esplanade; singing my heart out at the finale with everyone else; the mints! Who can forget the CHEWER? And on the Vox note the weekly rehearsals. Woo. Balls.

2. attempted to build a robot, and learnt loads of useless miscelly in the process

3. discovered all sorts of music aside from the stuff you hear on the car radio

4. finally got round to demolishing the reading list - why is Don Quixote is always checked out?

5. pierced my ears. Annnnnd still no end in sight.

6. seen Mediacorp from the dirty, boring, grimy inside

7. finally seen Tiananmen Square

8. stayed in a boutique hotel in the heart of Hong Kong - Go connections!

9. read an eloquent poem of protest graffiti'd on the pavement

10. immersed myself into the comic world - it's gotten so bad I can't write a decent story unless I picture it in comic form.

11. etc.

I don't think it's being such a waste of a year. I've picked up a couple of skills, corresponded with a bunch of cool people, thought a lot.

And while we're counting, this is the againlostcount time I'm online past 1am. Damnit. So much for New Year Resolutions.