This is the first time I have ever taken time to write a review about a theatre piece. But this show truly moved me in a way I didn't imagine myself to be moved. I caught myself crying, laughing and just reflecting at some moments.
I watched NUS Stage's "Will You Still Love Me If I'm ___?" today and I was floored by it. The show consisted of two student written, directed and produced plays- Happy Sons by Jaryl George Soloman and Two in the Morning by Gwendolyn Lee.
Happy Sons was a play about homosexuality and relationships. Unlike most other homosexual themed plays I have seen, Happy didn't really talk about why homosexuality isn't wrong. In fact it tackled those issues head on- Mothers reacting to their son's coming out of the closet, a gay person's relationship with God and a son's relationship with his mother. Handling issues such as bullying in schools and being afraid of coming out of the closet can go terribly wrong, but the playwright managed to deal with them so gracefully and with such tact, that it makes you reflect on things and be critical instead of making it a laughing stock. Common misnomers such as "boys never cry", "boys don't like ponies" were also brought in and in the end it turns out the bully was gay. Best of all, the play incorporated the societal plague that is gossip and the way society views boys turning "soft".
The actors played the roles beautifully and perfectly. The emotions were so real and so tangible. I must give out a special mention to actor Mustafa who played the role of not only the school bully, but also the aunty whose son is gay. I enjoyed the symbols that were presented in the play such as the red cloth which symbolized the bond between the mother and her son. I enjoyed that despite having such a simplistic and bare mis en scene, the play was able to move me so much.
There were scenes which dealt with the son's relationship with his mother and father and how drastically different they were which left me in tears and there were scenes which left me in a fit of hysterical laughter. This play also marks the first time I've seen two men kiss (in real life)! Overall, I think the play was worth the time I spent watching it and I would love to watch it again.
Two in the Morning was a play of an entirely different genre- two friends going from not being friends in the beginning of the play to maybe giving it a shot. I was glad for the 15 minute break because if not for that I may have been left reeling from the contrast between the two plays. The idea was simple, guy and girl are friends. Girl gets a boyfriend and distances herself from Boy. Boy is angry and they stop being friends. Despite the simplicity, I thoroughly enjoyed how relaxed the actors were with each other and how they acted so realistically. It was as if they were truly in the situation and they were truly the characters that they played.
Through the play, you watch these two people reveal their true identities to each other and develop from being friends to something more. You understand why they made the decisions that they make, even though I realize that it was irrational sometimes. You watch the turmoil that they go through as individuals and by the end of it, you wonder if them getting together wasn't the natural thing to do. However, it made me ask an age old question- can a guy and a girl just be friends? Does such a concept even exist? The play was a typical rom-com and despite the predictability, the play was an amusing watch. It wasn't too heavy a thinking process and neither was it bland. It was a perfect chilled out piece that I would pay to watch.
Lastly, I must say, I loved the black box theater concept that the show adopted. It allowed the actors to interact with the audience and made the fourth wall almost non existent. I loved the use of it in the first play, but the second play may have been better suited for a regular stage. The lighting and sound were pretty awesome and added a lot more value to the plays.
Overall, I loved the show and I guess this may be the stepping stone for me to watch more theatre productions- even if I have to pay for them :)
I watched NUS Stage's "Will You Still Love Me If I'm ___?" today and I was floored by it. The show consisted of two student written, directed and produced plays- Happy Sons by Jaryl George Soloman and Two in the Morning by Gwendolyn Lee.
Happy Sons was a play about homosexuality and relationships. Unlike most other homosexual themed plays I have seen, Happy didn't really talk about why homosexuality isn't wrong. In fact it tackled those issues head on- Mothers reacting to their son's coming out of the closet, a gay person's relationship with God and a son's relationship with his mother. Handling issues such as bullying in schools and being afraid of coming out of the closet can go terribly wrong, but the playwright managed to deal with them so gracefully and with such tact, that it makes you reflect on things and be critical instead of making it a laughing stock. Common misnomers such as "boys never cry", "boys don't like ponies" were also brought in and in the end it turns out the bully was gay. Best of all, the play incorporated the societal plague that is gossip and the way society views boys turning "soft".
The actors played the roles beautifully and perfectly. The emotions were so real and so tangible. I must give out a special mention to actor Mustafa who played the role of not only the school bully, but also the aunty whose son is gay. I enjoyed the symbols that were presented in the play such as the red cloth which symbolized the bond between the mother and her son. I enjoyed that despite having such a simplistic and bare mis en scene, the play was able to move me so much.
There were scenes which dealt with the son's relationship with his mother and father and how drastically different they were which left me in tears and there were scenes which left me in a fit of hysterical laughter. This play also marks the first time I've seen two men kiss (in real life)! Overall, I think the play was worth the time I spent watching it and I would love to watch it again.
Two in the Morning was a play of an entirely different genre- two friends going from not being friends in the beginning of the play to maybe giving it a shot. I was glad for the 15 minute break because if not for that I may have been left reeling from the contrast between the two plays. The idea was simple, guy and girl are friends. Girl gets a boyfriend and distances herself from Boy. Boy is angry and they stop being friends. Despite the simplicity, I thoroughly enjoyed how relaxed the actors were with each other and how they acted so realistically. It was as if they were truly in the situation and they were truly the characters that they played.
Through the play, you watch these two people reveal their true identities to each other and develop from being friends to something more. You understand why they made the decisions that they make, even though I realize that it was irrational sometimes. You watch the turmoil that they go through as individuals and by the end of it, you wonder if them getting together wasn't the natural thing to do. However, it made me ask an age old question- can a guy and a girl just be friends? Does such a concept even exist? The play was a typical rom-com and despite the predictability, the play was an amusing watch. It wasn't too heavy a thinking process and neither was it bland. It was a perfect chilled out piece that I would pay to watch.
Lastly, I must say, I loved the black box theater concept that the show adopted. It allowed the actors to interact with the audience and made the fourth wall almost non existent. I loved the use of it in the first play, but the second play may have been better suited for a regular stage. The lighting and sound were pretty awesome and added a lot more value to the plays.
Overall, I loved the show and I guess this may be the stepping stone for me to watch more theatre productions- even if I have to pay for them :)
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