a sixth sense cannot make up for a complete lack of common sense
the resident
-best known as May Ching-
-09/01/1990-
-19 years 1.2 months-
-mugger/slacker/writer-
leave a note
leave
Layout: vehemency
Icon: reruntherace
Sunday, February 22, 2009, 4:00 pm
Dramafest 2009 seriously rocked.Apart from having my eyeballs burned out, of course.
It was a much bigger bash this year, since there are more Lit students. There were five student plays, compared to three during my time. The lecture theatre was so packed, people were squeezing themselves in the aisles, sitting on the steps, standing at the door.
I was late, thanks to Ratz not telling me when the whole thing started and missed the beginning and title of the first play. It was adapted from Great Expectations and revolved around Pip, Estella and Drummle. Plenty of AVA effects though, good stuff. But the acting was rather dry. The only star was Sangeetha as an abused yet defiant Estella.
The second play, Carrie's Lions, was put up by my campers, starring Sharon Quek as Carrie. It was supposed to be a ghost story of some sort, dealing with trauma. I heard that the script was written by Jalaine which might explain why it seemed oddly reminscient of last year's Requiem. Not bad, though, but it did suffer from some clichedness which is inevitable.
The third play (I forget the title) was a crack version of Romeo and Juliet. It was pure slapstick comedy, filled with lame jokes, parody humour and a wise-cracking narrator. The costuming was excellent, I heard they went well over budget. It was worth it, though, the actors all wore costumes one would expect to find in a real staging of Romeo and Juliet. I was kept laughing the whole time. Excellent stuff.
A scene from the play.Next was a rhyming murder mystery from Ratz's class, an adaptation of Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat. The entire play was in verse as the players attempted to solve the murder of the Cat in the Hat.
The person playing Dr Seuss was hilarious, a real stage presence. Her campyness perfectly played up the whole production. This also featured live piano playing and dancing. Unfortunately, the rhyming was mostly lost on the audience who were still fired up by the previous play.
Last came Justin Thyme, Great Detective. This play was really minimalist, with the barest amount of scene changes, what appeared to be one backstage crew member and the most creative usage of prop transition I've ever seen. It relied heavily on running gags but the Dracula was the main star, with his over-the-top Transylvania accent and broad gestures. Some parts were hilarious, if for the wrong reasons, like the crew girl spraying the hero with water from a spraybottle for 'thundering rain'.
The teacher's play was the real nightmare.
Starring Ng Sue Ling, Gabriel Lim, Joy Tan and Ravi Shankar, it was a 'newscaster' format play. Disturbing bits included Ng Sue Ling and Gabriel Lim cuddling while Shankar talked, ostentiously the 'special correspondent' away from the studio. Stuff like her leaning on his shoulder, stroking his cheek... the whole audience was hooting and whistling. They broke apart very dramatically when the 'camera' shifted back to them.
The play ended with them seizing each other in the throes of violent passion and disappearing behind the tables, sending clothes and shoes flying into the audience. Ng Sue Ling came out later to retrieve her shoes (and take a bow). I am honestly scarred for life.
The rest of the student body was more affected by Gabriel Lim's performance (obviously because they never had the pleasure of knowing Ng Sue Ling) and they noted that she was the one who kept grabbing him (something which I obviously don't want to know).
Results were soon out:
Best Actress: Sangeetha as Estella from the first play
Best Actor: Dracula (I forgot his name) from the Justin Thyme play
Best Play: The Romeo and Juliet crack
Choice quotes:
"Even though the males are bigger and stronger, it's the females who hunt and look after the pride. That's just nature, and you can't argue with nature." - Carrie from Carrie's Lions
[Romeo wants to sneak into the Capulets' party to find Roslinda while Mercutio tries to dissuade him]
Mercutio: You can't get in, you're a Montague. And Montagues aren't invited.
Romeo: That's okay. [Puts on a mask] How do I look?
Mercutio: Like... Zorro. Or Romeo wearing a mask.
Romeo: I can be Zorro.
Mercutio: Oh yeah? Where's your sword? And your horse? And your cape? And Catherine Zeta-Jones?
Romeo: Fair Roslinda [Juliet's maid], my love, will you marry me?
Roslinda: But I work for the Capulets...
Romeo: It matters not...
[Juliet walks in]
Romeo: [staring at her] Oh blimey.
Mercutio brings in Father John, who has a night mask over his eyes]
Romeo: Father John, please wed us. [Holds Juliet's hands]
Father John: Are you sure about this?
Romeo: Father, can't you see how much in love we are?
Father John: I can't see anything. [They wave their hands in front of his face]
Duke of Verona: Okay, what's going on here?
Lady Capulet: Romeo has killed Tybalt, my lord, to avenge his friend Mercutio.
Duke of Verona: Killed? Okay, that's it. [Takes out red card] Red card, get lost.
[Lady Montague comes across the scene]
Lady Montague: Romeo's been banished? It's that Mercutio's fault, leading him into all sorts of trouble. Where is that troublemaker?
[Nurse points to Mercutio's body]
Lady Montague: Oh... In that case, I'll go see where Romeo's banished himself off to.