"Born Innocent"
Raffles Players presented Born Innocent for this year's drama production. It was held at the Drama Centre, as part of Yong People's Theatre, organised by the National Arts Council, on 20th and 21st of March.
Three people, one society. The three handicapped struggle for equal treatment, equal opportunities and equal respect in an unequal world. ...
The play depicts three people, one armless, one blind, and one retarded who meet in a home and become friends. The script, written by Oon Jit Fong, who is currently in RJC, is a collage of scenes which explore various aspects of the lives of these three people—glimpses of their past; how normal people perceive and react to them; their concerns and dreams, typical of any adolescent; their career opportunities and obstacles faced.
The structure of the script challenged the director of the original staging by Julian Leong Jun-yi, for Buckley in Drama Feste 1994, to create a piece that is highly physical in execution and minimalist in the stage setting. The YPT production retained the essence of sparse, sharp staging, with slight modifications.
The cast comprised of Dinesh Raju, Justin Lau and Lee Wei Liang while the ensemble was made up of Marcus Ang, Christopher Chong, Jeffrey Lee, Desmond Ho, Tham Wai Keen, Adam Shariff and Lee Chau Hung. The director was Jaminda Shakya.
Bayley: "Dreams"
Buckley: "Armageddon"
Hullett: "Korban"
Moor: "Syonanto"
Morrison: "Words"
Drama Feste 1995 was a resounding success. This annual event was held on 28 and 29 July, and featured five naturalistic plays from the houses, all of which were warmly received by the audience and judges.
Bayley's play "Dreams" told of how the frustration of being in a broken family forced a boy into escapism, from the real world into fanciful day-dreams, into his seemingly unattainable ambitions and aspirations for the future.
Buckley's play "Armageddon" portrayed the life of an achiever whom everyone had high expectations of, and whose hopes for the future were dashed when he contracted AIDS in a moment of folly. "Armageddon" has the Most Promising Actor Award to its credit.
The winning play this year was "Korban" from Hullett House. This touching story depicted the struggle of a Muslim mother between religion and love for her son, and her final decision to donate her only kidney to him, sacrificing her life. Korban not only won the Best Play Award, but also bagged the Best Actor Award.
"Syonanto" of Moor House claimed the Best Script Award. Based on the Japanese Occupation, the play centred on the courage of a wayang songstress who, betrayed by her boyfriend, plotted to avenge her family and fellow troupe members who had been killed.
Morrison House staged "Words", a play about the love between a girl and a mute, and the arising conflicts when there was strong parental objection to their relationship. This play won the Best Directing Award as the judges found the use of shadow play innovative.
