{"id":27439,"date":"2016-06-01T17:38:36","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T09:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/?p=27439"},"modified":"2021-04-30T16:44:38","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T08:44:38","slug":"putting-it-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/putting-it-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting It Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the mother. The two of you are sisters, and this is the first time you\u2019re meeting your mother in fifteen years. You\u2019re the aunt, and you\u2019re the housekeeper. Go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOTEL<\/em> co-director Ivan Heng watches intently as the actors scramble into place. None of them knows precisely how the story will unfold, but that\u2019s the beauty \u2013 and horror \u2013 of improvisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

45 harrowing minutes later, the scene is drawing to a close. Mother and daughters have fought fiercely, love warring with hate. Pam Oei, who was assigned to play the aunt, finds her cheeks streaked with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd\u2026 scene,\u201d announces Ivan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone lets out the breaths they didn\u2019t know they\u2019d been holding. Pam hastily wipes her face, sniffs extra hard, and prepares herself for the next round of improvisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just another day in the HOTEL<\/em> workshopping process!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Don’t Pam Oei and Ivan Heng make a lovely couple?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Improve Through Improv<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This reunion between a mother and her estranged daughters is just one of many that never made it into the play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the year-long run-up to HOTEL<\/em>\u2019s premiere at the 2015 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), workshops were held in which each actor had to research a particular decade in Singapore\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the improvisations, which formed the building blocks for the final scenes that were written and refined by co-playwrights Alfian Sa\u2019at and Marcia Vanderstraaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the process, the actors contributed characters, scenes, ideas and personal histories that eventually found their way into the script. Dwayne Lau devised a minor character that pops up in different scenes across time. Pam came up with the idea for a key scene that plays out in 1985.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times, these fictional stories that sprang seemingly out of nowhere wind up striking a very real chord with other cast members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the scene in question, Sharda Harrison plays a character who, having suffered through the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, bears a deep hatred for the Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharda\u2019s own grandmother was married off to a Japanese man, who left her and their child when the war broke out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing that character was a reminder of my own past,\u201d Sharda reveals. \u201cI couldn\u2019t even say a word like \u2018sushi\u2019 in front of my grandmother, because if I said anything in Japanese, I\u2019d be in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no denying that every member of the cast helped to make HOTEL<\/em> the epic that it is. \u201cThere is a sense of ownership because we all kind of created it,\u201d says Dwayne. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty much our play, as it is the writers and directors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
There was a time when Singapore was known as the Hollywood of the East!
Here, a young Eurasian starlet gets a shot at fame.<\/em>
(L-R: Dwayne Lau, Julie Wee, Ivan Heng, Jo Kukathas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re All In This Together<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Throwing together an ensemble cast of 14 opinionated actors \u2013 comprising different nationalities, ethnicities, ages, and working styles \u2013 might have been a recipe for disaster. Indeed, there were moments when tempers flew and arguments raged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, ultimately, the entire process taught the cast how to respect and complement one another in the rehearsal room and on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, it was about finding that balance \u2013 knowing when to give your opinions, and when to hold back and just trust one another,\u201d Dwayne recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about trust and teamwork, basically,\u201d adds Siti Khalijah Zainal. \u201cYou need to know when to give the scene to your fellow actors. In this show, we are all equals and we share the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s evident that, after all the hard, occasionally soul-baring work they did together, a strong camaraderie has developed amongst the actors. Most of them highlight the deep friendships they have made as their favourite part of working on the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you have osmosis-ed your cast members\u2019 sweat, something grows,\u201d Pam says with a laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s a very special bond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The cast of HOTEL break into a little song and dance to welcome their guests<\/em>
(L-R: Brendon Fernandez, Pam Oei, Julie Wee, Ben Cutler, Yap Yi Kai, Moo Siew Keh, Sharda Harrison)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s Always A First Time For Everything<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even for a cast that contains several veteran actors, HOTEL<\/em> has proved to be a production of many firsts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played multiple characters in previous shows, but not at this rate,\u201d Sharda admits. \u201cCertainly not with this number of transitions and multiple character switching!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery time I start a new scene, I have to make sure I completely let go of my previous character\u2019s emotional state,\u201d Siti adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the actors had to learn lines in languages that they either did not speak at all or did not use on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI speak Cantonese in a very street-market kind of way,\u201d confesses Pam, who plays a character in 1925 that converses in period Cantonese. \u201cAnd I discovered that there were some words I\u2019ve mispronounced all my life. I had to unlearn them \u2013 it really messed with my brain!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brendon Fernandez had a more daunting challenge to face: HOTEL<\/em> required him to play a character with a gender identity he does not share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysically, it\u2019s very different from my own physicality,\u201d he says thoughtfully. \u201cIt\u2019s also difficult because I feel a great responsibility to portray this character accurately and sensitively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if multiple characters, languages and identities weren\u2019t enough, HOTEL<\/em> also involves all the actors in every single scene transition. This requires them to sing, dance, or do both \u2013 while moving set pieces on and off stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really bao ka liao<\/em> for this show!\u201d exclaims Siti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very physical play in which the entire company is continually involved,\u201d agrees Brendon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The myriad demands and high expectations that come with performing in HOTEL<\/em> have challenged the cast members to rise to the occasion \u2013 surprising themselves with what they can do when put to the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like how Ivan holds the bar for every one of his actors this high,\u201d Sharda says, raising her hand high above her head to illustrate her point. \u201cThat\u2019s a bar I sometimes don\u2019t even realise I can set for myself. It\u2019s really because we have two directors who have complete faith in the cast that we can do things we thought were impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
S\u00e9ances were popular among Singapore society\u2019s elite in the 1930s\u2026<\/em>
(L-R: Siti Khalijah Zainal, Ivan Heng, Jo Kukathas, Pam Oei, Ben Cutler)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Second Time\u2019s The Charm<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When HOTEL<\/em> premiered at SIFA 2015, it played for just three performances, over four days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSayang<\/em> lah \u2013 there were so many things we had to deal with when we got into the theatre that, just when we were able to breathe easier, the show ended,\u201d Siti recalls. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get to settle in fully or feel like we owned it completely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut now, because we\u2019ve already done it before, we have a bit more breathing space,\u201d adds Dwayne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s little doubt that the actors in HOTEL<\/em> have been profoundly affected by their own experiences of working on the show. Every one of them is keen to share everything they have learnt with audiences, including some alternative accounts of Singapore\u2019s past that never made it into our history books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever we paint history, we paint it in broad strokes, so it becomes very impersonal,\u201d observes Sharda. \u201cBut, in HOTEL<\/em>, history is painted for you so intimately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe learned that we have a lot of stories in Singapore,\u201d says Brendon. \u201cIt\u2019s just that we\u2019ve suppressed them, or forgotten about them. We haven\u2019t taken care of these stories. We have so much in our history that just isn\u2019t being used. We are more than the Merlion and the Marina Bay Sands.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Harrowing improvisations. Learning foreign languages. Switching between characters. The HOTEL cast reveals some of the challenges they face in performing this show you won’t want to miss! – By Tiara Yap<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":27440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[95,34,298],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27439"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}