Alfian Sa’at has his way with words, and that way sure
is making things interesting. Most of us had devoured the entire script through
the recess week break, and were super pumped for the read-through! Seems like
we were all harboring a secret passion for roleplaying transsexuals and
Japanese boy toys.
It was fun like we’d thought it would be. Spencer
liked to pretend-squeak playing a Malay she-male. But of course, there was
depth to the laughter.
In merely reading out the scenes, we didn’t put much
thought into the push-and-pull we were so familiar with. Andrew reminded us
that dialogue ought to be not just scripted words but the end result of
something more charged than the surface value of said words. It comes as a natural
reaction to a previous action and should contribute rather than form the main
bulk of the push-pull dynamic.
We then had to tell our group a story and act out the
most interesting one in our own ways. I remember Shuming’s story about his
obsession with hair that eventually led to a DIY IPL session. Who knew that
guys could be so high-maintenance as well?
As we saw the same story unfold in myriad ways
multiple times, I realized that the art of storytelling is fluid and constantly
subject to changes. A difference in perception, a different focal point – these
could all as easily lead to an entirely separate piece of work. What is
important is to pick and stick to your own focal point and to try your very
best to not deviate from it.
Also, while we got hands-on with a genuine theatre
piece, we toggled between our idea of what acting was and what it should be.
Andrew taught us the staggering difference between movie-acting versus theatre
acting. While film acting allowed for NGs and retakes, and space for editing
and cutting, theatre is always one fluid seamless motion; there is no room for
trials and errors, even if one did commit a mistake, the only way to correct it
is not to stumble but to improvise on the spot and to cover it up with
impromptu acting. Theatre actors are often presented with a much bigger
challenge than silver screen actors. There is no take two.
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