SHAWNOLOGY

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POOP Review

The play, POOP, staged by the Finger Players, is easily one of the best plays I've watched. This is by no means a sweeping statement, since almost every aspect of the play, in my opinion at least, was good. POOP tells a story of how a family copes at first with the death of the sole breadwinner, the father(played by Julius Foo) and then the death of the child(played by Jean Ng).

The script itself was average and it was the weakest point of the play. Although the genre of the play was “dark comedy”, I felt that the inclusion of some jokes were unnecessary, and it was although the only point of the jokes was to break the enormous tension that the actors had and the audience was feeling. One example would be when the child was hallucinating about the ghosts outside the MRT, and one of the ghost said," Jesus said I could be Mother Mary's tampons!". The audience stilled laughed since it was a welcome break of tension, but it was quite a forced insertion of the joke.

The script's theme was that of how death could bring a family together. I felt that the theme had been already well explored in many other pieces of art, and that both the context and theme were both slightly unoriginal. However, every other aspect of the play brought the play to a whole new professional level. Which brings me to comment on my next point, the staging and directing.

Although Director Playwright Chong Tze Chien had slight weaknesses in his script, his directing was simply sublime. His staging was amazing; he managed to use the depth of the stage to bring out his usage of puppetry, to show the conflict between the Mother and Grandmother(especially in the underground tunnel scene, were the child is forced to follow one or the other). He managed to using the wonderful space to show the anger in the child when she was forced to draw a family photo. He managed to use perceptions of size to make the child's character more believable. He managed to use puppetry to show the beautiful relationship between daughter and father. His use of props was masterful. I could go on, but my fingers are tired. However, it wasn't a one-man show; his lights manager, puppeteer, sound manager, stage manager, production manager and publicity crew were important too, so kudos to them too.

However, I felt that what really made the audience cry was not the script, but it was the actors. All of the actors didn't just portray the role, they WERE the role. All of the actors were so in their role and as an audience so physically close to them, I could not help but feel the grief and emotion of all the actors. Janice Koh was sublime in her portrayal of a deeply hurt wife. She tries so deeply to be the sole pillar of sanity in the family, but the grandmother's constant blabbering to her granddaughter about how the father is just disappeared, like poop, really brings her to her knees as the mother(Janice) didn't want to remember anything of that dreaded husband of hers anymore, who was so selfish as to let go of his life for happiness and leave his family behind. Same for Neo Swee Lin, whose portrayal as a grandmother humiliation by her son's suicide, but yet tries to keep the whole family together. Julius Foo, as a man unhappy who just leaves his family, his connection with his daughter is really touching. Jean Ng, as a confused girl, was so naive and innocent I couldn't help to feel sorry for her. Each actor's dedication, training and passion shone through in their acting. Their stage presence and energy was so strong I didn't feel the need to check the time, wipe away my tears or even move. I just watched this wonderful piece of theatre come to life. At the end, when the Grandmother and Mother both embrace each other and finally accept death and move on, something deep inside me felt warm and growled in agreement. And no, I wasn't hungry.

Labels: Bored, Must Watch, piles of homework, Rp

I'm restarting this blogging process because a) some of my friends are still blogging/have begun blogging again and it makes such an interesting read(save for ~~a few~~ one cryptic motherf---er) and so I'd thought I'd return the favour! b) Clare tells me to and she says it's carthartic.

HENCEFORTH BEGINS A SERIES OF COMPLETELY NON-SEQUITUR THOUGHTS. I find such a thought process has come to define Shawn.

1
I'm really doubting the Carthasis that comes out of this blogging process! I Mean there's always this public audience; no matter how small, and the fact that shit stays forever online and there might be unforeseen consequences to what you post ie, @Steph! I guess this lends itself to the problem that out of the many facets of Shawn or experiences I do have, only the few that coincide with my preffered 'me' will surface.
How's that Carthatic in any sense? The Greek assume Cartharsis correctly as perceived by an AUDIENCE member because the extremely complicated internal dealings of a person in response to tragedy were (hopefully) completely honest to each individual and each individual could respond to the unnerving truths they had seen. But consider that what I put up is not 100% me, not because I'm fake(maybe la) but because there is so much of.. well, me that scares me? And that also had irreparable implications.

Also, I have a personal written diary so I much prefer that.

2
This is really random, but since I've already reflected about 2012 let me be shallow and share the most shallow thing I reflected upon which was my looks. Haha I really do believe I am strangely comfortable with the way I look now. Exeunt

3
I can't stand people who act like they are totally in demand in any group even when theyre not. AND EVEN WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY. It lends no support to the group and it's dynamics. The veracity of your "in-demandness" lends no credit to your behaviour. Seriously? Why would you that? To seem cool? and Popular? I thought such concepts dated in the teens and we are WAAAAAYY past that? No friends then hang out, busy then dont. WHAT THE F--- is the problem what strange demented, tormented Mean Girls quote have you come to identify with that causes such behaviour?
Worse still are people who judge me when I genuinely have no idea what to do but just want to weld a group and gel a group together and be a part of that group. This is in reference to no group in particular and don't guess because I have a fair share too many. Scratch that I think there's nothing wrong with wanting a million friends and being sincere is wanting to be that close to all of them. If I let you read my like an open book, accept the fact and move on. Read the damn book!
WHY JUDGE ME FOR BEING SO OPEN SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT?
I'm not entirely sure if being that open book is entirely my decision, and it doesn't matter. I just hope people are still naive enough to believe what I choose to! And perspicacious enough to deduce that such a belief is still very much worth holding on to.

4
Turn towards brevity?! Brevity is the soul of wit but damn son, your potrait of a mofo thousand words is typed by a bunch of monkey jamming keys. There is but that much meaning in gibberish.

You're not a poet, your not a guy whose name starts with th and has references to a penis.

What is the point of an audience if the title is longer that the story.

THIS AINT SCOODY DOO

THIS AINT GOONI GOO GOO

THIS AINT POETRY SLAM.

(non sequitur)

what kind of performance is this

Get a diary. This thought belongs in a diary hahahaha.

5
I love Cloud Atlas @Sudeep if you are reading. #YOUYND
Just a movie with such intricate attention to detail and Im a detail nigger so yeah.
So much to think about to and yes so much to feel.

Sigh I need a vlog thoughts are just slowly slipping out of my head.

Labels: birthdays, good news, hehe, long post, NOT happy, time waster, wasting time

101th post and im a changed person, no really!

And I jsut have a quote (and some thoughts):

We don't know anywhere near enough about evolution to infer from it that God is not the creator. And more importantly, we don't know anywhere near enough about God to dismiss the idea that evolution might be a part of God's creative process. If we can embrace a bit of humility and avoid the temptation to enlarge either evolution or biblical literalism into an enitre worlview, we can then dismiss this controversy as the irrelevant shouting match that it is.

From Saving Darwin : How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution

I LIKE IT.

:D

also i just feel positive energy for JC.

POSITIVE!

Once again i am using this blog just as a checklist for my next week. BEESAY AS HEELLL..

Okay theres no time limit whatsoever BUT the deadlines are so far(sounding) away. grr i cannot procrastinate its never been part of me! Stupid holidays.

YDSP report(15th december send to dr.yang)
ATS entry form and all the other approval forms(send to dr yang by dec15th)
record work hours on calender.
sketch making with bum on friday in da morning. (prepare food for bum/ask him abt friday)
MAKE ELIAS REPLYZ WHY IS HE NOT REPLY TO MY DAMN SMSES. STOOPZ.
(i veh miss youz leh)
ask beck and richmond about 2nd jan stayover at my house so they dont need to take extra taxi fees by like soon. also tell everyone about sit waifeng and the emergency number
buy new bag/uniform
finish reading our very nanowrimo novel :D
record some raps

job tmrw so GDNIGHTS PEOPLE

AND MOST IMPTANTLY.

100th posts.

cue celebration.

after 3 years haha!

Whirlwind.

God I have so many things to do my checlist is filled ot the damn brim.

I'm so sorry i haven't really been contributing to nanowrimo. D: I feel really bad but I have this dman attachment and my job interview/preparation.

...

Anway YDSP has been interesting.

I fele its more a China Immersion Programme than anything; not that I;m complaning the science ahs been easy , I'm just reading my own shit most of the time and the people are amazingly nice!

:D they deserve a gift.

AND LONDON.

OH LONDON.

No I think I've tlaked about that enough. the fb photos speak for themselves.

Erm erm. JOB! But thats in limbo so yeah.

And haha I met my cousin today at her first job and we had starbucks and I bought her a gift. But she was slacking and her colleagues saw her. D: sorry.

Anyway I think I have time in between experiments tomorrow? Ive been reading the whole novel but I'm pretty confused.

Anyhelp?