Baling Membaling
I`m not an avid theather goer, nor do I plan to be one. I went to a show because I want to support my friend`s work or just out of curiosity. Oh, and it has nothing to do with creating possibilities of bumping into Harith Iskandar or Jit Murad. Just in case THAT reason pop-up in your mind. So, the decision to watch Baling Membaling was also made on a simple basis. The theater is going to be about the historic Baling negotiation and and my friend, Mark Teh is directing it where as It is going to be an experimental play where 3 non-actors Imri Nasution, Fahmi Reza and Yong Chia is going to be the central characters. God willing, I might get a different idea about the historical event which otherwise was a very blurry part of my history lesson that did not deserve a second reading.
Frankly, I didn't left the Futsal Court (where the act was performed) a reformed person. But what really made me appreciate the play is how the play allows me to explore the extent of intensity and power struggle that would have been experienced by the actual characters during the real negotiation. The energy manifested by the actors are crystallized by their fast-paced movements and strong dialogues. Fahmi, Yong Chia and Imri `s passing of a very "symbolic" chair at the start of the play marked the beginning of the power struggle between the CPM, Tunku and British. My favorite scene would be the part where Yong Chia dragged himself across the stage by moving the stool slowly and rambling to himself in chinese. Was it a representation of Chin Peng, drowning in the conflict and slowly losing ground in the struggle. And of course the combined forces of Tunku and the British created an evil twin who at last overpowered and toppled the tired looking Chin Peng and stood high on the stool, gloating victoriously. Visually powerful and surprisingly makes me sympathize with the tired defeated soul called Chin Peng.
A Communist sympathizers attempt at garnering support for CPM? No, I would say. To me, it is an honest attempt at retelling the history from the ordinary people `s angle. Our historical books are smoothly written by the victors in our history, we are learning their propaganda, their angles by heart. Do we know the other side of the story? That is our problem. Our judgement is very much clouded by our lack of truth. So, I guess our young generation and I must say really talented group of young people wants to break this vicious cycle of ignorance sponsored by the powers that be. And judging from the play, I can say we have great hopes for them and also for the nation. It takes more young people to take the road mostly not taken and retell the stories of the people as honest as they can. I know Mark has been doing that all this while and god bless him for that.
For a much more incisive quality review of the play published in the glossy expensive Off The Edge magazine ( with less emotional interferences in between the lines, of course ), do visit my friend `s blog - smallacts. blogspot.
Frankly, I didn't left the Futsal Court (where the act was performed) a reformed person. But what really made me appreciate the play is how the play allows me to explore the extent of intensity and power struggle that would have been experienced by the actual characters during the real negotiation. The energy manifested by the actors are crystallized by their fast-paced movements and strong dialogues. Fahmi, Yong Chia and Imri `s passing of a very "symbolic" chair at the start of the play marked the beginning of the power struggle between the CPM, Tunku and British. My favorite scene would be the part where Yong Chia dragged himself across the stage by moving the stool slowly and rambling to himself in chinese. Was it a representation of Chin Peng, drowning in the conflict and slowly losing ground in the struggle. And of course the combined forces of Tunku and the British created an evil twin who at last overpowered and toppled the tired looking Chin Peng and stood high on the stool, gloating victoriously. Visually powerful and surprisingly makes me sympathize with the tired defeated soul called Chin Peng.
A Communist sympathizers attempt at garnering support for CPM? No, I would say. To me, it is an honest attempt at retelling the history from the ordinary people `s angle. Our historical books are smoothly written by the victors in our history, we are learning their propaganda, their angles by heart. Do we know the other side of the story? That is our problem. Our judgement is very much clouded by our lack of truth. So, I guess our young generation and I must say really talented group of young people wants to break this vicious cycle of ignorance sponsored by the powers that be. And judging from the play, I can say we have great hopes for them and also for the nation. It takes more young people to take the road mostly not taken and retell the stories of the people as honest as they can. I know Mark has been doing that all this while and god bless him for that.
For a much more incisive quality review of the play published in the glossy expensive Off The Edge magazine ( with less emotional interferences in between the lines, of course ), do visit my friend `s blog - smallacts. blogspot.
posted by GEE at 10:07 AM
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