Written by Aswani Aswath and dramaturged by Alfian Sa’at, Absence Makes the Heart… is an attempt to trace the presence and absence of Indian roles in Singapore English-language theatre, from the early days of its birth to the present moment. Featuring the actors Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi, the work asks: How much do we miss those who have gone missing?
The 1962 play Mimi Fan by Lim Chor Pee, widely recognised as Singapore’s first English-language play, featured two Indian characters, Baram and Sheila Rani. In the ’70s and ’80s, playwrights Robert Yeo and Michael Chiang showcased more Indian characters in their plays. While Yeo’s were politically-minded individuals with oratorical gifts, Chiang’s were larger-than-life scene-stealers in sparkling comedies. In the 1990s, complex and even iconic roles were written, from Vinod in Haresh Sharma’s Off Centre to Nisha in Elangovan’s Talaq. However, from the 2000s onwards, fewer roles were being created for actors of Indian ethnicity. Some playwrights claimed the acting pool had dried up. But some actors counter-claimed that there was little substantial work for them in the theatre industry. Written by Aswani Aswath and dramaturged by Alfian Sa’at, Absence Makes the Heart… is an attempt to trace the presence and absence of Indian roles in Singapore English-language theatre, from the early days of its birth to the present moment. Featuring the actors Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi, the work will ask: How much do we miss those who have gone missing? Please note that this showcase has been given the following consumer advice: Advisory 16 (Mature Content and Coarse Language). REGISTRATIONSaturday, 28 October 2017, 8PM
Sunday, 29 October 2017, 3PM
@ Centre 42 Black BoxAdmission: Give-What-You-Can
(Cash only, at the door)IMDA Rating:
Advisory 16 (Mature Content and Coarse Language)
Aswani Aswath
When she’s not wearing the teacher hat, Aswani Aswath is a freelance writer who believes that stories provide a voice for the powerless and platforms inviting discussion and change. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the National University of Singapore, Aswani was a Writer-in- Residence for Buds Theatre Company. Her works have been staged in schools, Singapore Youth Festival competitions and community projects that were commissioned by the National Library Board and EmancipAsia. Aswani also writes for Tamil theatre and her recent scripts include Kadal + Karai and Pazhuppu for Ravindran Drama Group and the Asian Youth Theatre Festival.
Alfian Sa’at
Alfian Sa’at is well-known for frank, insightful, and provocative literary and dramatic works, written in English and Malay. As the Resident Playwright of W!ld Rice, he has written acclaimed plays such as the Asian Boys trilogy (2000, 2004, 2007), Cooling-Off Day (2011), and the historical epic Hotel (2015, co-writer). Alfian is also an author with published collections of short stories and poems. He is a four-time winner of Best Original Script at the annual M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards and a 2001 recipient of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for Literature.
Programme Handout
This Vault was accompanied by an exhibition also titled Absence Makes the Heart. Held at Centre 42’s front courtyard from 28 Oct to 5 Nov 2017, the exhibition featured images of Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi posing as characters from six of Singapore’s most iconic plays. These characters were previously played by Chinese and Malay actors. The exhibition panels can be viewed below:
Written by Aswani Aswath and dramaturged by Alfian Sa’at, Absence Makes the Heart… is an attempt to trace the presence and absence of Indian roles in Singapore English-language theatre, from the early days of its birth to the present moment. Featuring the actors Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi, the work will ask: How much do we miss those who have gone missing?
“Absence Makes the Heart…” was presented on 28 & 29 Oct in the Centre 42 Black Box. The work traced the presence and absence of Indian roles in Singapore English-language theatre, from the early days of its birth to the present moment. “Absence Makes the Heart…” featured excerpts from English-language local plays throughout Singapore theatre history, and interviews with prominent Indian theatre practitioners. “Absence” was written by Aswani Aswath, dramaturged by Alfian Sa’at, and performed by Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi. This edition of the Vault was accompanied by an exhibition featuring images of the Indian actors playing iconic characters in Singapore English-language theatre, previously played by their Chinese peers.
Source: Centre 42 Facebook
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The Vault: Absence Makes the Heart… traces the presence and absence of Indian roles in Singapore English-language theatre. Written by Aswani Aswath and dramaturged by Alfian Sa’at, and featuring the actors Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Sivakumar Palakrishnan and Grace Kalaiselvi.
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