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.

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

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.

Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit graduated with a degree in Drama from Queensland University of Technology. Aidli writes, directs, acts, teaches, and designs lighting and costume. She has worked with local theatre companies like The Necessary Stage, W!ld Rice, Teater Ekamatra, and Drama Box. Together with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Alfian Sa’at, Aidli published an anthology of Malay plays in BISIK. Aidli is the Founder and Director of Panggung ARTS and she is the recipient of the Young Artist Award for Theatre in 2008. Aidli is currently working in Temasek Polytechnic while pursuing her Master of Education.

Irfan Kasban is a freelance theatre maker who writes, directs, designs and, at times, performs. The former Associate Artistic Director of Teater Ekamatra attended the prestigious La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors 2012, and have written and directed several works. These include Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa (M1 Fringe Festival 2012), 94:05 (Kakiseni Festival 2013), ANA (Projek Suitcase 2015), and Trees a Crowd (Twenty Something Festival 2016). Last year Irfan’s play TAHAN (2012), was selected for Esplanade’s Fifty – a celebration of Singapore’s seminal works.

Nabilah Said discovered the world of theatre in 2010. She is currently in Boiler Room, a programme for playwrights by Centre 42, and is this year’s resident artist for contemporary Malay theatre company Teater Ekamatra. She presented the short plays Tart (2015), Next Station (2014) and Lost (2012) as part of Teater Ekamatra’s playwright mentorship programme after undergoing a year’s training in its youth wing, Mereka. She is an arts and lifestyle journalist with The Straits Times, and also a freelance writer, editor and poet with works published in anthologies by Math Paper Press.

Nessa Anwar has written, acted, produced and directed for theatre, television, digital content and short films. Currently a multimedia journalist by day, she believes wholeheartedly in the content she creates. Nessa began acting first, under companies like Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Young Company and Teater Ekamatra. Nessa also wrote and acted in a play commissioned for a Singapore Writer’s Festival Checkpoint Theatre 2015 event entitled Riders Know When It’s Going to Rain, which was restaged for the 2016 Singapore Theatre Festival under W!ld Rice.

Part 1: Alfian Sa’at in the Living Room: New Directions in Malay Theatre

Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, Irfan Kasban, Nabilah Said and Nessa Anwar each shares his or her personal history in Malay Theatre, collectively constructing a ground-up account of Malay Theatre history.

Part 2: Alfian Sa’at in the Living Room: New Directions in Malay Theatre

The playwrights discuss several important topics in Malay Theatre, as well as field questions from the audience.

In a Living Room session on 24 Nov 2016, Alfian Sa’at sat down with fellow playwrights Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, Irfan Kasban, Nabilah Said and Nessa Anwar to discuss the state of Malay Theatre in Singapore and where it is heading to. The group tackled questions such as: What makes a play a “Malay” play? Are you more comfortable writing in Malay or English? Do you feel pressure to portray the Malay community in a certain way? Are you writing for a Malay audience? What is the future of Malay Theatre? etc. Photo Credit: Lu Yixin

Source: Centre 42 Facebook