This cosy session, hosted by veteran journalist and actor Koh Boon Pin, was a conversation with Singaporean playwright and activist Russell Heng about his play-writing journey. Russell’s careers and transitions influenced the content and context of the three plays he wrote. The 65-minute Living Room Chat has been repackaged into a 3-part video recording.
On 10 April, activist, controversial playwright and scholar Russell Heng talks about his work in rejuvenating civil society on the stage and beyond.
A week later, artist and poet Desmond Sim discusses his body of work and offers insights on the confluence of writing, branding and marketing.
EVENT DETAILS
Friday, 10 April 2015
8pm @ Centre 42 Black Box
Admission for both evenings are free, by registration.
KOH BOON PIN
Award-winning journalist Koh Boon Pin has worked front- and back-end in newspapers, magazines, television and radio. He has, over 20 years, interviewed a broad spectrum of movers and shakers in the arts, sciences, as well as business, military and political spheres.
Audiences, both local and international, have also noted another side of him as thespian in productions such as Metamorphosis (TheatreWorks, 1989), The Dance and The Railroad (TheatreWorks, 1990), Private Parts (TheatreWorks, 1992), Six of the Best (TheatreWorks, 1996), The First Emperor’s Last Days (TheatreWorks, 1998), The Magic Fundoshi (Wild Rice, 2006), Diaspora (TheatreWorks, 2006 and 2009).
RUSSELL HENG
“That I have been part of larger movement to rejuvenate civil society in Singapore. That whatever little we have done may make it easier for coming generations of Singaporeans who are or want to be different FROM the majority.”
~ Russell Heng, on what achievement he is most proud of. (Source: Fridae.asia, 16 August 2005)
Russell Heng had received a scholarship bond in the civil service in the early 80s to become a journalist in the Straits Times – Sunday Times Feature Editor and left in 1991 to pursue another career. He joined the university of southeast Asian studies as a fellow before pursuing a doctorate at the Australian National University (thesis in political science). In 2000 he returned to the university as a senior fellow.
In 2003, Russell Heng founded Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), a non-profit organisation in Singapore which was dedicated to improve conditions for low wage migrant workers in Singapore. He is currently the president heading this cause, and has been active in the events which pertain to the migrant workers, i.e. Little India Riot, improvement of workers quarters, etc. In TWC2, they create a better environment which researches into social worker assistance, food programmes, and even a care fund for these migrant workers.
Since 1990, he has written 3 plays, all of which have themes deemed controversial then. Even though they have been flagged for their first initial production, all have been eventually produced by TheatreWorks.
An extract of the text from one of his plays Lest The Demons Get To Me: “…deep down, you know that you are no more honest than any one of us. … we lead lives of secrecy because we fear the consequences of others knowing about our secret.”
Lest The Demons Get To Me is one of three plays in the dramatised reading “Gender and Sexuality – selected works” directed by Jeremiah Choy and presented by Esplanade’s The Studios: fifty.
Part 1: The Formative Years
Koh Boon Pin begins his conversation with Russell Heng by getting him to talk about the early years of his life. Russell shares memories of his formative years, from his childhood to his university years to his first jobs as a civil servant and a journalist. These were the experiences which later shaped his play-writing.
Part 2: Lest the Demons Get
The chat continues with Russell discussing his first play, Lest the Demons Get to Me (written in 1987) and the controversy it stirred when it was first staged by TheatreWorks in 1992. Boon Pin, who performed in the play’s first reading (1991), also shares his memories of playing the lead character K.C. The conversation then turned to Russell’s years in gay advocacy group P.L.U. (People Like Us).
Part 3: Half Century & Comrade Mayor
This segment focused on Russell’s more recent plays — Half Century (written in 1994) and Comrade Mayor (written in 2002). Russell shares with Boon Pin the difficulties faced in getting his contentious plays from page to stage. To end off the conversation, Russell shares a clip from his favourite Teochew opera which inspires him to write courageously about social injustices.
Veteran journalist and actor Koh Boon Pin invites into the Living Room activist, controversial playwright and scholar Russell Heng for an evening of conversations and revelations behind his works.
Source: Centre 42 Facebook
