One night in KLPAC

Acting and Creative Expressions Workshop

Today, I would like to post a student’s reflection on the Acting and Creative Expression Workshop, held in the school this afternoon from 2 – 4 p.m. Hope the others will write their responses soon.

On the 9^th of March, 2010, SMK Seri Hartamas held a very special course on drama. Pn Yong invited Mark Beau De Silva, a director from KLPAC to facilitate a workshop on acting and creative expression.

To be honest, Mark himself is a pretty amazing guy. He has a lot of energy practically radiating out of him, meant to be passed on to the students attending the course, who were all students of this school. The students were cautioned to be in track uniforms, or risk exhaustion from his programme of activities. He speaks with more than simple interest in his presentation, as if he is passing on a way of life to many impressionable souls.

One of his quotable sayings is “Drama is emotion”. This was really shown when two participants were to create a scenario and express emotions, although not everyone could make it up on the spot. This really brings out the best in some people, because the art of being spontaneous is easily acquired, with the right practice. But to be 100% truthful, I think the awkward silences following someone saying, “Why did you do this to me?!” are really just priceless. Especially when the other person’s face practically screams, “I didn’t do it!”

Alas, I digress. Another point made out was trust. Now, in every activity, there’s usually a hidden lesson too. This activity was pair work, with one friend ‘driving’ the other through shoulder gestures. The intended lesson was to trust one another through thick and thin. I think what many people learnt as an added bonus was to never let their friends behind the wheel of a car. Ever. The activity also perfectly recreated downtown KL, with cars in some directions many thought didn’t even exist and still crashing into each other. I think the world is not going to have many more cars on the road, seeing we’ve narrowed at least 20 drivers off our roads.

One of the most crucial skills of the actor- to be able to change an everyday object into a variety of tools. The water bottle in question was passed along a circle, where it could be interacted with in any way. Some tossed, some danced, some even made phone calls with it. However, topping off our ‘what on earth?’ list still goes to Sashi, and his ninja-sword-of-doom bottle. Arigato, Sensei. Many were pressured in having to generate ideas with such little time, but at least it got some blood flowing.

Tableau mixed awful chemistry puns with awful animal puns, which all in all makes for an amazing experience, and more respect towards monkeys and less towards flamingos. Participants were allowed to walk around the room, before being forced to join at the head with three other participants (insert chemical pun here). After the fifth formers had finished lamenting about their need to study chemistry, the groups were to elect a Director amongst them. The directors were to secretly pose them in a scene from the zoo, without their new ‘action figures’ knowing it. Afterwards, we were asked to make sounds of a jungle and city, before combining the two activities into a proper play, with conflict and resolution. To this point in time, the fact that monkeys were the most common choice still amazes me. That, and how a crocodile speaks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. At all even, now that I think about it. Mark gave his comments on the many acts, and many stage fright issues were resolved. Memorable lines from the plays would have to be “Good night, flamingo,” and “Your tickets will NOT be refunded!”. Somehow, the latter feels like it came from experience.

With the release of Alice in Wonderland in the local cinemas, even Mark had Johnny Depp on his mind. Using his performance from ‘Edward Scissorhands’, Mark had us mentally visualise the change in our houses over ten years on a sheet of paper. Each fold took us back five years, and stimulated enough emotion to lead to our next activity. We had to pretend to be old men, aged 85 with bad backs, dead wives, and absolutely no money, rusting in peace at the old folks home. Many an old person joke was made, before Mark explained how to perfect the impersonation by linking characteristics from participants to the old men, and how to have gravity on our heads. Newton turns in his grave.

Our day ended with Mark giving us vocal exercises, how to talk from our belly and reach pitches previously accessible only by animals. It was all put to good use on a song about faith, the one thing driving everyone forward.

Before he left, he explained about several programmes going on at KLPAC and was presented with a souvenir, as well as a copy of our school magazine. This course has interested many people in theatre, gotten rid of many forms of stage fright, and given us an in-depth look at ionic bonding. Kudos to you Mark, and let’s see you sometime soon.

By Wan Amirul.