Written by Caitlin, Y2 ACBS

The best decision I made in my second year of university was acting in NTU-USPresents. NTU-USPresents is an annual theatre production helmed by NTU-USP scholars We produce original theatre works with talented NTU-USPians playing pivotal roles, covering everything from scriptwriting to directing to performing. During our rehearsals, the directors oversaw stage directions and the execution of lines, the stage managers ensured that all the props were where they needed to be before each scene, and the lights and audio technicians always synced technical cues with the stage.

Production crew hard at work!

In 2023, NTU-USPresents produced World of Misfits, which portrayed a dystopian world split between the augmented Hyborgs (Humans and Cyborgs in short) and the lower-class Misfits (typical Humans who cannot wield augments). This play discusses the class divide that is so deeply entrenched in our society. I had the opportunity to act as Cecilia Reinheart, a money-minded and cold-blooded antagonist in the production. As the main antagonist in the production, I felt the responsibility to bring depth and complexity to the character, ensuring that the audience empathised and understood Cecilia’s main motivations.

Me on stage!

Rehearsals were definitely physically and mentally demanding, but experiencing NTU-USPresents with my friends made the process a whole lot more enjoyable! I will miss the little giggles during improvisations, the smiles we gave each other during warm-ups, and all the inside jokes we shared during rehearsals.

All smiles! The cast of NTU-USPresents: World of Misfits.

After my fruitful experience in NTU-USPresents, I signed up for SP0041: DEEP Drama, which is an NTU-USP elective that exposes us to various productions by Prof Geraldine Song and other playwrights. The aim of this module is to cultivate a deeper understanding about audiences in Singapore and Hong Kong. We even got the chance to practise what we learnt by visiting Hong Kong to experience its theatre scene (more on that soon!).

Prof Geraldine is our very own NTU-USP faculty member who is also a playwright and director. It was insightful to study her works because we could connect these stories to our understanding of her as a faculty member who interacts with us students closely.

For the first few weeks of school, we analysed plays from various roles, ranging from production, casting, to backstage crew. Being a part of the crew, as opposed to the cast, is a whole new experience that allowed me to broaden my understanding of theatre. Once, we analysed Prof Geraldine’s play The Ugly Singaporeans in class. In this play, there are scenes where animals and humans that co-exist and interact. A question discussed was how we can distinguish the animals from the humans, especially if the animals are highly personified.

Furthermore, having classmates from different faculties added a unique depth to our learning. As a business major, I contributed to class discussions by approaching stage production in a pragmatic manner. Budget was a primary concern of mine when thinking about how to produce a play. For example, how elaborate can our stage on set be if we are constrained by funds? My friends from more creative fields like Communication Studies were always able to think of ideas that gave our narratives colour. I also appreciated the systematic approach some of my friends in more analytical fields like engineering brought to the table. Their background in quantitative thinking made breaking abstract concepts down a simple task for them.

Then, the time for our long-awaited trip to Hong Kong came!

While I was in Hong Kong, I observed that people tend to walk, eat, and speak fast. Professor Saiu Octavian-Ion from Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) pointed out, youth in Hong Kong are also very connected to the digital world such that a stereotypical Hong Kong youth would walk to class quickly with their eyes glued to the screen. From my viewpoint, as the internet and social media is highly pervasive in Hong Kong, I thought about how social media can be used to engage theatre audiences. It could be used to create hype around an event, or to include interactive elements in the production for better audience engagement and an immersive experience.

On the Kowloon City Walking Trail

In HKMU, Prof Octavian also taught us about festivals all over the world. Festivals are a celebration of human spirit and it is the best opportunity for people to come together and bond over a shared passion. This prompted me to think: How can we stage a production and engage an audience such that it has impacts similar to that of festivals? Can theatre productions also bring people with similar interests together?

During our Hong Kong trip, we also visited Avenue of Stars, Mongkok, and Causeway Bay, and enjoyed local delicacies like dim sum and roast goose. A visit to Disneyland added excitement, while strolling through the streets offered a firsthand cultural experience. There is truly no better way to learn about a country than to be there ourselves!

A night out in Mongkok – exploring Ladies Market and enjoying Dim Sum!

Taking in the views of the skyline of Hong Kong.

It’s always a fun time in Disneyland!

In the last few weeks of DEEP Drama, we will be going on field visits to a few production houses around Singapore. I am most excited to learn from Stella Kon herself, an esteemed Singaporean playwright, who uses the performing arts as a tool to empower the marginalised community in Singapore. The main project deliverable for DEEP Drama is to come up with a proposal for a play of our choice. My team and I will be brainstorming ideas for The Ugly Singaporeans and how each of us can contribute as a producer/director, costumes/props manager, sounds/lighting manager and a member of the cast. I hope to develop a proposal for The Ugly Singaporeans that effectively conveys the importance of biodiversity conservation, as I draw upon knowledge gained over the past 8 weeks and collaborate with my team members from different faculties.

I have really been enjoying the DEEP Drama course and this has helped me gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of theatre and its audience in both Singapore and in Hong Kong. I have also found a group of people in NTU-USP with shared interests in plays and theatre production. I now know who I can ask when finding companions to watch or discuss plays with!