Written by Su Rui, Y2, Information Engineering and Media

We could barely see anything from where we stood onstage, waving at the audience as the red curtains were drawn close at the end of the performance. The applause and cheers of support from our family, our friends and faculty members, resounding in our ears. Our own cheer of unison rising up from behind the curtains. That was the moment that made me think inside, “This was worth it.” 

USPresents is an annual theatre production which is written, produced, and coordinated by NTU-USP students. This year’s play, titled “World of Misfits”, was set in a futuristic world rife with discrimination, where Misfits are at odds with Hyborgs who have enhancement augments. The story follows Misper, a Misfit lawyer who fights for Misfit rights against the sinister Reinheart Corporations to reclaim justice in an unequal society.

Misper (Sophia, left) questions Martin (Zi Xuan, right) in court for his experimentations on her brother Jasper (Dason, middle). 

I had the opportunity of being the producer of this year’s USPresents, which meant stepping up and out of my comfort zone into an area I was completely unfamiliar with. By signing up to be the producer, I wanted to gain leadership experience and try things that I had never done before. It was a huge leap of faith. I wasn’t alone in my journey, however; all of us started out inexperienced and unsure of ourselves, only knowing that we wanted to achieve a common dream – a theatre production that we could all be proud of. 

My experience in USPresents taught me many things about being a leader. Firstly, a leader needs to be courageous. For me, it wasn’t just about having the courage to flag out issues and resolve them, it was also about being brave enough to rely on and place my faith in the rest of the committee. I used to think leaders were lonely people, because they have to hold so much responsibility in a way that everyone else cannot fathom. I was afraid of being that lonely person, at first. Yet I was blessed with an extremely dedicated committee that never stopped giving their full effort and supporting one another, including myself. They placed their trust in me and in turn, I placed my trust in them. 

The stagies subcommittee and the cast setting up for a scene. 

I’ve also learnt how to give encouragement more readily, especially when things are going rough. There is no project or committee out there that would say they have not run into challenges along the way. We will always run into challenges as a team, as a committee and within ourselves most of all. The trick is to share these challenges and face them head on together. I have learnt to encourage the people around me, to stay optimistic amidst the challenges. We learnt, as a committee, to encourage one another. As a result, we were able to push ourselves forward, beyond what we were individually capable of. 

Wen Xuan (left) and Hajaani (right) help Caitlin (middle) with her makeup. 

The growth that I witnessed as a leader was truly remarkable on hindsight. Over the span of eight months I was able to see the script develop, the actors growing confident in themselves and their abilities, the costumes and props coming together and integrating seamlessly into the production, the publicity materials going through countless refinement to reach incomparable quality. I am incredibly proud to say that I witnessed the growth of my peers, and I am so grateful to all of them for remaining resilient throughout. 

My time in USPresents wasn’t long, but I’ve made many memories that I will hold close to me for a very long time. I’ve managed to grow closer to the people around me in the USPham, and I will always remember the moment we saw everything come together and come alive onstage. The journey for growth is one that never ceases, and my journey in USPresents was truly an experience that was worth it in the end.  

The USPresents’23-24 committee (I’m directly in the centre of the second row!) 

The Main Committee of USPresents’23-24: (Clockwise from back, left) Xin Yi (Stage), Cheng Hao (Costumes), Zi Yuan (Publicity), Jia Xuan (Stage), Josh (Scriptwriter), Amanda (Financial Controller), Myself (Producer), Xinyue (Director) 

The Top4 of USPresents’23-24: (From left) Xinyue, Amanda, Myself, Josh