Always base your writing career not on what other writers have done, but on what you can do that others cannot even if they tried.

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

In conversation with the playwrights from Writings from The Heart: Part 2

Our Engagement Intern, Shifaa Jonoh spoke to the two different playwrights who are part ofWritings from The Heart. They are: Helmi Yusof and Gabriel Lim, playwrights of My Mother Buys Condoms/ My Father Wears Bras and We Fell In A Marathon respectively.

Just as the plays in this weekend’s Writing from The Heart are diverse in its subject matter and explorations, so are the playwrights who wrote them. Gabriel Lim is an avid theatregoer who occasionally indulges in painting, photography and writing and is currently exploring archived material in the 90s regarding Forum Theatre and Postmodernism. Likewise, Helmi Yusof is a journalist at The Business Times, covering arts and culture and has written on the arts and entertainment scene for various publications, including The Straits Times and Arena men’s magazine.

Drawing on their personal biographies and histories, each of their plays reflect a strong unique voice. When asked whether the characters in their plays were an extension of themselves, Gabriel shared how fragments of his characters represented certain personal moments in his life. His characters then allows him to revisit those moments and the choices he made, and rationalize the issues on a larger, universal scale through his play. On the other hand, Helmi’s was a personal response to the controversy of the National Library’s withdrawal of childrens’ books containing LGBT characters and single mothers as it was deemed unfit reading material for children. In the interview, he lets on a little fun fact as well: “I’ve only cross-dressed once in an all-boys school play. But I’m guessing somewhere in the recesses of my psyche there’s a sexually-frustrated 60-year-old woman and man in drag.”

When asked about how attending the Writing from The Heart programme mentored by Tony Perez helped them develop their scripts, both shared similar sentiments about him, saying that he was a wonderful mentor, with Helmi adding how he was thoroughly unconventional and intuitive. He described the workshops as “talking about everything from chakra points and meditation to Freud and Jung” and how one needed to have an open mind during these explorations. For Gabriel, he never expected a workshop to introduce such topics, but those avenues formed the basis for him to get really creative in his writing. It also served as a reminder for him to write with his gut feeling and see where it took him.

They also felt that such programmes were important because from Gabriel’s perspective, it provides a creative space to develop artists as well involving the community in its process. He adds on, “Theatre came from the people, the community. And we can all agree that the theatre as an art form is a great way of expression and to facilitate discussions.” Helmi agrees but highlights how a longer-term engagement – one that lasts over 5 to 10 years- may be necessary for a writer to find their voice. He goes on to say however, “Unfortunately, few theatre companies have those kind of resources.”

With their plays ready for this weekend, I asked if they would continue writing after the end of their programme, to which I received enthusiastic yeses. For Gabriel, he intends to find his eventual style of writing a play and Helmi, “If Tony Perez returns for another week-long engagement, I’ll definitely sign up.”

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

In conversation with the playwrights from Writings from The Heart: Part 1

Our Engagement Intern, Shifaa Jonoh spoke to the three different playwrights who are part ofWritings from The Heart. They are: Chan Lishan, Samantha Chia and Serene Tan, playwrights of Conversations with My Father, No Regrets and  Hazy Pre- Nuptials respectively.

Between the three of them, it would seem as though they would have nothing in common- Lishan is an administrator working in mental health services planning and development, Samantha is freelancing as a stage/events manager and Serene, is an accountant. Yet, they share a strong passion for expressing their creative sides through writing and hold on to the belief that writing is a means to explore,  understand, reflect and reconcile issues within oneself and society.

Tapping into their personal biographies and histories, each of their plays reflect a strong sense of individual identity. When asked whether the characters in their plays were an extension of themselves, Serene shares how she has a habit of people watching and develops her characters based on her observations of their speech, behaviour and idiosyncrasies. Likewise, for Samantha, her characters are based on a mish mash of people’s experiences and shared stories.

With writing comes its challenges, and both Lishan and Serene experienced difficulties during their time of developing their script. Despite Lishan’s experience in writing a book titled “A Philosopher’s Madness” as well as publishing non- fiction articles in the opinion sections of The Straits Times and The Business Times, she shared how writing dialogue was personally challenging for her because it does not come as easily. On the other hand, Serene found that writing her second draft of the play was more challenging than the first because she grew attached to her first draft and found it difficult to trim lines.

When asked about how attending the Writing from The Heart programme mentored by Tony Perez helped them develop their scripts, both Serene and Samantha agreed that it provided a platform for them to write from a more honest and “real” point of view. A memorable moment for Serene was the “Emotional Truths” session during the workshop where it allowed them to be in touch with their raw emotions, giving way to a better understanding of characters and developing dialogues. As she elaborates, “As long as our characters speak words true to their emotions, the dialogue delivered to the audience will come across as genuine and believable. The emotional truths breathe life into the characters. I guess this is what writing from the heart is all about.” Scripts aside, Lishan mentioned that the workshop also made way for a better understanding of herself.

They also felt that such programmes were important because it provides a platform for playwrights to have a taster to the process of writing and developing plays and stressed the importance of receiving feedback as a means to improve and make progress in their scripts. Or as simply put by Lishan, “Important, because, sometimes, we just need a kick in order to get writing!”

With their plays done and dusted for this weekend, I asked if they would continue writing after the end of their programme, to which I received three resounding yeses. Serene left with a parting word of advice for all the aspiring playwrights out there: “I would encourage anybody interested in playwriting to participate in such programmes.”

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

It’s A Wrap! Writings from The Heart

On 10- 11 July, I had the opportunity to film Writings from The Heart. Writings from The Heart  first began as a workshop by Tony Perez, an internationally renowned Filipino playwright and artist. Following the workshop, between June 2014 to March 2015, he then provided dramaturgical mentorship to the eight playwrights where these scripts were developed. Prior the the public readings of these plays, there was a closed door reading in May that gave the opportunity for the playwrights to hear their works and subsequently edit them. It was undoubtedly an enjoyable experience attending the premiere of these new plays. After sitting in the rehearsal for My Mother Buys Condoms earlier that week, I was curious to see the rest.

These were not your usual “polished” looking plays. There was no complicated lighting design, no elaborate set, no intricate costume- it was pared down to the essentials. After all, the focus of the weekend was providing a platform for playwrights to receive audience feedback as a means to improve and make progress in their scripts.

Writings from The Heart was a platform for the writers to experiment with no holds barred on their writing. Tony Perez’s workshops were highly unconventional- covering chakra points to meditation. With such atypical avenues to approach writing, there was still an emphasis placed in creating honest dialogues and characters. This, I felt, made the plays more accessible for the audience, even if they could not relate to what was being presented onstage. I also found that each play showcased their personal voice and allowed them to rationalise their experiences and thoughts on a larger scale through writing.

For our audience members and playwrights that attended Writings from The Heart over the weekend, they felt that this was an important platform to showcase the playwrights, their works and develop the arts and social scene in Singapore.

Our audience shared,

“It fulfils its role of unearthing budding writers where some of the voices hope to be heard but do not know how to.”

Liow De Jun, playwright, 10 July

“Through developing a pool of emerging playwrights, it is a very important platform for developing Singapore’s art scene. We can have more local plays to celebrate with!”

Michelle Kee, 10 July

“This allows certain hopes that are out of bounds in Singapore’s mainstream media to be explored.”

Cheong Poh Kwan, 11 July

“It gives a safe non-judgemental space for budding playwrights to explore, fail, and explore again. Kudos to the playwrights for stepping up and stepping out.”

Dawn Lau, 11 July

“It provides a platform- that is the most essential thing. The presentation (in the form of a read), the promotion of new work- all help!”

Hemang Yadav, 11 July

Across the two days, the diversity of the plays presented issues ranging from the personal to the public- the expectation of women in the family and work, the dynamics of intergenerational relationships, the stigma faced by foreign and domestic workers- just to name a few. The plays were not merely an expression of the playwright’s personal voice but contained underlying messages resonating with immediate society. Through Writings from The Heart, it allowed for these distinct individuals to share their perspective of how they perceived their community.

Our audience members also had a chance to reflect on how the plays resonated with them and in the context of larger Singaporean society.

Our audience shared,

“My Father Wears Bras touches on the topic of cross dressing acceptance in Singapore which are questions/ themes I have been pondering about.”

Ayaka Ajiki, 10 July

“The themes of stereotypes and social expectations was relatable.”

Siu Tong Wong, 10 July

“I liked how Helmi’s play showed an attempt to normalise the transcommunity.”

Khai Khalid, 10 July

“I thought the theme of stereotypes, sexuality is something that can really invoke some meaningful, diverse interpretation and emotions. I see that as an entry point to read a person’s principles and belief he has. Seeing those come together in a safe space creates content and something to use.”

Liow De Jun, playwright, 10 July

“Current issues in Singapore were brought out in the plays.”

Faizal Masjudi, 10 July

“I liked the idea of exploring societal expectations and materialism in a Singaporean context.”

Kamil Ghazali, 11 July

“The plays had a strong local flavour that is usually not so present.”

Alex Huang, 11 July

“Interesting vignettes and perspectives that are a commentary on society.”

Arula, 11 July

Concluding the experience at Writings from The Heart, it was an engaging two days that presented experiences, perspectives and issues which opened up avenues for discussion and engagement between the writers, the audience and the community we live in.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Writing & Community Blog, with the Post Show Discussions coming your way!

From the TheatreWorks Singapore Writing & Community blog:

We Discuss Writings from The Heart

The post show discussion of Writings from The Heart shed light on the playwrights experience and the content of their plays which highlighted existing social issues through the characters. For them, the post show discussion was vital in aiding the development of their scripts as the comments and thoughts from the audience allowed them to reflect, edit and question sections of their work and the portrayal of their characters.

During the post show discussion, the playwrights were asked about their Writings from The Heartexperience. The playwrights agreed how the entire experience had been interesting and useful for them to develop their plays as well as find their own voice and perspective on the issues they wanted to write about. The playwrights shared with us how the entire process was like.

“It was rather refreshing, considering I usually indulge in writing poetry. I gave myself ample time alone and I drew out different permutations to approach my script, before considering how I can piece the different scenes together. You could say it was rather sporadic too.”

Gabriel Lim, playwright of We Fell in A Marathon

“Tony Perez is a wonderful, thoroughly unconventional and intuitive teacher. He talks about everything from chakra points and meditation to Freud and Jung, and you’re asked to try them out in class, so you have to have a very, very open mind.”

Helmi Yusof, playwright of My Father Wears Bras and My Mother Buys Condoms

“It has been quite exciting. We’ve had closed door readings before this which is very useful. For me this has been a great experience for me to see actors mouth the lines that I wrote and see some choices that I did not imagine. That has been very interesting as a process. Writing on stage can be quite challenging.”

Mayura Baweja, playwright of Paper Thin

“The process was both enjoyable and challenging.  As my play is a comedy- drama, I had a lot of fun introducing humour into my writing. The second draft was more challenging to write than the first. I grew  attached to what I wrote in the first draft and found it difficult to trim lines while retaining the essence of my play. However, one of the participants from the workshop offered me some words of encouragement. I eventually completed my second draft and felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end of it.”

Serene Tan, playwright of Hazy Prenuptials

“I don’t know how to write dialogue and it is extremely challenging for me. The workshop actually did not touch so much on writing or the craft of playwriting but a kind of understanding yourself, finding your voice kind of workshop.”

Chan Lishan, playwright of Conversations with My Father

“What’s more important for me is getting more opinions, getting some friends to comment a little and hear their true voices and I think that process of bouncing ideas, getting feedback, building on from there is what I really like about this whole process”

Liow De Jun, playwright of My Promise to My Animal Tamer

“It was a slow process. So it was helpful throughout the process some playwrighters got together to share after the closed reading session and it helps to share ideas.”

Samantha Chia, playwright of No Regrets

The post show discussion was also an avenue for societal issues to be raised up. In all the plays, the characters were a reflection of actual individuals in society and became a point of commentary. For Helmi, he wrote his plays in response to the controversy of the National Library’s withdrawal of books containing LGBT characters and single mothers. He expressed his concern over the violence (physical or otherwise) faced by the transcommunity and how they are an easy target. This is represented through the two characters in My Father Wears Braswhere a transgender character named Jac is the target of violence from Ba’s homophobic son, Danny. Discussions were raised about the portrayal of Danny as the audience felt he was too one- sided, with his only violent and rash nature. Other comments included how the portrayal of the characters in the play were binary- the male encapsulating alpha male traits and the woman being feminine and emotional- because personalities are not always black and white.

Helmi’s other play, My Mother Buys Condoms, highlighted the lack of respect for individual rights and decisions. Maggie is a Chinese retiree in her 60s who decides to have a sex life again- her decision to have a relationship and companion then leads to her being ostracised. In the post show discussion, he highlights how her leaving home is symbolic of the LGBTI emotional experience-  they feel that they do not belong and hence leave the home. The reactions from the neighbours also highlight how Helmi feels that the country has low tolerance for people who are different.

The discussion of whether the characters such as Wilfred, Maggie’s son, and Madam Nora, her close friend are one dimensional was brought up. The two characters have and hold on to strong religious beliefs which creates a rough patch amongst the characters. This conflict is shown through how these individuals are not merely one sided but have their own struggles and beliefs they want to stand by. We are shown how they have not come to terms with Maggie’s decision, and attempt to voice their opinions to convince her otherwise, highlighting how there is a difficulty to reconcile these differences and the inability to respect the decisions of another, much like the conversations surrounding Pink Dot.

Likewise, the characters also are a point of commentary for societal issues. Serene’s play, Hazy Prenuptials is about how soon to be bride Grace is trying to plan the perfect wedding and documents it on social media to incite the envy of others, highlighting the materialism and sometimes excessive consumption present in Singaporeans. Serene uses her to illustrate how technology brings people together and provides a channel of communication. Yet, it creates a disjuncture and feeds into the intergenerational disconnect she has with her parents. Grace is too caught up with appearances and uses social media to engage with the wrong audience when such efforts should be invested in her relationships. This is an issue in our society nowadays where engagement with social media and being in connection borders on obsession.

On a more domestic note, Liow De Jun’s My Promise to My Animal Tamer highlights the relationship between a single mother and child- and later on loses her son and her grandson. During the post show discussion, director Irfan and actor Daphne highlighted how the mother should also be given attention, especially since she too experienced big losses in her life and her character can be a point of discussion for single mothers in Singapore and the hardships they face.

To wrap up, the weekend from the Writings from The Heart was an important platform for finding, developing and nurturing new writers from the community. From the plays shown in the weekend and through the post show discussions, it  became a catalyst for the audience to reflect and discuss important issues related to living in Singapore.

Staged Readings at TheatreWorks Singapore of Plays by Emerging Writers

Congratulations to the first group of playwrights of the "Writing from The Heart" workshops sponsored by TheatreWorks Singapore! We are all honored to have their readings staged within the 50th Year Celebration of Singapore!


From the TheatreWorks Writing & Community blog:

"We Discuss Writings from The Heart"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/we-discuss-writings-from-the-heart/

"It's A Wrap! Writings from The Heart"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/its-a-wrap-writings-from-the-heart/

"In Conversation with the Playwrights from Writing from The Heart, Part 1"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/in-conversation-with-the-playwrights-from-writings-from-the-heart-part-1/

"In Conversation with the Playwrights from Writing from The Heart, Part 2"
https://writingandcommunity2015.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/in-conversation-with-the-playwrights-from-writings-from-the-heart-part-2/

Write against all odds, especially those that are merely created by other people.

Write, no matter what.

It can be most satisfactory to write only for oneself. That way it really wouldn't matter to you whether others read your works or not and, should they do so, whether they like your works or not.

"A writer takes his pen/
To write the words again/
That all in love is fair/"

--Stevie Wonder

The secret to blogging is in writing not for audiences in the present time but writing for audiences in the future, including audiences that will open your blog long after you have gone from this lifetime. Otherwise your blog becomes mere ephemera.

Anything written follows conventions and patterns, both of which its writer was unconscious of, and can therefore be subjected to analysis.