ROJAK 12 @ Septfest

Forgot to advertise that I'm MCing for the following event today:

Dearest friends,
Come to ROJAK 12- The Place Issue!

It's happening this Sunday, 31 August, 3pm (Yes, our first afternoon ROJAK!) We are graciously hosted by The Substation. ROJAK 12 is part of The Substation's SeptFest 08 opening weekend. Thanks to the cool folks for inviting us and facilitating everything!

Our dear ROJAKers are:
1. Mintio, Photograhy
2. Eng Yee Peng, Film
3. Lawrence Abrahamson, Art
4. Ang Song Ming, Sound
5. Perception3, Photography & Film
6. Lim Shengen, Art
7. Jacen Tan, Film
8. Randy Chan, Architecture
9. Jing Quek, Photography
10. Laura Soon, Art

We'll also be featuring fellow ROJAKer Song Ming's new music project- "Hit Me Baby One More Time" throughout the event.
This 'tissue-chop!' invite is by Perception3
Our official ROJAK photographer is Shan Chia.

Bring on your friends, and drinks and beer to share for the ROJAK dinghy.
And come dressed casually...it's afterall a Sunday afternoon.
See you there :) ROJAK is FARM's quarterly sharing session featuring 10 local artists/designers and their works & processes. It is the place to find new local works and share ideas.
Submissions for ROJAK are always open!

Visit ROJAK website for more details.

Fun fun fungi

Your daily dose of WTF.

Curious? Come and see.

Article from the Associated Press

About the Singapore theatre scene in general, but it's got a quote from me. And it's been printed in IHT and

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/24/asia/AS-Singapore-Easing-Censorship.php

This version has a weird photo of me. Sigh. Must get haircut.

Scrabulous has disappeared from my Facebook, Singapore.

RAAAAHHHHH!!!!! HULK SMASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RESERVOIR: 28-30 August, 2008

Deep in the heart of MacRitchie Reservoir lie the ruins of the Syonan Jinja, a Shinto shrine built during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. Envisioned as a spiritual centre for the future empire, today it exists only as stone relics and fragments, swallowed up by the thick tropical rainforest.

This performance, a tapestry of images, sound and movement, will be a drama of recollection, an attempt to capture the Syonan Jinja's sleeping spirit.

Date: 28-30 August 2008
Time: 8pm nightly/ 3pm matinee on 30 August
Venue: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Rd
Tickets: $28/ S15 (Concessions for Students + NSF + Senior Citizens)
For purchases and reservation of tickets, please call
Tel: 6737 7213
E-mail: tworks@singnet.com.sg

Conceived + Directed + Multimedia by Choy Ka Fai
Written by Ng Yi-Sheng
Performed by Norico Sunayama+ Rizman Putra+ Patricia Toh
Sonic Compositions by Chong Li Chuan
Set and lighting design by Jiro Endo

Lovecraft + Chocolate = WIN!!!

From McSweeney's.

Finally, it's over.

But I managed to save a souvenir from the props box.


Mini party at my place tonight. Whoop de whoo!

Auditions for Georgette, the Musical

Georgette, The Musical, will be staged in The Philippines (Manila),
during the last week of November, 2008.

Sing Avenue Productions will be holding auditions to cast the five
main roles for the musical, on August 23 and 24 (Sat and Sun) 2pm –
6pm at Musical Theatre Limited's Playroom, 21 Cavan Road Level 2
Singapore 209852 (nearest MRT station is Lavender).

Description of the roles:
a) Georgette – the heroine, a petite but an intelligent and lively
artist portrayed in her 20s thru to her 40s
b) Eugene Chen:Georgette's first husband, a diplomat, who is
portrayed from his 40s to his 50s
c) Mr Zhang - Georgette's father, a shrewd businessman in his 60s.
d) Mrs Zhang - Georgette's stepmother, a businesswoman in her 40s. An
aristocrat in temperament
e) Narrator - A woman who plays various roles.

Actors will be required to sing, act and dance. All performers must
be available to be in the Philippines from 17 to 30 November 2008 and
also attend rehearsals in Singapore from 8th September 2008 in the
evenings and also the weekends. Performers will be paid a fee.

Please come prepared to sing two theatre musical songs, which are
contrasting in mood and tempo. Please prepare a short monologue (2
minutes, maximum) to present. You may be asked to do a short
improvisation.

For your songs, please provide your own minus-ones (in a CD) or be
prepared to sing a capella. Bring along a photograph (any photo will
do) and your bio-data/resume.

Please call to book an appointment with Amos Shao on 91454196 or
email: amosqi@yahoo.com.sg

Thank you.

Less for publicity now than for the hell of it...

Interviews with the cast of the Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles. Last performances today!

Art and Life Sessions (Free Forum)

See here.

LIFE: We The Citizens: Unsung Heroines, Unwritten Histories
ART: The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles, I Am Queen
Date: Saturday, 16 August 2008
Time: 5.30pm – 7.00pm
Venue: Drama Centre (National Library), Level 3, Function Room 3

What is the Singapore Story and who are its leading actors? What other kinds of histories are waiting backstage for their turn? Can history be more than a monologue by the victorious and the powerful? How can we mine social memory and cultural works to create our own alternative histories?

Panelists:
Ng Yi-Sheng - Playwright, The Last Temptation of Raffles
Dr Quah Sy Ren - Playwright, I Am Queen, Deputy Head of Chinese, NTU
Dr Syed Khairuddin Aljunied - Lecturer, Department of Malay Studies, NUS and author of Rethinking Raffles: A Study of Stamford Raffles’ Discourse on Religions Amongst Malays
Tan Pin Pin - Filmmaker, Invisible City, Singapore GaGa

Opening Night for Raffles!

Full-dress.


Dinner.


Christina sent us this fruit hamper, so Rehaan got to try rambutans for the first time.


Performance.


Applause.

And to continue my streak of overexposure to the media...

I'm gonna be on Razor TV tomorrow at 2pm, talking about Raffles and my play.

UPDATE: Here they are, God love 'em. I stammer way too much.

The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles

by W!LD RICE, as part of the OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival

13 - 17 August 2008, Drama Centre Theatre @ National Library (Level 3)
(13 - 15 August, 8pm evening shows; 16 - 17 August, 3pm matinees and 8pm evening shows)
(Buy tickets from Sistic now. You know you want to.)

1826. Sir Stamford Raffles lies on his deathbed, delirious with dreams and hallucinations, whilst his wife Sophia frantically records his biography. A giant Rafflesia blossom invades his bedroom; he meets his deceased first wife Olivia, and encounters a talking statue who bears prophecies of greatness.

As his life flashes before him, we witness his birth at sea, his early voyages, his triumphant founding of Singapore, and his eventual tragic downfall—with his children dead of tropical diseases, his research destroyed in a burning ship, and himself bankrupted and diagnosed with syphilis.

The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles is written by multi-talented playwright and poet Ng Yi-Sheng, whose last play, 251, based on the life of Annabel Chong, played to packed houses. Directed by Christina Sergeant (Furthest North, Deepest South, The Hypochondriac), this is an unforgettable journey into the mind of a legend. Was Raffles a wily schemer or an enlightened reformer? What kind of legacy did he leave behind on an island he called the ‘child of my own’?

“251 is worth seeing not only for its success at putting Chong's dubious "achievements" in perspective as performance art, but also for pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable subject matter for a Singapore stage production.” TODAY

The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles was a finalist at ACTION Theatre’s ‘Theatre Idols’ festival in 2007.

Written by Ng Yi-Sheng
Directed by Christina Sergeant

Cast:
Candice De Rozario
Claire Devine
Tian Devine
Rehaan Engineer
Fazli Ahmad
Ian Tan
Jo Tan
Patricia Toh

Second week of the festival!

Well, the shows aren't playing yet, but I'm pleased to report that "The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles" is coming along splendidly.






Curious? Then buy a motherfuckin' ticket, motherfucker. :)

Mediawhore re-redux

Not only was I in the papers yesterday (to publicise the Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles), as well as in the papers today (as part of Life!'s 30 Under 30 series); I'll be in the papers tomorrow for with my National Day poem.

Chrise.

Indignation 2008: ContraDiction IV

A literary reading organised by Ng Yi-Sheng and Jasmine Seah
MDA rating: M18

ContraDiction, the oral festival of queer Singapore writing, comes back for the 4th annual season. Featuring poets Teng Qian Xi and Koh Jee Leong, blogger Adrianna Tan, playwright Jacke Chye, singer Iris Judotter and many more.

Date: Thursday, 7 August 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Rd (look it up on StreetMap@Singapore if you don't know where it is)

For more events, see the IndigNation 2008 calendar. Events are on from 1 to 19 August.

KENDURI!!!

W!ld Rice has a tradition, inspired by older Asian theatre practices. Before every production (even the gargantuan ones like STF), they gather everyone in a circle and have them introduce themselves to each other, make eye contact, and then pray to whatever gods we worship for everyone's safety and success.


The event started at 6pm today. Sort of. This is the scene at 6:15 in the Drama Centre.


That's me offering Christina Sergeant dried cranberries and green raisins. On the right is the back of Lim Yu-Beng's head.


Ivan addressed us in his artistic directorly way...


...and had us circle the stall seats.

Then he had us link hands and pray. I couldn't take photos while holding Rodney Oliveiro and Janice Koh's hands. It would've been rude.


Mutual support.


And now for the FOOD. Except for the Swordfish cast and crew, who were doing a tech run.


I stayed back a little while to chatter with the playwrights. That's Ken Kwek (Apocalypse Live) and Laremy Lee (Own Time, Own Target).


Mangiare! (Kenduri, in case ya didn't know, is Malay for "feast".)


That's the tempeh+tofu dish, right next to the boiled vegetables. Further on was spicy chicken and sausage with meatballs and fried rice and and curry.

And no! Your eyes do not deceive you!


That is a chocolate fondue pot! (It went very well with the wasabi prawns.)


And that's Christina, gathering the Raffles cast up for rehearsals.

The festival opens in two days!!!! YAAAARRRGH!!!

Revelation of the Day

My birthday is the same day as National Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I'm waiting for my sedition lawsuit...

... regarding this fantastic music video which takes hilarious liberties with Hinduism (and Natalie Portman!!!).

The BJ Song

You can listen to my song "Touch the Sky", in support of the Singapore team to the Beijing Olympics, this Saturday at Ngee Ann City/Takashimaya. It's organised by Musical Theatre Limited.

Programme: August 2, SAT Ngee Ann City CivicPlaza

1. 230pm to 415pm - Official Programme in presence of Dr Vivian.
2. 4pm - MTL Singers perform Paralympics Theme Song "Best That We Can Be" with Choir from Grace Orchard School (www.go.edu.sg)
3. 430pm - MatthewQUEK MiniConcert, and DariusLIM SeraphimChoir MiniConcert
4. 7p to 9pm - MTL Songwriter Showcase.
5. 9pm - MTL Singers demo perform the song inspired by TEAM Singapore "Touch The Sky" {Lyrics NG-YiSheng, Music DesmondMOEY}

It should actually be performed several times over the evening.

Gah, I'm such a hypocrite.


I don't even have the guts to boycott profiteering off the Olympics.

Texts July 2008

Bad plays, bad art. Good books.

*POETRY*
+Yosano Akiko's "River of Stars"
Shuntaro Tanikawa's "Naked"
Toh Hsien Min’s “Means to an End”
+Octavio Paz’s “A Tale of Two Gardens”

*FICTION*
+Shamini Flint's "Criminal Minds"
+Tan Teck Howe’s “The Secret Goldfish and Other Follies”
+Ursula LeGuin’s “A Wizard of Earthsea”
+Will Self’s “Design Faults of the Volvo 760 Turbo”
+Diana Wynne Jones’s “The Game”

*DRAMA*
+Georg Büchner's "Woyzeck"
+William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”
+David Hare’s “Stuff Happens”
Eric Bogosian’s “subUrbia”

*NON-FICTION*
+John Parker and Richard Rathbone’s "African History: A Very Short Introduction"
+Mo Tzu’s “Basic Writings”
+Natalie Angier’s “The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Frontiers of Science”
+Fareed Zakaria’s “The Post-American World”

*GRAPHIC TEXTS*
+James Spada's "Romantic Male Nude"
+Hergé’s “The Land of Black Gold”
+ “Old Master Q, Collection 15”

*MIXED-GENRE COLLECTIONS*
+"Quarto '07-'08"
+Tony Kushner's "Thinking About the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness”

*PERFORMANCES*
+Upright Citizens' Brigade's "School Night"
Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's"Spring Awakening"
World-In-Theatre’s “Macbeth”
Action Theatre’s “Mama’s Wedding”
+Studio Festi's "The Dancing Sky"
Takayuki Fujimoto, Tsuyoshi Shirai, Takao Kawaguchi, Takuya Minami, Daito Manabe, Satoshi Horii, Seiichi Saito, Motoi Ishibashi, Masaki Teruoka, Noriko Kitamura's ”True”
SPEKTR!
Venzha, Choy Ka Fai and Zulkifle Mahmod's "ISEA2008 Closing Performances"

*EXHIBITIONS*
+New Museum's "2008 Altoids Awards"
STPI’s “Matisse: The Master”
Chan Mei Hsien, Chew Yi Ni, Koh Xue ting, Ong Xiao Yun, Michelle Tan and Tan Chui Min's "Missexpectations"
The Substation's "Cloudland"
National Museum's "
+"ISEA2008 Juried Exhibition"

*FILM AND VIDEO*
+Guillermo del Toro's “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
+Q. Allan Brocka’s “Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World”
+Tang Huang’s “Beauty Parade/Tiyu Huanghou”