They were given 3 different objects and to produce a performance. Today, we watched 3 monologues which were Bed directed by Fahad Iman, Chair directed by Andy Darrel Gomes, and Knife directed by Arshad Adam, not to forget to mention all these three shows were written by Sharifah Aleysha.
Bed
I like how the director tells the story of a weak woman in her relationship with those subtle performance especially the way she walks on the edge of the bed which represents her status in the relationship, when she covers herself tightly with the blanket in the meaning of having sex. There's one part when she folds the bed and stands on it, does that mean she covers up what she really wanted to tell and what she really feels in the relationship just to maintain it? Not to forget, the classic Chinese song 我等著你回來 "I'm waiting for you to come back" at the beginning of the show surprised and caught my attention. However, I didn't really understand the choice of a CHINESE song until the director explained it is because of the lyrics. Hmmm, why not any other English song? But I do really love the choice of a classic song as if it gives the meaning of the relationship issue happens from the past decades until today? Next, I really love the strength in giving vent to her anger with her boyfriend. She yells, jumps, and fells on the floor. (That's what we (me and my performer friends) used to do on the stage in the past.) However, I would suggest that she may lay on the bed to perform on the floor too as it is a very good chance because audiences are free to move around to watch the performance in order to match with the theme and the object "bed".
Chair
I like how the director plays with the chair which actually represents the actress's past or some kind of memory. When the actress unable to sit properly on the chair during the performance, I guess she can't get through of her past or something she has done and she finds guilty. As she mentions in the performance that she disappoints her mother on what she has done. And I believe she is the one who has already died instead of her mother. However, during the Q&A section, the director did explain he purposely created the space which represented the place in between the heaven and the hell. There's where the actress is waiting for her turn to reincarnate perhaps. I like how the lighting and sound effect is designed to create the space when she has the conversation with her mother in the past or herself in the present. This enhances the space yet help us to switch our mood and emotion together with the actress as well. She played both the mother and daughter well in between without getting us as audiences have second thought of who is she acting at the moment. At the end, when she sits on the chair without getting felt down, it seems to us similarly when we have to accept who we are and to accept what we have done to get through our life. The more struggling we are on a particular problem or issue, the more hurtful we will get as in how the actress keeps falling down from the chair. It hurts her isn't it? Overall, she performs really well but I find the falling part is a little bit "sengaja". It is somehow seems not that natural.
Knife
The monologue performance turns it into a live cooking show is always a good idea to cheer up the audiences' emotion. I can clearly see the actress's style of performing yet this last show was the easiest to understand what the director is trying to tell. I am impressed with the director of getting his actress who wears a tudung to perform and discuss the sex issue. It is because in our society, Malay or Muslim has always less to cover on sex topic and it is quite a strict rule in our country. The contrast he makes help us to think more as why can't a Malay discusses this issue too? She covers the sex issue through making salad, with all subtle dialogues and the props especially the "glove" that represents condom. I probably understand what the director is trying to tell as everyone can have sex but you need to play safe. However, I don't really get the connection with the main object which is "knife", it could just be a dangerous symbol in having sex? And there's only one time she uses knife to cut the vegetable. I find it has less relatable compared to the "bed" and "chair". Next, I think the director may add in more subtle dialogues for audiences to understand the sex topic instead of having the sound she makes purposely. However, the sounds did really cheer up the audiences as well.
Nonetheless, the opinions above are based on my personal thought only. As what the "chair" director says, there's no right or wrong, just how we interpret it individually.
Besides, I took part in a national competition back in those days which the competitions were more likely as the show we watched today. All participants will be given 5 specific stage props and 2 topics to perform on the stage. You will have to choose 1 of the 2 topics, link and relate the props with the topic to perform an approximately 20 minutes drama. You have to play them well, creatively and reasonably. However, the main challenge is we will have only 10 days to come out with a script, lighting, sound effects, props, and costumes. The props were very common such as broom, trolley, basket, iron, etc. Feel free to check it out as this competition still carries out every year.
