Journey of discovery

Just like the nameless character she portrays in the politically-charged domestic drama, Hero, Anne James is also finding her way without losing herself, writes AREF OMAR

INSTANT Café Theatre’s newest play is set in a middle-class Tamil household in a small town in north Malaysia and explores the notion of heroes as seen through the eyes of a family in turmoil. Simply titled Hero, the story is told by a politician, who is mysteriously assassinated and a potential hero in the Indian community, his wife and 14-year-old son.

“In the play, my character has no name. It’s quite scary and upsetting not to be named, except by the words wife and mother,” says Anne James, a familiar face in the local theatre circuit for the past two decades.

Starting out as a dour, beaten down character, she was given a more rounded voice and a name to boot during the course of rehearsals.

“I named her Saraswathi, after the Hindu goddess of wisdom and learning,” says Anne with a smile.

Anne is married to Sivarasa Rasiah, a prominent lawyer, human rights activist and recently elected MP for Subang. They met at a demonstration during Ops Lalang and the two hit it off immediately. They married in 1993.

Anne empathises with her character’s journey of finding her way. “I can totally relate. It’s something I’m dealing with now myself, as the wife of a politician. I have my own career and we’re both trying to articulate our roles as husband and wife,” she says.

“I want to continue doing the things I love and at the same time, be supportive of my husband. But one thing I’m very clear about is that I don’t want to lose myself,” she says.

Directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi, Hero also features comedian Indi Nadarajah and newcomer Ley Shahwind Agilan.

“I know Indi on a casual basis, since he’s a friend of my husband but this is the first time I’m working with him. He’s a very good storyteller and it’s been fun. The audience is definitely going to see a new side to Indi,” she says.

Hero is written by budding playwright Arun Subramaniam, as part of the Firstworks writing programme by ICT. Although it’s provocative and gives a perspective of the politician, Anne assures that it’s not preachy or a gratuitous political rant.

“It tackles difficult issues in a humane way. The characters are not just black and white, they’re human and flawed,” she says.

With the currently unprecedented political climate stewing into dramatic proportions, Hero is a timely piece of work.

“The changes we are undergoing may be difficult but it’s a process that needs to be worked out and experienced. It’s all part of growing up, learning to roll with the punches. I think we have been infantilised as a country for too long,” she says.

Whatever the case may be, Anne is glad to be doing the work she loves and admits to have grown as an artist in our multicultural environment.

“I wanted to be a dancer. I had dreams of becoming a ballerina but there was nothing of the sort in Alor Setar. When I was young, there were no role models, so I was into Bollywood and Hollywood. And coming from a small town I had no idea what was going on in KL,” says Anne, who now resides in Petaling Jaya.

She also lectures on a free-lance basis, teaching voice and acting at diploma and university level. “It’s a synergistic relation where my acting informs my teaching and vice versa,” says the graduate of Universiti Sains Malaysia who completed her masters in theatre at Northwestern University in the US.

“I notice that lots of young people are now going independent and doing it on the Internet with their video cameras and their music and I say hooray to them,” says Anne with a big whoop. n Catch Hero from Aug 27-31 (8.30pm, additional shows at 3pm on Sat & Sun) at the Actors Studio Theatre, Level 3, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, KL. Admission is RM27-RM62. Call 03-20940400/1400. Presented in English/