KUALA LUMPUR: Students of the TUTAS (Taylor's University & The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat) Conservatory of Performing Arts will be staging a theatre production, titled 5 : 4 : 3 : 2 : 1, in Pentas 2 of KLPAC from Dec 9-11.
The original work, made up of a variety of drama and dance pieces, will be directed by five TUTAS students as part of their Production Practicum module, which is a prerequisite for them to graduate.
From a Bangsawan tale set on the shores of Terengganu to an ancient Persian dance, a time-honoured Korean folklore to two contemporary works, the colourful celebration of culture and identity is a reflection of the melting pot of TUTAS talents.
"The programme is growing year upon year with well over 50 students now since our first cohort in 2019. As the only performing arts conservatory degree programme in Malaysia, it is attracting talent from all over the world such as Korea, Iran, China and Indonesia," said Adjunct Professor Joe Hasham who helms the Production Practicum module in a recent statement.
Adjunct Professor Datuk Dr Faridah Merican, who also oversees this crucial module, added: "This is evident in the upcoming 5 : 4 : 3 : 2 : 1 performance which draws from their cultures and heritage, roots and identities. It will be TUTAS' most diverse showcase yet."
Since September, the directors have worked closely with their tutors Joe, Faridah, Omar Ali, Tung Jit Yang, Ian Chow, Yusman Mokhtar (also the production's lighting designer) and Christopher Higgs (also the production's sound designer) to bring their visions to life.
As a tribute to his hometown, director Toh Wei Keith's The Tale Of The Leatherback & The Three Warriors created a mini Bangsawan play set on the shores of Terengganu, where three warriors welcome a leatherback turtle to lay its eggs.
Fueled by ignorance and greed, one of the warriors attempts to steal the freshly laid eggs of the leatherback turtle.
Korean native Kim Ki Hoo turns to his heritage in The Sun And The Moon which is based on an age-old Korean folk tale of a single mother who encounters a ravenous tiger. Kim's modern-day version will be retold with drama, music and dance.
Abgharyan Afooshteh Reyhaneh, who hails from Iran, will be showcasing a 19th Century Persian dance form called Baba Karam, which questions gender and class as it imitates the rough and tough working class men of Iran.
Lor Qian Hui opts for a black comedy Peter Morris' Pancakes, which on the outset seems like a senseless squabble over pancakes but is actually a deeper investigation about faith, belief, selflessness and jealousy.
Last but not least, Nurin Ismail's Dollhouse zooms in on a party of six models who arrive "fashionably late" at their own runway show. Behind all the glamour and glitz, the models actually struggle to balance their public persona as models and their private selves.
This show is supported by KLPAC, The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat and Taylor's University.
Tickets priced at RM30 can be purchased online via www.cloudjoi.com (no telephone and over-the-counter sales).
Apart from the show, members of the public are also invited to join the TUTAS Mini Theatre Festival on Dec 10 for an afternoon of fun-filled and educational theatre activities, free of charge.
Visitors will get a chance to learn more about TUTAS as well as experience theatre in bite sizes during the event, which includes programmes like the Speak Up! workshop (2.30pm to 3.30pm), the Theatre Games Challenge workshop (3.30pm to 4.30pm), Asian Youth Theatre Festival sharing (5pm to 6pm) and A Life in Film talk (6pm to 7pm).
Space is limited, register via https://forms.gle/45LamwTqmBe6Uq5z9.
Visit www.klpac.org for more details. Call 03-4047 9000 or WhatsApp +6018-227 7212 for enquiries.