6 September 2012:
"Heaven is here, where Juliet lives."
Yesterday I watched Romeo and Juliet, a CCHMS production. I finally met my goal of watching at least one play a year. Although this isn't those 'professional' kind in theatres, but I feel it's comparable to those.I have never read the story before, so at some parts I couldn't understand the play well. Luckily I read a comic of R&J before (I think it was FoxTrot) so I could catch the main parts of it.
LJ takes C Lit, so to him the story was unfamiliar too. It didn't help that the cast spoke very fast. I think it was because they had only 2 hours, and they had to act out Acts 1 to 4. (I heard they omitted some scenes, though.) Sadly some of them couldn't perform well when speaking fast. They become incoherent and it just sounds like blabbering.
According to KL who watched the W!LD RICE production of R&J, the latter production took around three hours. This was so that they could speak faster and get the 'feeling' out. Nevertheless, it was a nice play, and a rather professional and well-done one at that.
There were five (or six) kissing scenes in the play. The audience went 'OMG' at the first one, but by the fifth or sixth one they simply went 'meh'. (Obviously they didn't literally voice out, lah.) The last few kisses were fast and looked fake, sadly. That was the part where Romeo had to part Juliet, or the other way around.
After Juliet's death and Romeo's death and Juliet's second death, there were kisses each time. But those looked like CPR, in my opinion. I kept laughing at not-so-funny parts, which made YJ look at me in surprise. Especially the two 'you don't say' parts: "I'm hurt!" "She's dead!"
I sat next to the bookstore auntie during the play. She was so hilarious. When the play first started, some calefare came out to hammer notices on a prop wall. They banged and banged. Suddenly the auntie burst out: 要爛了啦！
The audience in front of my row turned around, saw the auntie, and started laughing. I think they all understood that she was so 'innocent'. I told her that it was probably a deliberate effect.
The hammering of notices went on at least five more times. During one other time, she did not shout anymore, but turned to me and asked "他們blu-tack不夠啊？" I didn't know to laugh or to cry. She was so 'innocent' watching the play.
The VP and Mr P came to watch the play, he with his wife. The couple were both from CLEP, and she is currently under Mr L. Yes, our former principal. (It's as if everyone's linked with everyone in MOE.) I wonder why the VP did not bring her husband along.
It was rather funny yesterday cos I met the VP twice in less than two hours. She asked where to eat amidst the first meet and I recommended her Ah Siao Bak Kut Teh or Punngol Nasi Lemak or Eng Seah Wanton Mee, along Tanjong Katong Road. In the end, an hour later, we met at Old Airport Road and she ate with the bunch of us.
Side note about the VP. She seems very strict and inaccessible, but in actual fact she's not, lah. She kept using a Malaysian accent yesterday which was amusing, but weird at the same time. And how she advised G not to crack her knuckles else 'when a man buys a big-big diamond for you it can't fit'. I think G was shell-shocked at that.
... Whenever I see her now I remember all my chemistry definitions. No lah not exactly, but well at least I perk up. I hope I do well for chemistry this prelims, can't disappoint her and Ms A. And my class has to retain the No.1 in chemistry again.
Back to R&J. The male lead, Romeo, I knew him from young. (I'm not trying to 攀親帶故 here okay.) He was from the same tuition as I when I was in primary four; he was primary three then. His twin brother went to Temasek Secondary, sadly. Well actually it's not bad else it can be quite confusing; I used to mix the both of them up.
It was a surprise for me when I saw him in CCHMS. It was awkward since I changed tuition a year or so later and did not meet him anymore. At the start we would wave, but that slowly reduced. Of course, he has his own bunch of friends which treats him very well, so naturally this acquaintance would rank lowly.
Recently I talked to him regarding R&J and I found that he is still as amicable as ever. He hasn't changed much, just grown a lot in the years. I sort of broke a promise cos I said I would buy tickets from him if I could watch. In the end I paid together with KL at their booth in the canteen. But okay lah, in the end I did watch it, and I don't think he has many tickets to sell being the lead; it was for ticketing committee to handle. At least I didn't disappoint him by promising to go but not turning up.
I was very 欣慰 after the show. 他長大了。 Okay lah, we all have. But to see him from a small boy become the main lead where he flaunts his charisma and talent ... That was touching. Although I didn't do anything to help him, but well it's such a good thing seeing his progress.
He isn't the naturally drama kind of person. I was very surprised when I heard that he was the main lead. Not because I 看不起 him, but it's because I didn't expect him to do drama. I thought at most he would rather take backstage roles. But no, he proved my perception wrong. He did a great job as male lead, a fantastic one.
I hope this shot at R&J has triggered his passion for drama and he can participate in future dramas or plays. (In fact, in terms of personality, I think he wins J. It's only the skill he needs catching up on.)
TTFN.