Saturday, July 26

existance 

Condoms were given as door gifts and the actor dropped underwears on the floor.

I watched a play on Saturday. Dad went to the National Stadium for National Day Parade as part of the Health Ministry's Spectators Contingent, Mum engaged with her beautician for some treatment of sorts and Sis tied up at her company's annual talk. So I am left on my own on a Saturday nite.

I reached the Substation Guinness Theatre more than an hour early as it was a Pay What You Want affair; I gave $20 for the ticket. I was wondering what to do when I found myself standing outside an Internet cafe. I spent half an hour replying my singnet e-mails as I couldn't access the web mail site on the home computer.

The lobby was packed when I returned to the Theatre a quarter of an hour before the play starts and heard the ushers said that tickets were sold out. I sat down on the last seat in the first row and this guy behind me crudely told me that the whole of the first row was reserved as there was a big cross on the first seat. I moved off and sat on the walkway as advised by the voice over the sound system. However, only one seat was reserved as I found out just before the play started. So much for kapoism.

The play was based on Cyril Wong's poems. The presentation was stark with minimal interaction between the only two actors; who were dressed in black slacks and white tee. Most of the actions were monotonous, calculated and emphasised on body movements. The poems were read as monologues to portray the characters' feelings and thoughts that also served purpose to intertwine the plot. Multimedia was engaged in the form of short video clip showing past events or aspects that could not be presented on stage.

Both actors, Willy Lau as Shane and Lawrence Wong as Joe, are handsome and cute. Their body movements were graceful and able to portray the metaphors and symbolism the director wanted to bring across. The only shortcomings were some of the movements were too long winded and the actors lacked emotions when reading the monologues. As one audience puts it during the talk back session after the play, the video clips and sound over carries more feelings than the action on stage.

Although the play carries an obvious homosexuality theme, the larger issue explored is as the title suggest, existence. The plot succeeded in bringing across the message that what defines one's existence and whom you live for. Without a clear idea of your motive in life, when people you love abandons you or when you worked hard at something just to find that your efforts in vain, you start questioning your existence. Existence is something relative. Your zest derives form knowing that you are essential to the existence of something bigger; you live as part of a larger mosaic. When you know you are part of Something, the spirit and essence of it is in you. Your existence becomes redundant is when that Something is taken away from your life.

I like two scenes, the underwear throwing one and of course the sex scene. The sex scene was done beautifully, with Shane kneeling on the floor and Joe standing and half bent; both were fully clothed and gravities to some strong music. Lawrence seems to be in agony rather than enjoying it while the expression on Willy's face suggests pure bliss. However both actors were quick to tell the house that they did not engaged in real-man rehearsal and Lawrence added that he did not enjoy that scene at all. It is so obvious what it's suppose to tell the audience although the actors were at different areas of the stage. The other scene where Shane asked one of the Audiences:?� what? the colour of your underwear?" and started dropping underwears from his suitcase in a very prim and proper manner, together with condom sponsored by Durex. It painted a picture for some of us of countless times have we sowed our manhood with strangers after hours of cruising just for the few minutes of pleasure.

The play on whole did bring out the point that we are reliant on each other to find meanings in our existence.

I found solace in the play.

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andi at 23:55