CCS impresses with annual drama production (3- 4 March 2006)
The Chinese Cultural Society's annual Bai Yun Gang presented 2 fun and exciting dramas, both dealing with love, life, and death.
The first item was a twisted plot of love and loss. Although the story was meaningful, it was perhaps overly complicated and confused some audience members. "I didn't understand the first show. The way they spoke was a little weird." said Koh Wei Lian, of 05a7a. "The part about 'Ah Ming' and 'Ah Meng' the orangutan was a joke lost on the audience," said Kao Shu Lian of 05a4a.
Furthermore, at the most solemn and climatic of moments - when Ah Ming, the retarded boy, fell out of the window - the audience burst into amused laughter, showing a lack of identification with the plot, and a lack of sympathy for the characters.
"But the acting was not bad for a production of this scale," considered Wei Lian.
The second item did better at fleshing out the characters and the storyline was easier to follow. It involved a troubled teenage delinquent, and his hysterically traditional grandmother who was clearly an audience favourite. "The plot's quite relatable," reflected Dang Hui Ling of 05A1, "it's very real."
Said Jonathon Ko, CCS President, "everyone's grown [through this experience]... wefre not the best team for the production; but it's due to our imperfections that we're able to overcome our differences and pull through." He adds, "On the last night, what I saw was a family of almost 70 strong, all singing, cheering and crying together."
After the concert, there was a loud chorus of girls yelling, "Xi Gua Tian Bu Tian? Tian!" quoting a repeated line from the second item. Bai Yun Gang was highly enjoyable and has definitely stoked the flame of passion for the Chinese language on campus once again.
By: Faith Ng
Photos courtesy of NYJC Photographic Society