The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) welcomes theatregoers to its new season with the uncooked drama of the Her Story and His Story sequence, its first in-house exhibits in a busy calendar (the place over 50 exhibits have been scheduled).
This 12 months, KLPac guarantees a programme of rediscovery and reconnecting, and what higher method than to kick off proceedings than with new voices and 20 monologues primarily based on real-life experiences of peculiar Malaysians. Her Story and His Story began as a web-based playwriting undertaking helmed by Fa Abdul throughout the pandemic in 2021, with 20 new writers (aged 13 to 55) auditioned and given workshop fundamentals.
“I was working with PenangPac at the time and we had planned to pool these stories together and stage them when the theatre reopened. Unfortunately PenangPac had to be closed down in the midst of the project but I am glad The Actors Studio and KLPac agreed to collaborate and give life to the stories,” says Fa, a theatre director-playwright-writer.
Presented in two installments, Her Story (Jan 12-15) begins the sequence with 12 monologues bearing on themes of the human situation and femininity, adopted by His Story (Feb 23-26), which incorporates eight monologues on self-discovery, sacrifice and love in all its completely different varieties.
The Pentas 2 stage at KLPac is prepared for Her Story, that includes a various solid and writing line-up.
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Fa Abdul (center) hopes that ‘Her Story’ and ‘His Story’ will communicate to all of us and assist provoke conversations about issues that matter however are sometimes not mentioned. Photo: KLPac
“Her Story brings to mild actual 12 tales about ladies striving for freedom, rising above challenges, preventing psychological well being points, assembly household expectations, falling in love and discovering self price,” elaborates Fa.
The tales – in English and Bahasa Malaysia – for this weekend’s Her Story run are Rollercoaster by Oti T, My Dad Was Never a Doctor! by Binnu, Bukan Semua Perlu Cerita by Dalela, My Blessed Unrest by Dev M, A Single Pringle by Bina Okay, The Unexpected Moments by Asmaak, Red Lipsticks by AC Wong, Di Sebalik Tirai Sakit Jiwa by Fatih Nuur, A Letter To Death by Angelina Okay, Kontradiksi by Aurora Borealis, Brida by Livaanya Sivarajah and Curls by Anussha Kumar-Lee.
Life, an excellent place to begin
According to Fa, the 20 tales featured throughout each showcases will not be fictional.
“They will not be like a novel or a brief story we learn in magazines. The tales are a part of somebody’s life. They are fairly diversified, some are comedic, enlightening, emotional, thought-provoking and sure, scandalous too!” she says.
“The themes contact on completely different parts of the human situation, comparable to regrets, love, loneliness, psychological well being, damaged household, sexuality, racism, compelled conversion and so forth – however one theme that binds every thing is ‘acceptance’. It simply goes to indicate how we as people, simply need to be ourselves and love for the individual we’re with none set of expectations,” she provides.
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Mardiana Ismail takes on ‘Kontradiksi, a theatre piece written by Aurora Borealis, which tackles the difficulty of marital strain on ladies. Photo: KLPac
All of the tales have been written by the individuals who skilled them, offering a first-hand perspective of this a part of their lives. On the KLPac stage, a gaggle of actors will current these tales to the viewers.
“These stories are relevant to all of us … they are raw, genuine and precious. Ultimately, I wish the audience would be able to see that while our journey and experiences may differ, we all go through the same ups and downs in life. I hope these stories will be able to bond us together as a society who understands each other better and are kinder to each other,” says Fa.
She believes an excellent theatre manufacturing will get audiences speaking, even after the present has ended.
“I hope the audience will initiate conversations and dialogues with their own social circles on the many issues raised by the show. In our conservative society, most of the issues are regarded as taboo and are swept under the carpet.
“We hold on to our beliefs that ‘one does not wash one’s dirty linens in public’. Having dialogues about issues that matter and normalising such dialogue will do all of us great justice, not only in empowering us but also in developing us as a society,” she notes.
Her Story and His Story are introduced by The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat and KLPac in collaboration with Big Nose Productions.
Her Story (Jan 12-14, 8pm; Jan 15, 3pm) and His Story (Feb 23-25, 8pm; Feb 26, 3pm) will play at Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac), off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Sentul in KL. More information here.
