KUALA LUMPUR: Students from the inaugural batch of Malaysia's first conservatory-style performing arts degree under TUTAS (Taylor's University & The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat) will be mounting their maiden production based on a literary masterpiece at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) from Dec 9 to 12 at Pentas 2 of
The Prophet will be jointly directed by TUTAS' August 2019 students, Charity Yong, Daniel Hussin and Kristy Chee, as part of their Production Practicum module helmed by Adjunct Professor and KLPAC co-founder Joe Hasham.
"My parents used to read his works to me in Arabic as Khalil Gibran was Lebanon's most celebrated poet. I was blown away by the beauty and simplicity of his writing," said Joe in a recent statement from KLPAC.
"This is an extremely difficult piece to stage, especially considering the language and the raw truths that are Gibran's trademark. I expect the three young directors to give The Prophet the respect it deserves.
"I also hope that they will utilise all their collective creative juices to present a stage production worthy of their combined talents. Easier said than done, because The Prophet was never intended to be a stage play," he added.
The Prophet is a book of 26 poems published 98 years ago and is considered one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into over 100 languages.
The upcoming production was developed over a span of 15 weeks beginning in August, where the three directors casted, planned and rehearsed.
Staged in a unique chevron seating arrangement, it is a rare treat to experience Gibran's works up close.
"At first, we were quite intimidated by the text because of the reputation that Kahlil Gibran holds. But as we looked more into the text, we started to make sense of the words and made it our own.
"One of the tips Joe gave us was to make the text relatable as it allows the meaning behind the words to come through much stronger," said Yong.
Daniel added: "The play will take place over one day, starting at dawn and gradually ending at dusk. It charts the journey of a man's turbulent life beginning with Coming of the Ship before continuing with Love, Marriage and then Joy and Sorrow."
"It ends with Al Mustafa's Departure and Friendship. Interestingly, we will have four different actors playing Al-Mustafa and you will have a chance to see him intimately as a human rather than an all-knowing being," he said.
On how the partnership worked, Chee said that each director worked on one scene and collaborated on the remaining ones.
"It was challenging since there were three of us — each of us thinks differently and have different opinions but we discussed, debated and decided as a team.
"We also had the support of scenographer Yusman Mokhtar and sound designer Christopher Higgs, both TUTAS lecturers, as well as production and stage manager advisor Bebe Chan," she said.
The cast comprises of Nandagopall (Al-Mustafa), Yuwanda Agatha (Al-Mustafa), Charmaine Cheong (Al-Mustafa), Nicholas Lai Kar Wai (Al-Mustafa), Sally Lee (Almitra) and Kim Ki Hoo (Narrator). They are supported by an ensemble made up of Nicole Law Xin Yi, Toh Wei Keith, Muhammad Amirul Harith, Lor Qian Hui and Carmen Khoo Shuet Yi.
The performance will also feature guitarist Nicole Law Xin Yi.
The production represents a promising start to TUTAS' Bachelor of Performing Arts degree programme which was established in 2019.
Supported by Taylor's University, The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat, KLPAC and MOTAC, tickets for The Prophet are priced at RM24.
Tickets can be purchased online via https://cloudtix.co/. For enquiries, call 03-4047 9000 or WhatsApp +6018-227 7212.
Strictly no phone and over-the-counter sales. Conditions of entry include fully-vaccinated individuals aged 18 and above and with permitted health status.
For the latest Covid-19 SOP guide, go to http://bit.ly/klpac_covid19_updates.
TUTAS' Bachelor of Performing Arts three-year conservatory degree programme is an entry by audition only programme with its next intake in January 2022.
With two tracks to choose from —Performance Track and Technical Theatre Track — students get to learn from award-winning lecturers with hands-on industry experience and have access to KLPAC's fully-fledged facilities.
For more information on TUTAS, visit https://bit.ly/taylorsbpa.