Yeah! The ReUnion has finally ended!! Last night marked the end of a long journey for the AJCAA's Cultural Night Performance.

Ermm... ok, not for us. The AJCAA actually started perparations some 8 months ago, while the CLDDS alumni started, well, only 1 month ago.

Tracy and Zuowei actually joined in the initial discussions for The Reuion, but I joined in only a month ago, and that was when it was confirmed that the CLDDS alumni was to put up something on our own, away from the initial understanding that we were supposed to put up a joint skit with the other LDDS groups (including ELDDS and TLDDS; the English and Tamil LDDS groups, in case the initials are puzzling). So for the CLDDS' part, preparations began only a little over a month before, from scripting to practices and the actual performance.

There were 2 shows, and looking at just the CLDDS' portions, we seemed to be quite unprepared for the 1st show. Lots of things didn't go as planned, and there were many hiccups along the way. But I must say I was quite impressed with what we did at 2nd and final show in the evening. We seemed to have gotten into the mood, my co-actors started improvising that received positive responses from the audience, and we really got quite immersed with our parts.

Frankly, with only a month plus to prepare, the results were, well, not too bad after all!

Having been away from acting for a number of years, I suddenly had this thought at the end of it all - maybe age does make a difference in the way I handled myself in front of an audience. I mean, frankly I am still unsure as to how the audience viewed and rated my acting (acting in front of a mirror is quite different from acting on stage, and considering I didn't have much chance to be directed by our director for various reasons), but personally I felt rather confident. The part of waiting to go out onto stage was still rather jittery, but I still found energy to chat a little with the stage managers and my co-actors. But when I'm out there and acting, the jittery feeling fades away.

This is similar to my past experience of acting on stage, but the difference now is that I am actually quite able to look into the audience and act, as opposed to last time where I had mentally blocked out the fact that there were people watching and scrutinizing me.

It's age, I tell ya. It's a sign that I am getting older.

Anyway, glad that this is over. A free person at last!! The process wasn't as pleasant for this one, I have to admit. But I'll push those memories aside and keep the ones that mattered.

That's it, the big day's coming tomorrow, with one matinee show and one night show at the AJC Alumni Association's The ReUnion performance.

How do I feel? Hmmm... frankly speaking... nothing much... I guess with just one month of preparations and with little involvement in the creative process (the AJCAA runs the whole show, basically), there really is very little emotional investment in this one. Certainly doesn't help that there are only 5 of us actively involved in this one (and also thanks to 2 other fellow ex-CLDDS members who came down to help us in rehearsals once in a while).

So well, will go up on stage, strut my stuff, finish the show then go home a tired and free person.

Then again, wonder if stage anxiety will get the better of me when the time comes...

EEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!

Ok, another week has passed, meaning that in another week's time on Aug 18th, I'll be acting on stage at the AJC auditorium.

I'm not too enthusiastic about this one cos 1) I'm acting, 2) we had only 1 month from scripting writing to rehearsing, and 3) the script is... well, written by yours truly - which really isn't saying much.

Granted we are not the only group performing and frankly the other groups' performances are of a considerable standard. But the way the whole thing came together on Sat's rehearsal was quite a disappointment. Hopefully by next Sat everything gets fine-tuned and the performance can be worth that $10 ticket price.

Ah well, hopefully we can get past this one...

I admit I'm still in Idol fever, especially snooping around Blak Lewis' fansite Blake Lewis Media for video clips...

Anyway, updates on my current situation. The CLDDS Alumni has agreed to be part of the AJC Alumni Cultural Nite performance that falls in August. This will be a combined performance by most of the cultural groups of AJC, including Dance Society, Guitar Club, Choir, Chinese Orchestra and the CLDDS. In the beginning when we were informed of this event, our understanding was that we were going to be allocated a 15 minute slot in which we, in conjunction with the ELDDS and TLDDS, would perform a skit. Unfortunately, the committee was not able to rope in the other 2 LDDS groups, hence leaving only the CLDDS to take the entire 15 minute slot.

It came to a shock for us cos it's June now meaning that we would only have 3 months to prepare for this event, from script writing to finding actors to rehearsing.

Notice this is a common trend in all of the AJC CLDDS' Alumni productions - lack of time.

Anyway, we finally thought of something which may be efficient but we are still sorely lacking in one area - actors. Not many are willing to or have the ability to be involved this year. The 3 of us who have been involved in this cultural nite preparations are still in a franic search for actors.

I agreed to act this time, though I am beginning to doubt this decision. Agreeing to performing a part on stage means time taken to prepare and rehearse, and also all the stress of going up onto stage to act without forgetting your lines, something which I am probably infamous for.

Maybe I've been out of the front-line for too long a time, or maybe I am just not sure if I can divide my mind for both my work and my hobby.

Hopefully some brave souls will step out and do some acting, then maybe I would be pushed to the back-line?

Hmmm... incoherent thought processes.

Updates over at the CLDDS Alumni official website: http://coloursofmyrainbow.sgblogging.com/

Or you can access the website via the link on the top left hand corner of the page :)

The juniors are putting up their annual school production so this was a good time to make ourselves as seniors useful by helping them with the nitty-gritty aspects of theatre production. We even stepped in to teach them how to warm up their voices to prepare them for the task of speaking on a large stage for a huge audience, something I am still puzzled how come their coaches never taught them.

Anyway, all looks good and apparently, they have sold a whooping 280 tickets!! Much more than half of the total seating at the auditorium!!! I've never seen such good sales at any CLDDS production ever... It really seemes like things are looking up for the once-neglected CCA.

Apart from helping the juniors, we had a problem of our own. An ex-member who is now the chairperson of the school's alumni association, is now pressurizing us into becoming an official part of the association, instead of being an organization-less group of like-minded people putting up ad-hoc productions once in a while. But problem is, things seem to be on the side of him and against us. Well, being an official member has its benefits, but we really need to weigh the pros and cons carefully...

Well, we'll leave it for now until we get the opinions of more people. Cha Dian 8 is on the cards as well though I'm not sure how we are getting started with it. So far I've heard of 2 story suggestions so hopefully it's gonna be as good as, if not even better, than last years. We really should get started...

Ok, do visit the site for more details!

The Anderson Junior College CLDDS will be having their annual theatre production soon. No, I'm not involved in this one, in case you confused this with the alumni production I was so fervently involved last year (remember Colours of my Rainbow?) This one is by our juniors who are in the current batch of CLDDS members. Nevertheless, I will go help them with their preparations on the day of the performance.

I think this one will be good, because the CLDDS went through a major revamp this year, with new teachers who have brought in well-known drama troupes into the society. In addition, renowned professionals in the area of journalism and songwriting have been invited to train the juniors to widen their exposure in various aspects of the arts. Wonderful! Would loved to be part of them. But then again, if that means being a student again, then... Hmmm...

Details of production are as follows:

What?

AJC CLDDS' Annual Production, 安域情韵 之 抉择

When?

11 May 2007 (Friday)

Where?

AJC Auditorium (in AJC premise, within walking distance from Yio Chu Kang MRT station)

What time?

7pm - 9pm

What's in store?

Three short plays plus a forum theatre (meaning that the audience gets to be involved in the play).

Description on the poster (see below):

Our First Attempt at Forum Theatre...
You Decide How The Story Develops!

Will life's compass point us to the right direction?

Finally, most importantly, how much?

It is at an amazing cost of only $5!!! How do they manage to cover the costs??? The school is actually giving them more monetary support now????

And so you thought my play was over huh?

Well, it is, um... officially over, now that the post-performance celebrations have concluded and everyone is back to their daily routines. Nevertheless, just a notice to say that some after-performance thoughts and stuff about the celebrations are now on the Cha Dian 7 blog. So do pop by for a quick look :)

Cha Dian 7 - Colours of My Rainbow

A few of us are currently thinking about adding a sub-blog to this blog now that the performance is over, just to keep it alive by posting interesting stuff we find over the Internet until the preparations begin for the next performance. It's not confirmed thou and needs more planning. Will keep everyone informed. Hopefully it doesn't die like the other CLDDS online groups have...

The emptiness is starting to set in.

More than a year of preparations ended with a big bang last night at the Singapore Repertory Theatre. What should I look forward to now?

It was an exhilarating experience. Stress set in in the week before the actual days while tempers tended to flare a little. On the actual performances itself, unexpected situations happened which increased that stress-level to greater heights.

But the feedback was positive. Many felt that the script was well written, well-presented and well acted. There were improvements to be made. But overall, the audience loved it, and we as scriptwriters had successfully led audiences into thinking and discussing about their interpretations of what they had just seen. A few other alumni members who turned up to watch the show commented that it was the best performance they had ever seen at Cha Dian, and my male lead, whose performace I was worried about, rose to the occassion that drew the audiences into feeling the pain and suffering of the character.

I still think about how we started from scratch, and how far we have gone since then.

Seeing the whole thing completed by the end of the day was overwhelming. I never cried at the last moments in my years being involved in Cha Dian. But yesterday after the credits rolled and the cheers were done, I broke down right there on stage.

Yet it was all worth it, I'm telling you. All worth it.

To all my loved ones who came to watch the play - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your presence and positive feedback meant so much to me!!!



The cast with myself and the producers.



Thank you!!!!!


More photos down at our official blog: http://coloursofmyrainbow.sgblogging.com/

There were lots and lots of updates lately at the Chadian 7 blog since late July. Scroll all the way down then click on 'previous post' to view the previous entries.

Updates includes photos and comments on our publicity efforts at AJC, more rehearsal photos, including that of our dry run, and behind-the-scene photos of the photoshoot at my place.

More updates by myslef down at the Chadian 7 blog. With loads of pictures this of the meeting and rehearsal this Sat.

http://coloursofmyrainbow.sgblogging.com/

Looks like I'll be transferring my blogging efforts more towards the Chadian 7 blog for now. Am currently in the process of a movie review thou.

I'm really really tired.. We seem to be making little progress with the play. No one seems to have time for it. I'm stuck...

Can you imagine that our original performance date was this Fri and Sat???

Some updates on the Chadian 7 blog by me. Click on the link to check out:

http://coloursofmyrainbow.sgblogging.com/

Well, it's not mine per se, anyway, although I have had the pleasure of inputting my 2 cents worth of posts every now and then. This is the AJC CLDDS Alumni production - Cha Dian 7 blog.

Click on the huge words to access!

Yes yes, we have moved! Since the play has been postponed, we decided that we need to take this opportunity to make a new start. We are in the process of improving our poster and publicity efforts (I speak for the publicity team). At the same time, we the 'frontliners' are plodding on with rehearsals in a bid to present a memorable performance. Coming to this was not easy, taking loads of meetings and prep talks. But the decision has finally been made.

From now on, ladies and gentlemen, the official website of the AJC CLDDS Alumni Drama Production 2006 has been moved to the following address:

http://coloursofmyrainbow.sgblogging.com/

Find out more about the production, the date, the venue, the story and the tickets from the navigation bar on the top right.

Still under construction.

And to celebrate this moment, 'eternal sunshine' has replaced the link on the left hand side entitled 'YOU MUST SEE' with this new website link.

Let's just hope things don't get screwed up again.

Click here for a bigger version

From the rate this goes, Jimson and I look set to be going down the Kevin Spacey way - the man wrote, directed and starred in the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea. Everyone seems uninterested in acting in the play, people are backing out at the last minute, or give tons of excuses for not wanting to commit. Everytime we set an audition date only one person turns up in the end, so in the end precious time is wasted moving around to meet these people when it could have been used for studying or just resting. In fact, we've only managed to see 4 people, some of whom were coerced to come fill in the places through pleading and begging (ironically, these people who were 'forced' were quite the potential ones).

The problem is, we want to get the casting done asap so that we can start rehearsals by Dec in time for the performance in June (most people are having exams in Nov so we need to catch these people now). Gets a tad frustrating, you know.

Jimson declared yesterday, "I am NOT begging these people to come for auditions anymore!!! We'll just get our hands dirty and act as well!"

And I thought directors are the ones who are supposed put on airs, not casting candidates...

A peek at one of the drafts.

Script-writing in progress down at McDonalds in Bishan. Regular script-writing spot cos it's centralized, not crowded, and no one chases u away. So much so that I'm considering getting a McDonalds rewards card cos u gotta admit, it ain't cheap over there...

Finally! I've finished my Evolutionary Psychology paper! *strikes off one more item on list of things-to-do!!* Now all I have to do is go through it till I'm satisfied (no, my standards aren't high in the first place =P), after which I can hand it in via Turnitin.com.

Did u know that this website even exists?? Turnitin.com is actually a website that checks for plagiarism. Apparently u turn in the paper, and the software will check for plagiarism against its own database of resources. An exact copy of words will be indicated red, mere copies orange (I think so..) and so on. Prof Elliot is totally in luuurve with this software and uses it for all his module assignments. Well, effective and accurate or not, it's probably a good guard against plagiarism, at least will keep u on your toes.

Anyway, with relation to the title, I actually held my first casting audition in my life last Sat. I've been auditioned before for previous productions, but this is the first time I'm holding it. So from an auditionee to aduditioner? What's the correct word to use? Do these words even exist? But anyway, interesting experience, suddenly u feel superior over those poor guys who were auditioned by us. Haha...

The turnout was pretty bad actually, and we only managed to audition 2, although one of them was pretty promising. The good news is, that actually the committee had managed to compile a list of interested individuals for the cast, just so happened that many couldn't make it on that day. So hopefully we'll finally get to pick the best cast for the production.

Again, my dear friends! The AJC CLDDS Alumni production will be held 22, 23 of June 2006 at the SRT!! Please support!

Oh by the way, I know I told some friends that it's in July. My apologies, it is NOT in July. It's in June!!!!

Anyway, I would also like to make an appeal here. You see, we are looking for manpower to help out with the backstage matters, including technical assistants for sound and lighting, for props, make-up and other stuff. Anyone interested? We hope to keep the cast to people from AJC CLDDS but the backstage crew is open to any interest party. So if you wanna experience some backstage happenings, do contact me (you know how to contact me)!

Okie, lesson at 9am, gotta go soon. Cheerio!

The CLDDS alumni committee decided that they wanted to have their own blog at this address: http://fruitparadise.blogspot.com/, apparently in reference to the current producer's dislike for fruits. It's pretty much under-utilized, sadly, though it's purpose in the first place was to update people on Cha Dian, our bi-annual drama production which next be held in 2006. Hopefully it'll pick up later in the year.

But it's nice to note that the ex-chairman of the society recently added a mosaic of photos that involves some of the backstage operations of last year's production. Ahhh... what memories!

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/267/1125/640/collage-31.jpg
Scenes from the plays and hard work in progress. But of course, there's a time to fool around too haha...^^ (in case u were wondering, that "Sadako" wannabe was me... =P).

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/267/1125/640/collage-21.jpg
Cast and crew members of Cha Dian 6.

Guys! Do support the next Cha Dian, k? 22nd and 23rd July 2006 at the Singapore Repertory Theatre! Will keep this blog updated on the details as the time comes. Hope to see u all there!