An Evening At the "Theatre"

On Friday, I returned to my junior college for my drama group's performance. The last time I saw one of their annual performances was in 2001, when I actually helped out a little here and there. And I was actually kind of looking forward to it. Of course I knew it'd be amateurish, and clumsy at parts, and silly at times, but at the same time, perhaps I can look at them and see a little of me, back when I was their age, and had my life utterly consumed by this performance.

I think I can safely say I got what I expected. There were bits that were decent (for their level of ability), and there were parts that were so atrocious I would throw up my hands in horror, amazed that this was actually going on onstage. Yes, they weren't very good actors, for the most part, but you could tell they'd worked hard at it. The writing was mostly clunky, but then again, what did I know at that age about structure and build and things like that? You did what you could. At least content-wise, I thought they did better than us, even though it was very depressing material.

And it was kind of unreal too, because you could completely tell that this was the world seen through the perspective of a teenager, a completely unique viewpoint that would change once that age had passed. What they thought of love, homosexuality, family, etc. were on display, but I don't know if it was that obvious to them. Watching their plays, I was brought back to a more naive and innocent time, an age when notions and opinions about the world at large are in the process of being formed. It was kinda sweet really.

It's also funny to see how some mistakes are passed on from year to year without anyone realizing them. For one thing, the heavy influence from Chinese dramas and soap operas on TV was the most glaringly obvious. From plot twists to dialogue to acting styles, everything was reminiscent of TV - and mostly bad TV. It's a land where people spout monologues for no apparent reason other than to fill the silence, a land where exposition is given freely and often, a land where people look and feel awkward once they have no lines to say, and sometimes even while they're saying it.

Another point is how these young actors have a tendency to lean forwards when they're acting, especially when they're delivering impassioned lines, such that their ass is sticking out behind them. It's a funny position, and looks rather awkward. However, everyone does it, for some strange reason. We did it when we were their age, and they're doing it now. Awkward blocking and stage movement for no apparent reason is also pretty much a standard problem. They're blocked only for the portion of the audience in front of them, and audiences can't really see much from the sides, because they're all standing in a row and blocking each other from the sides.

But hey, I think it's all forgiveable. They're young. If they're really that full of passion for theatre, they'll learn, and they'll grow. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Back then, we were so proud of what we were doing, and thought that we were hot shit. Looking back now, I'm kinda embarassed of what we put on. If I were to see it now, I'd probably diss it really badly. But that's how life goes, isn't it? You live and learn.