Sunday, February 01, 2009

SELIPAR JEPUN, Trilogy and Cameronian

Few months ago, last year in 2008, Engku Nurzalifah, tutor-lecturer in ASWARA asked me for Selipar Jepun script to be passed to her teacher friend in Sabah(but he is Kelantanese, a brother of my dikir barat lead for Selipar Jepun, which I forgot his name). Am not sure what is he going to do with it as I never heard about it. Anyway, few days ago, last week, I have been getting emails from a girl asking for script, not saying it's a monologue or what, frankly, I actually have a few script, all theatre, never wrote any script for tv, may be few WIP work for film, not yet completed. I have staged Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga(2004), Chini(directed by Hamzah Tahir)(2006), Aku Binatang Jalang(2005), Monolog Monyet-monyet(staged in UM by wayang elective class(2007), no theatrical background, but was fun), Gebu Gembira(staged at KLFF08 played by Isma, but only WIP version, hoping that I will stage it again or may be film it), only Selipar Jepun was staged for 3 nites. The recently ready script "Terompah Manik" will be staged by UPM theatre students, probably in April 2009, with 9 student actors, that would be exciting eh, as I have never worked with this bunch. Though Selipar Jepun(2007) didn't win in the Best Malay Script Cameronian Award, at least it got nominated together with Enfiniti's Musical production, the big budget theatre production, and another play by Five Arts, Dua Tiga Dalang Berlari. So  Selipar Jepun was really really small, nothing compared to the two production houses. I heard that they, Cameronian Award is having it's own category for musical this year, that'll be exciting, then both English and Malay would be lump together, but still, how many musical is being produced in Malaysia in one year?. Having said that Cameronian is only looking at activities in KL so it is not Malaysian at all. I heard there have theatre activities in Penang, Kedah, Sarawak, Sabah and other states, so it is only competition for "Bangsar" people according to certain people. Anyway, I am writing not to win competition but to express myself and my artistic works. Now that I am finishing another play "Stiletto Merah", I have to start planning another staging, but before that, I would like to speak to a couple of people, actors and directors. I have few names in mind, but the most difficult part is to get funding for staging, esp. for people with no name like myself. Tapi elok jugalah ada cameronian award tu, nak harapkan yang lain tak ada, but I am sure it could be done, not so much like the Festival Teater Malaysia, but more of Cameronian Award where each performance is judged by few people.