Artistic Director's Message
Alvin Tan

As much as theatre can be commodified, it also holds the potential to "heal" communities by opening up its processes to participation and interaction. Through active and meaningful participation, participants are encouraged to communicate and confront; doing away with denial and bringing forth suppressed text(s) so that the community's needs are made more transparent. Theatre as an art form acts as a strong mediator for needs assessment and can effectively facilitate social and cultural transformation to build a more vibrant community.

Glossary

chewinggumless society - sale of chewing gum is banned in Singapore
hong yu - medicated oil
jaga - (noun) security guard or (verb) to guard

Students from Tanjong Katong Sec Sch and St. Hilda's Sec Sch are thrilled that they are paired with their counterparts in Milton High School in Calgary. They have exchanged clueboxes, which contained "clues" on each other's culture and lifestyle, journals and cassette tapes containing recordings of discussions on pre-agreed topics, and email addresses.

What has been the most impactful aspect to come out of this collaboration, and what has been the most challenging?

Edvin Liveric: Apart form the issue of collaborating over long distance, there is also the aspect of two disparate theatrical aesthetics and poetics, which we have to "marry" to the satisfaction of both parties.

Space Invaders (IMPINGE: Concerning Difference)
Sean Tobin

When it comes to the performance itself, Alvin is also weary of impinging on his audience and hopes instead to incorporate them as collaborators. Alvin and The Necessary Stage have moved away from "propagandistically" trying to empower minority groups, instead empowering the imaginations of the audience at large, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. He adds that "...all works invade the space of the audience but this is debatable because we do not force people at gun-point to buy a ticket. As the work goes on, they can still resist what they encounter on stage."

"There is a small space opening up," says Alvin. "Dance like Mad!"
"Dance like mad cows!" adds Haresh.

Chong Tze Chien: Your role as director has been increasingly "invisible"—there is no clear authorship. Granted that The Necessary Stage's works have always been collaborative and BrainStorm (what's that in your head?) is just an extension of this ideology, do you see yourself more as a conceptualist now as opposed to a director?

Alvin Tan: BrainStorm (what's in your head?) is another effort to maintain the plurality of The Necessary Stage. In order to nurture the notion of co-authorship and plural space, it is essential that exploration does not cease. Secondly, it is necessary for the people who occupy power positions to step aside as much as possible or where possible so as to free the space for others to occupy. I say as much as possible because I do not believe that giving up a leadership responsibility totally is the way to go.

The Process
Noel Greig and Haresh Sharma

The next task was to devise a method whereby the acting team could be drawn into the process. On returning to Singapore, Alvin and Haresh brought together a team who could take on board a devising process which incorporated a major element of their own writing.

A Note from the Co-ordinator
Roslan Badron

The idea of a collaboration between a Malay and English theatre company was discussed between Alvin, Haresh and a member of Teater Kami since the time TNS and Teater Kami were housed in ONE-TWO=-SIX Cairnhill Arts Centre four years ago but shelved until recently, due to other commitments by both companies.

Message from The Necessary Stage & Theatre Practice

We have realised that creative partnership can only work when there is mutual respect. However, different values and perceptions that provide creative tension are also necessary.

The Theatre Practice and The Necessary Stage share many similar aesthetic beliefs but the two companies also differ in many ways. Every partnership spells out different working arrangements, but if we focus on the strengths, the differences can be sorted out. In this partnership the difference has been a source of artistic and creative stimulation. Working together has created opportunities for members of both companies to glimpse, and if one chooses, immerse oneself in a wider range of viewpoints in the artistic, administrative and production aspects.

Commentary/Analysis

Q: So how has working with such a big team changed the dynamics of collaboration - is it now the most democratic way of allowing the voices of all artists in a production to be on board?

Alvin Tan: Through this production, I have become aware of some things. First that roles can be shared and changed - depending on the personalities, or if you will - the egos, involved. As for democracy, I have come to realise that the spirit of it is important in the exploratory phase of the production, but that sometimes too the process can fail - and that's when the exploration has to stop and time for an over-seeing vision, 'the Outside Eye' to prevail.