Saving theatre, one country at a time

There is a new theatre group in town, and it's called Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus (TETC). Founded by artist Peter Sau, the group is made up of previous Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP) graduates. They will be staging 'The Spirits Play', from August 13-16th, written by TTRP's founder Kuo Pao Kun in 1998, and directed by Kok Heng Leun. Pondering the senselessness of war, the play evokes memories from the 20th century Pacific War which swept through Asia and Europe and investigates the guilt, pain and complexities which the war incited.

Fifo talks to Peter Sau about starting a new theatre group in Singapore.

 1. Tell us how this group came about, and why you founded it.

In May 2008, my alma mater, Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP) organised an Asian Intercultural Conference and six past TTRP graduates and some former teachers got together.  On the last day of the conference, the current school director, Sasitharan shared with us that due to the financial challenges for the school, TTRP would need to temporarily stop enrolling students for a while.

We (and the 4th cohort of graduating students) were very sad and puzzled by the situation.  We started exploring about the setting up of an alumni network to keep in touch, to continue exchanging what we’ve learnt, what we’re all currently doing and also help maintain the visibility of TTRP.  I was elected chairman and we began months of discussions over email.

We decided that the company would be on an ad-hoc basis since we are all fulltime artists located in different countries.  We wanted the company to be fluid.  We wanted to explore what type of plays and languages we would use in TETC’s productions.  Most importantly, we wish to see if we could work together, given the challenge of our many differences - linguistically, culturally and artistically.

2. What do you hope to achieve with this new addition to the theatre scene?

Sharing similar artistic sensibilities and emerging from the tutelage of the late Mr Kuo Pao Kun, we have come together to continue the legacy of our mentor’s significant vision of intercultural theatre in the world.  This is our collective effort to keep alive in practice, his artistic vision and the training methodology expressed in the unique curriculum and inter-cultural approaches of TTRP, which he co-founded with the current director T. Sasitharan.

Our company’s creative philosophy is driven by a passion to cultivate global cultural sensitivity, steeped in the multiculturalism reflecting Singapore, so as to contribute dynamically to the current world’s identity of diversity.  For each production, we aim for a stimulating creative exchange among artists and draw on one or many easily-forgotten / neglected Asian memories and the associated dogmas, beliefs, traditions and heritages - not from the "museumized" and limited ‘official’ versions – so as to truthfully comment on contemporary questions regarding living in a modern world.

 
3. Tell us what or where you think the local theatre scene is at right now.

Put simply - we have more money, more funding and more audiences than ever before.  But we do not necessarily have the deeper substance or content to support this existing system.  Theatre companies are all going out of their ways artistically and sourcing for their targeted audience, yet there is no spirit that connects all of us together.  Ever since the late Kuo Pao Kun left us, there seems to be a 'moral vacuum' in terms of the theatre work that we produce.  A bridge that crosses language, cultural and religious differences seems to be lacking.  Theatre connects people but it also separates.  We may need to work more humbly and with a more artistic-humanistic conscience to contribute to a bigger picture.

4. Finally, what other plays does TETC want to stage, and what can we expect in the future?

It is our hope that TETC changes its host country for each production.  We believe that the impetus and environment that shapes the work is different in each country and can in turn provide varied creative impulses and mindsets.  This would also means shared responsibilities administratively and logistically, which does not bear the potential burden of running a repertory theatre company and narrowing the artistic scope of any one particular TETC artist.

From our maiden production, we have decided to mount a Singaporean theatre classic written by Kuo Pao Kun.  The writing is able to unite us through its universal theme.  We will mount another 2 plays also by Kuo that connect us in common memories.  
With each of these 3 productions, we will always have a Creative Lab component that is free for all.  This performance platform is our way of challenging ourselves to respond to the classic play we are staging.

It also means we are providing the audience and ourselves a chance to re-look at the theatre classic and its contemporary resonance in us.  This will be a new way of appreciating theatre - not from a ticketed bystander's perspective, but from one of a witness-participant.  

With the intercultural methodology we would have consolidated from these proper stagings of classic text and re-inventions, we would then begin to create our very own original productions.
Engagement, fluidity and being organic is the key to all our productions.

TETC will be staging 'The Spirits Play', from August 13-16th, at the Studio Theatre, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Campus 3,  151 Bencoolen Street. For general enquiries, please email tetc@live.com.sg or call 97450795. More info can also be found at the play's blogsite.