George Orwell's "Animal Farm" at KLPac
Back in the days during my secondary school, our English class section had monthly readers that we were all suppose to read, prepare book reports on and discuss them in one of the class sessions. Given that we were all 17 year old boys stuck in a boring classroom, most of these readers were quickly dispatched with just the cursory review and book reports prepared using parts of shared reports passed down from senior students who had read the same books the previous year. Discussions of them were mostly confined to whether we thought that the story made sense (for most that we didn’t fall asleep reading) and whether there were any dirty parts to the story to titillate our hormonally driven minds (most didn’t unless we made up those parts ourselves to liven the plot).
Other than a few that were the exception to the rule, most of these readers were forgettable for the 17 year old me. The ones that got me more excited about after reading made up the core books that have shaped who I turned out to be. These were the books that have influenced me deeply and invoked most memories of fondness of those years of self-discovery. George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was one of them and still one that I love reading after all these years.
When we first started reading it, it was just a story of talking pigs. Being somewhat a history buff in secondary school, I went to the school library and looked up the events that were alluded in the story. Armed with the knowledge, I shared it with the class in my book report (yes .. I was a teacher’s pet for my English teacher) and we ended up having one of the most intense discussion of a reader that we ever had that year. I have to say that it was really the first time that I learned how satisfying these discussion could be. Unfortunately, I would not be able to experience the same rush until much later when I had to take Modern English Lit classes in collage prep school. Still, ”Animal Farm” has always been my favorite pieces.
“Animal Farm” will be the subject on stage presented by the Pentas Project Theatre Production group that I hope to see at KLPac this Friday. Looking at their production photos uploaded at the groups blog (http://pentasproject.blogspot.com/), I think it would be an interesting one to watch to see how they realize the characters and the setting from the written page. While it will be presented entirely in Mandarin, which I totally do not understand, with the help of electronic subtitles and prior knowledge of the original work, I’m hoping for an enjoyable time. Although most would read it as an allegory to the events of Stalin’s rise to power after the Russian Revolution, I like to read “Animal Farm” as more as a cautionary tale of what happens when people abuse their position of leadership and the masses letting them get away with those actions. It would definitely be a timely reminder especially in the current local political climate.
Other than a few that were the exception to the rule, most of these readers were forgettable for the 17 year old me. The ones that got me more excited about after reading made up the core books that have shaped who I turned out to be. These were the books that have influenced me deeply and invoked most memories of fondness of those years of self-discovery. George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was one of them and still one that I love reading after all these years.
When we first started reading it, it was just a story of talking pigs. Being somewhat a history buff in secondary school, I went to the school library and looked up the events that were alluded in the story. Armed with the knowledge, I shared it with the class in my book report (yes .. I was a teacher’s pet for my English teacher) and we ended up having one of the most intense discussion of a reader that we ever had that year. I have to say that it was really the first time that I learned how satisfying these discussion could be. Unfortunately, I would not be able to experience the same rush until much later when I had to take Modern English Lit classes in collage prep school. Still, ”Animal Farm” has always been my favorite pieces.
“Animal Farm” will be the subject on stage presented by the Pentas Project Theatre Production group that I hope to see at KLPac this Friday. Looking at their production photos uploaded at the groups blog (http://pentasproject.blogspot.com/), I think it would be an interesting one to watch to see how they realize the characters and the setting from the written page. While it will be presented entirely in Mandarin, which I totally do not understand, with the help of electronic subtitles and prior knowledge of the original work, I’m hoping for an enjoyable time. Although most would read it as an allegory to the events of Stalin’s rise to power after the Russian Revolution, I like to read “Animal Farm” as more as a cautionary tale of what happens when people abuse their position of leadership and the masses letting them get away with those actions. It would definitely be a timely reminder especially in the current local political climate.
Presented by Pentas Project Theatre Production
Animal Farm
They are idiots before the revolution; they are still idiots after the revolution
Adapted from a novel by George Orwell and script written by Ian Wooldridge
IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SURTITLES
A political metaphoric performance presented by the most promising force of theatre in 2008.
George Orwell's scathing destruction of the dictatorial governance of Communism, "Animal Farm" was written in 1945. Yet, what is its relevance today? In 2008, Pentas Project will boldly question the complications of power and greed, capitalizing upon the boiling discontentment of the people and the strange political and social phenomena which is real life for many.
This is a shattering story of totalitarianism, desire, greed and corruption - forcing you to face the actual collective consciousness of the worst of human weaknesses.
Director : LOH KOK MAN
Chinese Script : TAN YAN TEE
Cast : GAN HUI YEE + LING TANG + CHEN HUEN PHUEI + CHIN LEE LING + LIM TIONG WOOI + MOO SIEW KEH
Production Manager : AU SOW YEE
Set Design : CAECAR CHONG
Music & Sound Design : BERNARD GOH + TERRENCE CHONG
Costume Design : DOMINIQUE DEVORSINE
Lighting Design : LOH KOK MAN
Date & Time:
9-18 OCTOBER 2008 @ 8:30PM
12 OCTOBER 2008 @ 3:00PM + 8:30PM
19 OCTOBER 2008 @ 3:00PM ONLY
( NO SHOW ON 13 OCTOBER 2008 )
Venue :
PENTAS 2, THE KUALA LUMPUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE (KLPac)
Ticket:
RM 37
RM 22 (STUDENTS, DISABLE & SENIOR CITIZENS)
Box Office :
(KLPac) 4047 9000 / (TAS@BSC) 2094 9400
Contact:
012-266 1579 / 012- 277 8871 / info@pentasproject.com
Supported by KLPac + HSBC in the Arts + Colorganda!
IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SURTITLES
A political metaphoric performance presented by the most promising force of theatre in 2008.
George Orwell's scathing destruction of the dictatorial governance of Communism, "Animal Farm" was written in 1945. Yet, what is its relevance today? In 2008, Pentas Project will boldly question the complications of power and greed, capitalizing upon the boiling discontentment of the people and the strange political and social phenomena which is real life for many.
This is a shattering story of totalitarianism, desire, greed and corruption - forcing you to face the actual collective consciousness of the worst of human weaknesses.
Director : LOH KOK MAN
Chinese Script : TAN YAN TEE
Cast : GAN HUI YEE + LING TANG + CHEN HUEN PHUEI + CHIN LEE LING + LIM TIONG WOOI + MOO SIEW KEH
Production Manager : AU SOW YEE
Set Design : CAECAR CHONG
Music & Sound Design : BERNARD GOH + TERRENCE CHONG
Costume Design : DOMINIQUE DEVORSINE
Lighting Design : LOH KOK MAN
Date & Time:
9-18 OCTOBER 2008 @ 8:30PM
12 OCTOBER 2008 @ 3:00PM + 8:30PM
19 OCTOBER 2008 @ 3:00PM ONLY
( NO SHOW ON 13 OCTOBER 2008 )
Venue :
PENTAS 2, THE KUALA LUMPUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE (KLPac)
Ticket:
RM 37
RM 22 (STUDENTS, DISABLE & SENIOR CITIZENS)
Box Office :
(KLPac) 4047 9000 / (TAS@BSC) 2094 9400
Contact:
012-266 1579 / 012- 277 8871 / info@pentasproject.com
Supported by KLPac + HSBC in the Arts + Colorganda!
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