Sunway Entertained and Sparked Interest in Shakespeare

On February 23, 24 and 25, Sunway University College Diploma in Performance+Media students put their own stamp on a compendium of selected Shakespearean plays in SyUC’s very own “Cupid Kills”. Some of the most memorable and passionate scenes from 9 plays of comedy and tragedy came alive in a very modern interpretation of the classic themes of love and death as plied by Shakespeare.

The production was directed by Rey Buono, Head of the Department of Performance+Media and was part of the students’ theatre practicum, which is a requirement of the course. The entire student population of the Department had acting roles while the more advanced students were solely responsible for the production: stage management, lights, sound, costumes, set, publicity and ticket sales.

Rey Buono shared “Shakespeare was, after all, a man of the commercial theatre, interested above all in entertaining audiences. This production aims to bring his characters into the present, without sacrificing the power and scope of his language”. “If Shakespeare was alive today, he would probably be writing for the screen, not the stage. In directing this production, I have tried to frame the scenes in the context of various movie genres – Bollywood, gothic horror, romantic comedy. The student actors are working in different styles,” added Rey.

The interesting staging is evident in the set which worked as the different levels of stacked blocks effectively separated the various scenes. The close proximity of the audience to the stage and the different levels of the stage were effective in adding variety and intimacy to the “action”. The simplicity of the props and the contemporary costumes highlighted the talent and exuberance of the actors during their performances.

“Cupid Kills” seems to have all the ingredients to entertain. Truthfulness prevailed during some heart to heart dialogues while “playing hard to get” was acted out with measured timing that when couples got together, there were feelings of relief among the audience. Senseless acts of jealousy and rage elicited annoyance while the audience held their breath in anticipation of being told of some news. This provided the roller coaster of emotions to satisfy any die-hard Shakespeare fan.

Polished showmanship was evident in many scenes. Among the young actors with much potential who made an impact with the audience was Amelia Chen who played Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing”. Amelia conveyed her anger and attraction for Benedick with great panache. Sharifah Sofia who has played in commercial television and is well-known locally for her part in the TV series “Spanar Jaya”, took the role of alluring Juliet in “Romeo & Juliet”. Sharifah was a treat to watch as was Nurul Ain Mohd Jamlus as Helena in “Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Elza Irdalynna, who is an Astro Shaw scholar, played a complex cross-gender role of Viola/‘Cesario’ in “Tweflth Night”, successfully managed to enact a true comedy of confusion. Her co-actor, Tengku Amalia Zahirah played the intoxicated Olivia with great effect and style.

There were some 14 scenes in all and students had six and a half weeks of grueling preparation that seems to have paid off. This was no ordinary Shakespearean play but an upbeat fresh take with zany costumes and setting. “The Taming of the Shrew” had a Bollywood inspiration, “Hamlet” was dark tragedy and “Othello” was given the gothic horror treatment. The surprise twist at the end gave new meaning to the whole play. There were great movement and dancing to snazzy Cupid-themed songs which gave a rousing finale to the whole production.

Shakespearean plays seem to have a strong pull factor as a number of secondary schools sent their English Literature students to watch and enjoy “Cupid Kills”. Groups of 10 or more students from schools were accorded free entry.

“We hope that the ‘Cupid Kills’ experience will dispel any fear in students for the literary giant Shakespeare’s works and to teach teamwork and responsibility,” explained Rey Buono.

The Diploma in Performance+Media is a 2.5-year programme where talented young men and women are given technical training and tutelage in the art of acting, directing and play/screen writing. Upon completion of the diploma, graduates may enter into the fields of television, film, media and theatre or continue without too much difficulty in pursuit of a degree. The programme is in its second year with three successful intakes and the next intake will be in August this year.