Ex-ceptance came and went. And the experience of preparing for it and then performing it for a lovely audience was magical. A big thank you to one and all who came by.
And do let us know what you thought about the show by commenting on the guestbook here: wisdomofmonkeys.weebly.com
The 75 minute show also showcased "Tuesday Afternoon" and her original song, "If I Were Human", which wouldn't be possible without the band who worked with her on the song. They came to the show, and were beautiful audience members as well as friends. So special thanks on Benson on bass, Erik on guitars and Eric on keyboards. You guys truly rock!
Thank you once again and stay tuned to see what other monkey business the team at Wisdom of Monkeys is up to! :-)
Jilly would like to invite you to spend this Saturday afternoon with her and her dear friends from Wisdom of Monkeys productions. For full details please vsisit wisdomofmonkeys.weebly.com
"Ex-ceptance" features 5 original stories about what we can accept -
and the exceptions.
USE: The Elephant
Colouring Book
USE: The Robot
Tuesday Afternoon
USE: The Tissue Paper
Watch an exceptional performance that unites poetry, prose and play.
Written by :
Hemang Yadav & Lee Gao Ju (Top 10 Winning concept, Fly By Night 2007),
Dew M. Chaiyanara (Merit Award in Scriptwriting from S'pore Broadcasting Authority 2001, People's Choice at Short & Sweet Festival S'pore 2007),
and Gillian Tan
Performed by :
Hemang Yadav (Best Performer Singapore Writers Festival Read Competition 2007),
Lee Gao Ju, Gillian Tan and Liew Liting.
Directed by :
Dew M. Chaiyanara and Marissa Jansz
(Director of winning team, All-Island Interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition 2007 Boys Category, Sri Lanka)
Stage Manager : Chew Keng Kiat
Date : 6th December 2008, Saturday
Time : 4pm - 5:45pm
Venue : Woodlands Library Auditorium (click here for map)
Tickets : $15 for 1st category.
$13.50 for 2nd category.
Discount of $1.50 per ticket with block booking of 5 or more tickets.
Book now with Gao Ju at 93897833 or Hemang at hemangyadav@yahoo.com.sg
Firstly, Jilly wants to apologise for not updating this site for quite a while. It has been a busy but wonderful November and she wants to thank everyone for the kind birthday wishes!
Besides spending quality time with family and friends, Jilly has been busy hosting for quality clients as well! They include Pfingo and Olay with Ultrex.
She has also been singing at events, as well as lovely weddings with Wedding Harmony. She has learnt a few new Mandarin songs and is grateful to be able to celebrate romance with the happy couples as well as her band members.
She has also been jamming with Benson, Eric and Erik who have been more than sweet to work with her on her originals. Awww! There will definitely be more news to come soon...
Jilly was also on TV for "Moonface", "Sayang Sayang" and "My Sassy Neighbour" (a re-run).
So if you happen to see Jilly anywhere around town, please stop by and say hi! :-)
Together with her buds, Jilly enjoyed performing in "The Crow's Lament". This play was staged for SPCA's World Animal Day celebration in the park. So if you were there at East Coast Park on October 5th, she hopes you and your furry friends enjoyed the show along with many other fun activities.
If you're an animal lover, aren't bugs also animals? :-)
As a Peranakan, Jilly is proud to be part of "Subculture", a play that attempts to explore the friction, fiction and non-fiction between the Peranakans and the Punks.
She plays Iris, a modern and stifled Nonya who falls for a sweet-natured punk. She is sincerely very glad to be working alongside many good friends including Dew (her friend, writer and director), Nanda (her sweetheart from many plays ago), Gaoju (her beloved robot from a previous tale), Candice (her friend since Action Theatre's Festival), Max (her crazy son from a recent lifetime) and Shaiful (her headmaster who insists she sings).
And she won't take them for granted, ever! Even if Iris is taking her Peranakan heritage for granted.
Shows on September 26th Friday at 8pm, September 27th Saturday at 3pm and at 8pm. Tickets are available at $15 from the Substation box office for their 18th anniversary SeptFest celebration.
(Post Update Note, Dec '08: Read some candid reviews from our audience!)
Kids will love this musical by i Theatre. Tickets, like the years before, have been selling fast. Jilly is very happy to be part of "Rainbow Fish" playing the role of Starfish.
Jilly is having a splash with her wonderful cast and crew as she explores the underwater world of Seaweedy Deep with her five limbs, dances, sings, and even plays with puppets!
Get your tickets from sistic now!
"Rainbow Fish" runs from September 1st to 26th at the Alliance Francaise theatre, Singapore.
Gillian loves storytelling. Better yet, when it comes to opinions and truths. There are many angles from which one can look at life. She believes that the author, actor, singer, whoever the storyteller is, will convey about 30% of the story while the audience, with their own life experiences, opinions, understandings and imaginations, devises the rest.
She often feels there is no right or wrong because of the various standpoints and possible (personal) reasons, and also because as humans, we can empathise with one another. But surely we must all want true justice.
Gillian is so glad and fortunate to be involved in a play with a talented cast, director and writer, all with good intentions. So she would love to have you come join us on this journey of "Oh!".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OH!
* presented by AGNI KOOTTHU (THEATRE OF FIRE)
* written & directed by ELANGOVAN
* performed by Ahamed Ali Khan, Dew M. Chaiyanara, Gillian
Tan, Hemang Yadav, Lee Gao Ju, Max Ling & Shaiful Risan
* music by Eaddy & Lee Gao Ju
* Production Manager: S Thenmoli
* August 2 & 3, 2008 (Sat & Sun), 8pm
* $20 Guinness Theatre, The Substation
* Tickets available at The Substation box office (Tel: 63377800)
[ V1: Our school rule clearly states that pupils who are Singapore Citizens must sing the National Anthem. But it has been brought to my attention that you refuse to sing. What is bothering you? If you don't tell me, I cannot help you. We are a democratic country but it doesn't mean that you can do
whatever you like.
V2: You are wrong. The Asian Human rights Commission's report to the International Human Rights Day says that Singapore is the most complete authoritarian system in Asia today and perhaps also in the world. ]
I love Singapore. It is an honest mistake. What to do? Do you think I, a magician have gone mad? You belief you are normal because you think you are mentally organized? You are proud that you are cultured and refined as your behaviour is deemed socially acceptable by other monkeys around you? You have joined the tribe that listens, thinks and excretes the same and forms the majority segment of this society? You are sane and only your dominant group will define insanity for those like me who dance to a different beat? What will happen to your world when I get an opportunity to re-define your sanity with my magic wand at a convenience store? Have you ever been possessed by a chatty ghost before? Have you ever helped your senile mother to slice her jugular vein? Have you heard voices ringing non-stop in your head telling you to terminate those who:
- do not sing the national anthem because it is the language of a race you can't stand;
- switch off the life-support system of the local braindead soldier for organ transfer to save a foreign dictator;
- blackmail and molest the pizza-delivery boy for being late;
- interrogate the idealistic reporter for telling the truth;
- stab any foreign talent for refusing to appreciate your magic at the hawker centre?
My home-visit is due. I tak boleh tahan (cannot take it) anymore. Can I kill someone with kindness please?
_________________________
S Thenmoli
President
Agni Kootthu (Theatre of Fire)
The Substation is a wonderful venue for local arts located on Armenian Street. Founded in 1990 by the late Kuo Pao Kun, the Substation is Singapore's first independent contemporary arts centre.
When they tried to close Armenian Street in 2006 to celebrate their annual SeptFest after getting approval from all their neighbours, they were denied.
When a huge commercial event (with money, corporations, an international act) decided to close the street, everyone was merely informed it was going to happen.
"The Substation is planning a signature multi-disciplinary event at its premises.
‘Fight for Your Right (to) Party’ is a re-affirming of The Substation’s role as a space that promotes, supports and nurtures cultural and artistic diversity – where people from many different backgrounds can converge as a community and have a sense of ownership of a public space.
Activities include a banner painting party, video and photo installations, soundscape performances, poetry readings, acoustic gigs, performance readings, expressionist painting and more! All these activities will be held on the premises of The Substation, from 2pm - 9pm on July 27th."
Gillian is once again teaming up with Hemang (Nanda) and Gaoju on a poetry play presentation, "Colouring Book", at 4pm. She will mess about with her new original song 'If I Were Human'. Does it sound kinda out there? Come find out!
You can catch Gillian and Vincent Lee leading the 5th episode of "Incredible Tales" on Channel 5 this Sunday (July 20th) at 10pm. In Singapore. :-)
Vincent is a pal who came to "Tuesday Afternoon" and of course has hung out and worked with Gillian quite a bit. The filming experience was a little rocky yet somewhat smooth sailing. Vincent's blog is more exciting than hers.
Gillian will be dancing and singing (and whining) as an emo / goth teenager in Thief of Time. Hemang Yadav and Lee Gaoju are also in this production by Eugene Lin and the Voice.
It has no relation to the traditional saying "Procrastination is the thief of time", or Terry Pratchett's book.
Rehearsals are underway. Fun, tiring and also exciting because the two almost sold-out shows are on in just a few days. There is a 3pm show and a 7pm show in the Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC) 1000-seat theatre in Republic Poly, Woodlands.
