LIT FEST III: CREW

Written by: Tay Yip Teng, Terrence (23-A2), Ng Le Kang (23-I2)

Designed by: Chong Hern Hsuen, Rachael (24-O1)

On a cool evening on March 8, the College’s 900 seater auditorium was transformed into a state-of-the-art theatre, home to the annual Lit Fest production brought together by both Literature teachers and JC 2 Literature students. The theme for this year was “Final Measures”, devised to mark the final time the texts in the current syllabus — Measure for Measure, Pride and Prejudice, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Caretaker, and Ariel — will be featured on stage as the newly minted JC 1 Literature embark on their study of new texts within a different syllabus. To prepare for the production, the JC 2 students organised their productions around their classes and began working with their mentors to conceptualise their performance shortly after their JC 1 Promotional Examinations. With much of the preparatory work done many months before the actual production, it is no wonder why so much of the magic that happened before the audiences’ eyes remained a major mystery for the uninitiated. Fret not, for The Origin* has arranged for the scoop to be delivered to your screen, told through the experiences of the crew members of “Final Measures”!

Presenting the Crew

In this article, we have Lim Sher Min and Joanna Koo from 23-E1’s production ‘Measuring Kpop’, as well as Rachel Erbito from 23-O1’s production ‘The Electrolux’. Let’s hear it from them!

1. What is your role and how would you describe it to our readers in three words or less?

Sher Min: I was the props manager for my class's production! I would describe it as “not much work” haha, (as) our play didn't really require a lot of props but a catchphrase I would use to describe it is “table, ribbon and Canva”.

Joanna: I was the props manager for my class and three words I would use to describe it is “ribbon, designing and backstage".

Rachel: My role was to do sounds, along with Marissa from 23-O1, for our class's play. In three words: stressful yet satisfying.

2. Talk about a memorable takeaway/difficult challenge you faced on set.

Sher Min: We faced many last minute script changes so we ended up not buying any props through the teachers and had to adapt with whatever materials we already have, but we mostly just needed props for an office setting so it wasn't too hard! I felt that for our class production we definitely focused more on/had showier costumes and lighting.

Joanna: Through this experience, I've learnt more about working together as a team to come up with a successful play. My class faced multiple script revisions, making it harder for everyone as we had to adapt to the changes while also meeting the internal deadlines such as submitting lighting cues and buying the necessary props. Yet despite having last minute changes to our script, we tapped on each other's strengths and encouraged one another. I also learnt more about the importance of communication, especially when things can get rather hectic backstage and was heartened to see how everyone was open to new suggestions to make our production better.

Rachel: This role came with both a memorable takeaway and difficult challenge, hence the three words being stressful yet satisfying. The difficult challenge would be aligning the timing of the sounds with what was happening on stage, especially for our rehearsal. From the control room, it was difficult to monitor the actions of the actors due to the great distance from there to the stage, so it was hard for the person playing our sounds to follow the sound cues we gave him — since some of the cues were timed based on their actions. Yet, we managed to solve it either through adjusting the cues to match what the actors were saying instead, or them following the sounds instead of the other way round. Hence, the memorable takeaway was the final performance when the sound perfectly matched what was happening on stage. I was super happy about the play going smoothly and the sounds we chose were played on cue, making the play exciting to watch. I also heard audience members laughing because of the comedic sound effects we chose, so that made me satisfied with the effort I put into my role.

Conclusion

After two gruelling full-day rehearsals to perfect their acting skills and coordinate large-scale transitions between different productions, both the Cast and the Crew were ready to spring into action and deliver the best rendition of their texts. As guests were ushered in, the students took their positions backstage, awaiting the sacred cue from the event emcees that would introduce their production and accord them the licence to unleash the fruits of their creative output. The Stagehands, on the other hand, concentrated on changing the set and helping actors put on their microphones. Seamlessly, the productions managed to captivate the audiences’ attention achieving their intended effects. Indeed, their swan song was met with a mix of emotions from the audience: merriment and misery, trepidation and anticipation, as well as thunderous applause and deafening silence. For the curtain call, Stagehands, Cast and Crew were invited back onstage to the cheers and applause from the audience. Just as the five texts and their characters would make their final appearance in the A Level Literature papers, this cohort of Literature students have most certainly designed “Final Measures”to not only apply their learning practically, but also serve as a fitting, core memory of their final year of study in Eunoia Junior College.