A CAREER in Malaysian performing arts can be challenging. The pay is nothing to shout about. The working hours can be long and tedious. The future can be uncertain.
Yet three men decided to wholeheartedly pursue their passion for the performing arts.
They recently spoke to theSun about what keeps them going.
Arjun Thanaraju
His introduction to theatre came when he joined the drama club in his secondary school. At 17, he co-wrote his first play, My Name is Timothy, which touched on the subject of bullying. It won the Best Script award at the state level competition in 2014.
Four years later, in 2018, he entered the annual competition, the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival where his play Arranged won the Audience Choice Awards.
Last year he made his acting debut in a play called Pohlithik, which focuses on student activism.
He has just written a new play called Amma Chellam, which focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son.
“My relationship with my mother is the most important relationship in my life,” said 23-year-old Arjun, who was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur.
“My play is about the boundaries of a mother’s love.”
The play was supposed to be staged in July. Unfortunately, because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the play had to be postponed to early next year.
“I was disappointed,” said Arjun.
“I have been working hard on the script for the past year and was eager to share it with the world. I would like to see the positive side of the postponement. It will give me time to improve the script further.”
Currently, he is pursuing a degree in biopsychology. Asked to choose between becoming a full-time psychologist or a full-time theatre practitioner, Arjun said: “I love them both. I want to get to a place where I do not have to give up one for another. To choose one over the other will be a disservice to me.”
Arshad Adam
Four years ago, he left his job in the banking industry to become a full-time theatre practitioner.
“The thing I miss about my banking life is the money,” said 32-year-old Arshad with a huge laugh.
“But theatre gives meaning to my life. Every morning I wake up enthusiastically, wanting to do my work.”
His first exposure to theatre began when he took a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) degree, majoring in literature, in 2006.
“There were drama classes in the course for us to improve our English,” said Arshad, who was born and raised in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
In 2012 he took a basic six-month course in theatre called Bengkel Asas Theatre organised by Revolution Stage banner. Slowly he was building his name as a writer, director and an actor.
“I am a writer first,” he said.
The issues he loves to include in his writing can be taboo and controversial, such as suicide and rape in marriage. Some of the productions he has been involved in include Taman Neapolitan (2017), Broken (2018), Playing God and It’s Not Complicated (2019).
He has expressed a keen interest to write for movies in the future.
“There is a bigger audience there,” he said.
But theatre will always be his first love.
Shah Shaha
Born and raised in Kuantan, Pahang, he graduated from the University of Tasmania, Australia with a Bachelors in Contemporary Arts, majoring in theatre, in 2012.
He made his directorial debut in 2013 in a theatre show called In Three Minds. His memorable plays include 24 Jam Dalam 37 Tahun and How I Learnt to Accept Reality by Sleeping Through It.
“I have been performing since I was eight,” said 29-year-old Shah.
“I took up the violin. I have done solo performances as well as played in an orchestra.”
Later he learned the guitar and played in some performances. He even played squash for his state. He was in the debate team too.
“I am pretty used to performing in front of a crowd,” he said.
He joined the drama club in his high school, where he wrote scripts and acted in school plays. Doing theatre comes naturally for him. His strength lies more in acting.
“I love analysing characters,” he said.
When asked what advice he would give to young minds who want to make theatre their profession, he said: “The theatre industry is not all sunshine and rainbows. There will be crazy working hours and disappointing pay.”
He is currently teaching drama at universities and private schools. He would love to see theatre being taught as a serious subject in every school.
He said: “Theatre is a representation of life. When we learn about theatre, we learning what it means to be human beings. We learn to be empathetic to our brothers and sisters.”
