志异 Draft by Drama box December 2014 (english) | Page 10

In the spirit of
Forum Theatre, the
myth of harmony
was exposed
through dramatic
tension, enabling
people to face
the underlying
differences.

individual initiative, which may not bring solutions to problems,
but will at least allow us to face them squarely.
Drama Box is currently the local theatre group that is most
enthusiastic about using this form of theatre. It has a keen and
active concern in the Singapore society and works to bring
theatre beyond the realms of the middle-class elite. Combined
with their passion for social activism, the group aims to be at
the heart of the community and touch those in the lower rungs
of society. Among the different forms of theatre, Forum Theatre
clearly stands out as a more suitable choice than fine theatre in
fulfilling this social responsibility.
The paradox is that the group itself is embracing the very idea of
harmony even as it seeks to expose its superficiality. That is the
ultimate vision of harmony, a stage that shall be reached when
all problems and dilemmas have been adequately resolved. But it
is also very aware that this is only an illusion that is impossible
to reach or simply a metaphor that does not exist in reality.
The group is also very clear that its social activism would be
meaningless if not grounded in the ideal of harmony.
Almost no one left the performance during the one and a half
hours. The audience, many from the community, formed a
coherent group in the temporary performance space. Under
the guidance of the performers, they saw through the veneer

Feature