Recently, our class have studied Emily of Emerald Hill, a one-woman play by Stella Kon, and our class test about this wonderful play has just past. However, my friends and I were assigned a task to turn this play, which is written in a monologue format, into an actual play including dialogue and conversations, turning the several characters around Emily's life into real people that actually exist. Below is the script of our play:
-Scene One- (pg 18 to 22)
(Emily and Servant on stage)
(Servant spreads out the white table cloth)
Servant: Ma’am, like this huh?
Emily (shakes her head): Aiyo, so messy ah? Leave it…. I show you….
(Servant stops her actions, walks aside)
(Emily takes over Servant’s position)
(While spreading, Emily talks)
Emily: Ah Sim, you know what are we hosting tonight?
Servant: Ma’am, I not sure…. I just come here…..
Emily: I tell you, tonight we will host a big dinner for first master. Those big towkays and all the ang moh bosses will come tonight. Wait…. Ah Sim, do we have all the correct ingredients or not? You know, tonight we cannot make any mistakes, if not tomorrow on the newspapers I will be the laughing stock. And I will embarrass first master.
Servant; Ma’am, you don’t worry so much. Everything is ready now.
Emily (heaves a sigh of relief): Good. Tonight the whore Diana will be coming. I must show her who is boss!!!!
- Emily and Servant leave stage-
(Towkay 1 and Towkay 2 enter)
(Towkay 1 and Towkay 2 move around randomly)
(Emily walks in)
Emily (enthusiastically and politely): Good evening Mr Lim. Welcome to Emerald Hill. We are so honoured to have you here to try my cooking. Please, do tuck in. Oh yes, do remember to get yourself comfortable with a martini at the corner.
Towkay 1: Thank you for your hospitality. I already tried the starters, they taste incredibly scrumptious. I really enjoy all the Peranakan food that you prepared.
(Emily smiles, Towkay nods responsively)
(Emily leaves Towkay 1 alone and heads to Towkay 2)
Emily: Hello Mr Ong, what a pleasure to see you again. Oh, is Mrs Ong attending this birthday dinner for Richard tonight? I have not seen her yet.
Towkay 2: Oh, I am so apologetic about that. My spouse really cannot make it tonight as she is down with cold. She said she was sorry for not coming down to try your specialties.
Emily: Oh, I see. Do tell her to rest well. I really appreciate her kindness of putting a good word for my culinary skills. Do you mind if I ask my helpers to prepare an extra serving of food for Mrs Ong personally, so that you can take back home?
Towkay 2 (surprised): Yes, she is probably famished by the time I reach home. Thank you, Emily.
(Towkay 1 and Towkay 2 leaves)
(Bee Choo enters from right, Diana enters from left)
(Emily approaches Bee Choo)
Emily (warmly): Bee Choo, so glad that you came. You know I was working my head off, so busy, aiyo… Try all the food here, see whether my cooking skills maintained the standard.
Bee Choo: M, aiyo I tell you ah. Fed up, very fed up. My kids now, getting out of hand. The worst thing is my monstrous mother-in-law, seriously she is torturing me. I cannot breathe la.
(Emily shows a face of empathy)
Bee Choo: Wait, M. Look there. (points to the left) Isn’t that the slut that seduced your husband? What’s her name ah?
(Emily face sterns)
Emily: Ya, it’s Diana. Bee Choo, you help yourself with the food first, I go talk to her.
Bee Choo: Ok, be careful ah. Don’t let her bully you.
(Bee Choo pats Emily’s shoulder, then walks away to the side)
(Emily approaches Diana)
Diana: Emily! Long time no see. I love this house, to the extent that I want to move in with Kheong right now.
(Laughs sarcastically)
(Emily laughs nonchalantly together)
Diana: Just joking, please don’t take it to heart. How is it to live in the grand, posh, magnificent Emerald Hill by yourself…. (whisper) alone?
(Emily smiles indignantly)
Emily: Diana… why don’t you go and look for Kheong first, he is at the room next door.
(Diana smirks and leaves)
(Servant enters and brings out the cake on a trolley)
(Richard enters)
(Emily’s mood lightens)
Emily (loudly): Ladies and gentlemen, would you mind gathering around?
(A group of people crowds around Emily, Richard and Servant)
Emily: As you all know, today marks the 20th birthday of my son, Richard. Let us all wish him a happy birthday.
(vivacious)
Emily: 1..2…3…
(Richard stands in front of the cake and closes his eyes)
(Group of people mime the happy birthday song with joy)
Richard: I hope that…. mummy will not be so protective of me anymore. I hope…. that after today, I can make my own decisions….. and lead a more enjoyable life that I want in England…
(Group of people sing out the last line of the birthday song)
(Richard smiles and blows the candles)
-End of Scene one-
-Scene Two- (pg 52 to 24)
Stage Direction -
Emily lowers herself into her chair. Dim light on her.
Emily: *sigh* There was a magnificent lawn here with many flowers cared for by three gardeners. We also had tennis courts and fruit trees. It was so vibrant here last time, but now there are only tall flats blocking out the house. But even the house is dying… *sigh*…
Bin Seong: *comes in talking with Mei Choon*
Emily: Oh hello Bin-bin. You come fetch me again ah?
Bin Seong: Ya, porpor. We go eat supper and drive around?
Emily: *yawn* I think today I stay at home rest better lah… feeling tired eh. *sounds tired*
Mei Choon: But here so noisy how to rest ah?
Emily: No lah.. it sounds like voices and laughter pleasant to my ears… You don’t worry about me lah.. you two just go and enjoy, bye-bye. *sounds tired*
*Emily twirls head around for a while, suddenly “falls asleep” and slightly raises head*
Bin Seong: Porpor I want ice-cream *shakes Emily’s hand*
Emily: Okok, Porpor make for you ah. *Bin Seong leaves, Driver enters* Alamak Mat turn turn turn! Ok after this you go Amber Road fetch Tuan Besar home ah?
Mat: *Imitates driving and turn*
*Mat leaves and Emily is alone again*
*Emily sings song dreamily*
Emily: Richard is that you? Ah, Richard don’t fall down! Did you do well in school? Good boy ya, take Mother out drive around.
*After some time*
Emily: ok Richard I think stop lah.. Mother tired already, take me home ya. I want go home rest and sleep. Good boy ya, always take good care of Mother? You are my big strong son…
-End of Scene Two-
Hope all of you enjoy :))))
Friday, August 20, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Inception
Inception ~ I am very sure the first thing that pops into your mind would be the recent blockbuster thriller directed by Christopher Nolan which features Leonardo DiCaprio. It raveled me from the moment the movie started right until this instance. I am writing about this not to do a review on the movie or a complete analysis on the ending of the story but to in turn go deeper into one’s dreamland.
Why do we dream? I believe it is the disguised fulfillment of one’s repressed wishes or hopes. One thing to take note of is do you notice that when you are in a dream, you have no idea how to reached it and there is no ending? Amazing right? Quite often before the end of the day, something will usually happen and if we regret the way we have dealt with it or hope for a better solution to it, the thought of it will usually linger in our minds and eventually become part of our dreams. Also, I find that many of my wishes and hopes are often fulfilled in the dreamland and it sorts of contributes to one’s mental and psychological state.
I feel that one’s life is lived to the fullest unless it is lived with no regrets. Before we deal with a situation, we have to assess or look at it with a clear and calm mind rather than let our emotions take control of us and bring us to an instantaneous decision. After thinking back, I have noticed most of my wrongdoings have been because of my lack of emotional control. Let us put it in a simple manner, sometimes a student in class would shout out something funny and when you hear it, wouldn’t most of us react by laughing out loud? This is wrong as it shows one’s disrespect towards the teacher. Although the teacher might act as if she does not bother but deep down inside it does indeed show her incompetence in handling the class and she would absolutely feel sad about it.
I indeed feel that teachers are underrated these days though. (PS : I’m not saying this to get into the good books of teacher but rather it’s truly how I feel) Many students take teachers as lowlife beings that live only to teach them, thus leading to them feeling superior and hence disregarding the credibility of the teachers.
( For those of you who haven't seen it, you gotta' watch it, seriously!!!
Here's the trailer:
