Sabera Shaik, the co-director of 'Rivers In The Sky', says the upcoming show holds up a mirror and whoever looks into the looking glass will not only resonate with what is happening on stage but will also bring back their own personal interpretation. Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat
"Rivers in the sky" is an evocative term to use for something so powerfully dangerous. In climate change terminology, these are defined as “giant rivers of water vapour in the sky with strong winds pushing them along.”
Once these “atmospheric rivers” turn into a storm, they can open up and cause massive floods and destruction. This is what Masakini Theatre Company has taken as its title for its new theatre performance scheduled to take place at Pentas 1, KLPac from Sept 1-3.
But that is simply a title. As a performance, Rivers In The Sky is no doomsday parable nor didactic commandment of what must be done to save Mother Earth.
It is a live theatrical experience created by a formidable team of talents in the performing arts business.
Directed by two renowned theatre practitioners, the veteran Sabera Shaik from Malaysia; and Ana Woolf from Argentina, who applied her own unique style of tutelage based on oriental techniques and Latin American rhythms to put performers through their scenes using what she described as “the scenic presence of the body/voice.”
Long-time music collaborators Susan Sarah John (left) and Mohammad Kamrulbahri Hussin are part of the show's diverse creative team. Photo: Handout
"Rivers In The Sky started as an idea and play on climate change which evolved into a transformation about human nature and nature itself. It has become, in fact, a kind of interactive mirror for reflection and action, for all involved in its creation – crew, musicians, performers, audience,” says Sabera.
“We tried many ideas until we came to T.S. Eliot’s long poem The Wasteland. Then all our improvisations just fell into place. The text is all Mr Eliot’s.”
Rivers In The Sky is described as a devised play drawing its metaphors from the Aztec myth of the creation and birth of the world and mankind, Latin American folklore, silat and mak yong traditions. It is highly physical theatre, using movement, music, gesture, dance to express and explore many stories, many emotions.
It is a storytelling technique that is powerful, dynamic and very “present.” The performing ensemble of six, one of whom is Sabera herself, have been rehearsing since July under the direction of Woolf.
“I am very lucky that I got to be trained by Ana Woolf in the Tadashi Suzuki method that essentially cultivates our psycho-physical awareness onstage and in daily life as well.” says Leanne Lim about the experience in her first professional show.
For Tristen Zijuin, it is all about the process: “The rehearsal process is one that I enjoy and the devising process is one that should be embraced, through its highs and lows.
"As it is, the highs and lows are what makes theatre alive. With the production of Rivers In The Sky, I hope that audiences are able to attain the message that is of our environment – and how important it is for us to cherish and appreciate nature and its elements.”
The six performers will take the audience through the five elements – 'Air', 'Water', 'Fire', 'Wood', and 'Earth', reliving what inhabitants of the Earth have done and whose abominable behaviour has hurt Mother Earth.
They depict scenes of city life, the destruction of traditions and family by the prodigal son, the strong bonds of family that allow "time" which morphs into all the other five elements, to connect and make stronger the bonds that tie them together.
It is only by going through trials of the scarcity of water, the ever-present shadow of their “other” brother, and listening once again to Mother Earth do they emerge triumphant with new hope for tomorrow.
Led by music producer/director, Susan Sarah John, the large line-up of talented musicians such as Kent Lee and AiWei from Shaman Tearoom, Thong Yoong How of Frhythms Percussion, Anak Borneo Evan Lee, Soon Han Meng, Mohd Kamrulbahri Hussin (recording artist for the traditional mak yong samples) and Ali Ahmad (composer of the show's song Don't Cry) have collaborated in putting together original compositions, arrangements, and digital sequencing.
Their work revolved around one collective philosophy: “We play towards Mother Earth, bowing down to her pain, suffering, and hurt. We will die one day but hopefully not our song. Our song of love, hope, and peace. For this, we need Earth. We are, after all, vibrations.”
Augmented by projections, shadow play and a crew of specialists from lighting designer, Normah Nordin, foyer designer Sivarajah Natarajan and many more.
“Everyone should go see the play because it holds up a mirror and whoever looks into the looking glass will not only resonate with what is happening on stage but will also bring back their own personal interpretation," says Sabera.
"At the same time it may spur us to stop wasting and mistreating Mother Earth. The message is so insidious it allows for several interpretations,” she concludes.
