Straight 'A' Students Exposed in "Tepuk Amai-Amai"

by Alya Aqilah

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Cast Members of 'Tepuk Amai-Amai'

If you have not already been to see theatre shows organised by Revolution Stage, here in Dataran Pelangi, Petaling Jaya, now is the time! From the brilliant mind of writer Khairunazwan Rodzy to the talented hands of director Fendi Shah comes alive a story that explores behind the scenes of the pressured lives of students in Tepuk Amai-Amai.

A little bit of info about Revolution Stage (RS), it is not like any other conventional theatre that most people are accustomed to. RS does not have big halls, big stages or even seats for that matter! RS is doing things differently and frankly quite more interestingly. Audiences who have come to watch shows here know that they will be sitting on a carpeted floor during the shows.

It is much more comfortable than it sounds and honestly speaking, much more enjoyable. Now, back to our theatre show. Tepuk Amai-Amai is the writer’s take on addressing the issue of how students nowadays, regardless of age, are pressured by their parents and society to obtain good grades. The story is told from the perspective of six secondary school students.

The writer tries to make the audiences aware of the real situation the students, who are forced to obtain perfect grades and that when they fail to do so, they are labelled as lazy and idiots. It is interesting to see how the writer puts a dark twist into the lives of these students to justify their bad grades. From abusive parents to crumbling family households, these students claim to fail in school due to problems at home.

Another interesting idea that is pushed in this theatre show is the fact that these students have chosen to go against the education system by boycotting the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams to express their opposition towards exam-based assessments. The writer also showed the repercussions of their decision.

The story line certainly makes the audience think and at one point, some can even relate with the characters portrayed in the story because according to director Fendi Shah from Asterik Anak Seni production, “even though the story is set in the school environment, the concept portrayed here applies to even those in the working world”. The concept portrayed here is the same concept found in most of Khairunazwan Rodzy’s work.

Anyone who is familiar with his work will not miss it because it is repeatedly said, almost in a chanting manner, towards the end of the show: ‘Demi Cinta, Kaseh dan Sayang’ which literally translates to ‘For love, love and affection’. Do you know when a phrase is spoken in its original language it makes total sense but when translated to another, it does not anymore?

This is exactly that. However, when presented in Malay, you will understand its intended meaning. The idea of ‘through love, what is dear to oneself will bring them the consciousness of their duty’ might sound cheesy and a bit overrated, but it’s a fact.

The writer tries to convey a message that if you value something really dearly, you would not complain and you would do everything in your power to attain it.

Tepuk Amai-Amai also has its share of hidden references, like ‘Cikgu Sabariah’ from the ‘Asrama-Ra’ theatre which is also written by the same writer. These small and rather subtle references are what frequent RS goers can look forward to.

Besides that, the director also did an amazing job in bringing the theatre show to life, from using blackboard chalks to scribble detailed textbook information on the walls to using wooden chairs which are usually used by school students.

This theatre show is an experimental one, so the set and props are not as elaborate as you would see in regular theatre productions but then again, RS is not like any other theatre. The audio team also made use of upbeat popular songs that lift spirits up like ‘Fikirkan Boleh’ by Amuk to tie the setting together.

The lighting team did not come on short either. The audience, except those with photosensitive epilepsy, would enjoy seeing this one scene where the actors and actresses are violently studying while being accompanied with strobe lights, making it seem like it is a black metal concert. It is certainly a comical scene to watch, in my opinion.

Now, going into the most crucial and important part of the overall theatre performance. The acting. Given the fact that the cast only had two weeks to do rehearsals before the show, says Intan Nurfarhanah, 24, one of the actresses in the performance, everything went on smoothly. However, actors and actresses stuttering here and there at some point should be forgiven because they made up for it with their energetic performance.

Besides that, the characters are also played mostly by people who are passionate and have some background in theatre performance and not by those who are professionally trained in the field.

Nevertheless, Tepuk Amai-Amai is certainly a theatre performance that makes the audience think of the possibility to stop whining and just do the things that are needed to be done because in the end, it is going to pay off eventually.