Lowercase laboratories (lowercase), a newly formed Subang Jaya, Selangor-based theatre collective, presents its first offering, have a peace of my mind, a triple bill of original playlets exploring real-world issues confronting young adults. The stories deal with childhood trauma, gender identity, and unrequited love.
Have a peace of my mind plays at the Rooftop Theatre, Sunway College in Subang Jaya from Dec 15-19.
It features the works of Jazzie Lee Jin Jye, Nathaniel Leong and Mitrani Wong Hansern.
“These are the themes that the directors and their teams drew from personal stories. They come from a place of rage and confusion, and this showcase is all about making peace with these issues, hence the title,” explains Low Yee Choy, lowercase’s co-founder and artistic director, in a recent interview.
“While these stories are told by a group of young people, we believe this is a show for adults as well. You will recognise yourself in these stories. And you may realise that the difficulties you're experiencing are most likely the result of unresolved childhood trauma,” adds Choy, as he prefers to be called.
Have a peace of my mind was originally scheduled for April, but was postponed due to the pandemic. In October, rehearsals resumed and now all three teams are eager to perform in front of a live audience. It is the first public theatre show for most of the young actors and directors.
X, directed by Lee, 21, features a live performance by Chin Zuo Can and a virtual (pre-recorded) performance by Yee Heng Zeh and Lee. It is about a young man who tries to escape his childhood trauma by inhabiting vivid dreamworlds.
Another devised piece is Leong’s Dua, featuring Amirul Syakir, Harshini Mohan and Praveena Silvaraju. It explores how people navigate assigned gender roles while wanting to freely express themselves.
“This piece is cathartic for me. I have always been unsure of my own gender identity. The constant question of do I conform or stop caring has been playing in my head for a long time. Perhaps seeing this conversation play out on stage is the liberation I needed,” says Leong, 23, who hails from Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu.
Finally Bulan, directed by Wong, 21, features Shaid Shaqqiq (Bulan) and Wong (Him), with pre-recorded narration by Mira Fazz.
The story follows Bulan, a foreign entity who befriends the lost and lonely, and "Him", a man seeking solitude. They form an unbreakable bond, but what will become of Bulan when the man overcomes his loneliness?
The self-funded collective was founded by Choy and five of his college friends in September 2020.
Last December, lowercase took home the top prize in the Ripple Film Festival for its black and white experimental short film called a romantic occurrence.
Choy, who is currently in Theatresauce's Emerging Directors Lab, says lowercase was created to give young creatives a place to experiment, something he felt was lacking in the arts and culture scene here.
“Just like in scientific experiments, it’s all about testing things with different variables to see what happens and mistakes must be allowed. That’s how discoveries are made. And growth. And we want to give that opportunity to young creatives,” offers Choy, who directed Anomalist Production’s Bukan Bunuh Diri last year.
“As for our very first showcase, don’t expect something on par with professional productions. Don’t get me wrong. We know what we are doing, we have the tools and the training. We are also young and we will make mistakes. And that’s okay and we hope the audience will acknowledge that,” says Choy.
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