Ingatan tragis tentang longgokan tanah di depan pintu pejabat, juga
segala penat-lelah dan kemelaratan beberapa hari berkelana bersama
kekawan di asrama belia untuk menjayakan kerja teater (yang jarang saya
buat) agaknya menunggu ulasan ini.... Terima kasih S.M.Zakir.
Dia mengulas,
"Kembali kepada teater "Harga Sebuah Maruah", Dewan Balai
Tun Syed Nasir, DBP memberikan pemandangan pentas yang berbeza sebaik
sahaja penonton mengambil tempat duduk untuk menyaksikan pementasan
bermula. Latar pementasan menggambarkan suasana di Kampung Kertau.
.....................(Dipotong kerana boleh mendatangkan rasa takbur)
menukarkan pentas prosenium Balai Budaya DBP menjadikannya seperti
sebuah 'thrust stage' yang melunjur turun setnya hingga ke aras
penonton, membina sebuah senario pementasan realisme yang
hidup..................(dipotong lagi, juga atas alasan yang sama).
Hasilnya sebuah set desa yang lengkap dengan sawahnya tersedia di
hadapan penonton. Visualisasi ini cukup untuk menghadirkan tatanan
realisme yang disebut Lukaes iaitu 'bentuk yang khusus dalam
membayangkan realiti'. Pemandangan atau 'scene' yang
dibina.......(dipotong), menghadirkan apa yang disebut sebagai ilusi
realisme dalam menggambarkan perkampungan pusaka yang damai tiba-tiba
dirobek oleh kejutan pihak yang ingin merampas segala milik pusaka dan
memusnahkan segala kedamaian tersebut. 'Thrust stage' yang adakalanya
digelar Wagnerian dan 'Guthrian stage', dibentuk untuk meletakkan
orkestra dan mewujudkan estetika pentas yang berbeza. Namun pentas yang
melahirkan 'scene' terbuka Kampung Kertau ini telah mewujudkan ilustrasi
realisme yang menampilkan watak-wataknya keluar masuk melalui penonton,
lalu ke hadapan pentas. Pergerakan keluar masuk sebegini secara tidak
langsung mencipta peranan penonton dalam pementasan. Watak-watak datang
dari penonton, malah adakalanya bermain begitu dekat dengan penonton.
Ini mewujudkan jarak psika atau jarak estetik, yang membolehkan penonton
merasai kehadiran watak-watak dekat dengan mereka. Ini sekali lagi
melatari gerakan realisme seperti mana yang dikatakan Breet iaitu
menyuguhkan sebuah peranan kepada penonton, yang dikenal tetapi juga
asing sehingga proses penilaian kritis dapat bergerak. Peranan penonton
turut bergoncang apabila pihak berkuasa datang dari arah penonton untuk
menyerbu penduduk kampung yang berhimpun. Sekaligus menyuguh proses
penilaian kritis penonton terhadap tindakan 'penindas' pihak berkuasa
tersebut. Malah, penonton segera tertawa dan menyokong apabila pihak
berkuasa 'dipermainkan' pula oleh penduduk kampung. ............"Harga
Sebuah Maruah" telah mengembalikan fungsi teater yang sebenar dalam
masyarakat."
(Dipetik dari "Harga Sebuah Maruah - Realisme Politik"
oleh S.M Zakir, dalam Pentas, Istana Budaya, Jil. 7 Bil. 1 Januari-Mac
2012, ms 6-9)
2011, Proposed design for "Harga Sebuah Maruah", Dewan Budaya Tun Syed Nasir, Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka KL. Directed by Halimi Mohamed Noh, scripted by Wahab Hamzah with art direction and video design by yours truly (me!). Based on a novel by the late Azizi Hj Abdullah. Roslan Chin is the technical and lighting designer. This is the second draft proposal. The design was later altered a bit to fit the need to put more performers on stage. Basically it is based on a combination of a triangular shape (women, female, mother, motherland, bearer, container, field, emotion, intuition, the past, giver) and a linear/straight square shape (man, male, father, sower, taker, thinking, logic, the present and the future, greed). The story is basically based on a clash between these two elements.
Plan view. The triangle shaped stage also connotes a clash between 3 sides with different agendas (tiga penjuru). The stage here is the witness of such clash, as implied by the script.
Plan and perspective. The main triangular stage was then altered to become a full stage with the paddy field part extended on both of its wings.
Video wall.
Before the installation and set up.
Synchronizing the colors. Different brands projectors behave differently.
Testing and setting up the projection system.
Installation of the main set and video projection system.
Rosli, Adi and Izrul working on the additional section for the 'sawah sekangkang kera' (small paddy field)
Artists at work. Would be my 'installation' if I declare this my 'artwork'. But there is no place for 'contemporary artist' ego trip in a collaborative theater production.
Painting the 'sawah'.
Some props with the video projection, partly realism, partly symbolism, partly minimalism (suggestive set).
Main set and the video wall.
Artist at work, this time the floor of Dewan Budaya Tun Syed Naser DBP is my canvas.
Using mirrors to reflect and enlarge the video. This is Sham's, Andy's and Zam's handiwork.
Izrul and Sham making the 'batas'.
Testing the panoramic video wall.
Husni putting final touch on the 'batas', while Sham and Adi look like Bangla carrying the heavy sack of soil, sand and granite stones.
Making the 'batas', very important part of the stage.
Adi and Sham, putting the granite.
Painting the main stage, have to think in 2 color system - light and pigment colors.
Painting the 'cracking land' (tanah menanti retak) that functions as the main stage. The script is littered with people quarreling and breaking up, uprooting their roots at the same time. Lan Chin on the far left is having problem with his light.
Interpreting broken or fragmented land and uprooted roots by painting the main stage while Halimi (the Director) and Norhelmi (main actor) watching.
Final touch.
"Sawah sekangkang kera" (small paddy field, in a triangular shape, as for the main stage too) with a straight 'batas'.
Another view of the 'sawah' and 'batas'.
Wacky Andy, another team member, enjoying his refreshment break
Main stage after Roslan Chin's touch.
Opening setting
External, in front of surau. Day.
Balairaya. See the light rays on the floor as if coming from the windows.
Balairaya.
Hijrah and Bibah in front of Pak Kassim's house.
Cah and her son Sulaiman.
Virtual and physical.
Mamu as Hijrah, confronting the invading tractor.
Meeting at Azmi's house.
Surau.
Negotiating position and agendas.
Picnic.
Crisis
With such a small space (unlike the glamorous Istana Budaya), Halimi the director is having a tough time to do the blocking and to design the flow.
One of the best scenes, escalating conflict between two sides.
When your inherited land is taken away, what will you do?
Power to the people!
End scene.
Bibah with her bicycle.
Bibah and Cah.
Bibah, interacting and giving context to the set.
Bibah and Cah, lamenting on the fate of the people of Kertau.
"Mana maruah kita?"...Cah in her final monologue. Roslan Chin's lighting....phuhhh.
Is this the answer to all conflicts?
Must everything ends this way?
Close up of 'sawah' with its virtual bacdrop.
A working set with minimum cost.
Another close up. Props are authentic, real traditional farming tools.
Sham's video console on the left wing of the stage. Sham controls the video changes on cue from the Stage Manager.
Shamsul Ikhmar Mansori in action at the video console. Shamsul and Husni are the creative brain behind the video projection.
Roslan Chin (right) the brain behind the lighting.
The Director, Halimi (left). Wa caya lu brader!
Foto berkait dengan denai kebun teater saya :
