Ex t re mi t ies

Presented by In Collaboration with

29 NOV – 1 DEC 2018

ESPLANADE THEATRE STUDIO

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM MASTROSIMONE

With support from DIRECTED BY AARNE NEEME
PERFORMED BY THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2018
CAROLINE CHIN, HAU GUEI SZE (ZIZI), LAKSHMANA KP, POOJA MOHANRAJ
 Pla ywright's Note
Extracts from The victim and the victimiser, the cager
The Making Of Extremities (1984) and the caged, form each other. Thus,
the psychological play leads to the moral
I learned that one out of three women in play — how does one deal with evil without
the U.S. are sexually assaulted by age becoming evil oneself?
eighteen. That of all rape cases that are
able to pass strict rules of evidence, only Every individual and society make a deal:
two percent result in conviction... let’s all surrender our state of nature,
our animal impulses, in return for
That the average rapist rapes 29 times. protection, in order to form an orderly
That means 29 women. Most rapes go society of rules by which we can all have
unreported due to embarrassment or fear. freedom from each other. In Extremities,
That juries are so fearful of sending an Marjorie’s actions are based upon the
innocent man to prison, many guilty men perception that society violates the social
are set free... contract by not keeping up its end of
I have, through the play, freed myself of offering protection...
the two lethal myths. One, that women To the horror of misunderstanding critics
cause rape, and two, that rape is for sex. of Extremities, audiences laugh. A lot.
A woman can never cause rape. That Where there is tension, there is need for
is a male excuse for the desire to rape release. Laughter is the most accessible
projected into the victim. Rape is done to form of release in the theatre. Raul has
degrade, humiliate, and intimidate. It is a a certain devil-may-care variety of humor,
confusing issue because the tenderest act but it’s not for the sake of making mirth,
of man and woman is used to disguise the but to turn people around, give doubt,
most brutal and sadistic. The extremities of divide, manipulate and finally destroy. He
the spectrum are brought together. Based represents no social class or ethnic group.
on interviews of victims, the worst part of He only represents the men who know the
rape is not the physical. It is the fear, the law and how to beat the system...
threats, real or imagined, the degradation,
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault and/or the helplessness. Extremities is based on Marjorie does for Raul what all the social
sexual harassment, you can call the Sexual Assault Care Centre the latter... scientists, psychiatrists, police and prisons
for support at 6779 0282 (weekdays, 10am − midnight). have failed to do — she gives him a
From the very first, we see a contagion of conscience, and a soul. She makes him
violence pass from Raul, to Marjorie, to see himself from the other end of the knife.
The Sexual Assault Care Centre at AWARE provides free, safe Terry, to Patricia. It grows in the language She makes him face himself. That is the
and confidential services to those who have experienced sexual and in the action like a germ culture. beginning of change...
The monster in all of us is just under the
assault and sexual harassment, helping them deal with their
skin. Scratch the skin deep enough and it
experiences and make decisions about their next steps with comes leaping out full-blown. In order to William Mastrosimone
case managers, counsellors, lawyers, and befrienders. survive Raul, Marjorie has to become like Playwright of Extremities
More info at sacc.aware.org.sg. Raul. To do that is to lose herself.
 D i rec t o r ’s C re d i t s
Note
Marjorie Hau Guei Sze (Zizi)
Raul Lakshmana KP
Terry Caroline Chin
Patricia Pooja Mohanraj

Playwright William Mastrosimone

Though written nearly 40 years or violence to subdue a woman
Director Aarne Neeme
ago, Extremities feels very relevant into fulfilling his fantasies of sexual
Lighting and Set Designer Dorothy Png
today, given the rise of the Me Too dominance is morally indefensible.
movement; the recent controversy Even to harass or molest women as Sound Effects Designer Marilyn Chew
regarding the appointment of the sexual prey is a pathetic substitute for Makeup Consultant Amber Lim
U.S. Supreme Court Judge; the making a mutual connection. Voice Coach Simon Stollery
recipients of the 2018 Nobel Peace Choreography and Movement Coach Lim Chin Huat
Virginia Woolf wrote in 1929, “It is
Prize; and even here in Singapore, the Production Manager Natalie Lim
obvious that the values of women
appearance of large anti-molestation Stage Manager Marilyn Chew
differ very often from the values which
posters at MRT stations.
have been made by the other sex ... it
Special Thanks Prajith K Prasad, R Remith,
Man’s fragile ego needs to be is the masculine values that prevail.”
Ulrich Meyer-Horsch and
supported by demeaning the “other”, Little has changed, and women still
in terms of either sex, race, status tend to be treated as the less credible. Ralf Rauker
or religion. Most abhorrent is the Female characters as far back as
treatment of women as chattels, sex Classic Greek times, such as Medea
objects and second class citizens, and and Clytemnestra, have had to resort
not according them equal humanity. to brutal reprisals for their lack of
Further dismissing them as less receiving justice. Without righteous Place: The living room of an old farmhouse
intelligent, too emotional, illogical arbitration, violence begets violence.
and immature. Of course there are Time: Autumn, 1980
A commonplace observation states
differences between the sexes, some
that all human interactions are about Act I
less obvious than others, such as
sex, except sex, which is about Scene 1: Late morning
women placing a greater emphasis
power. Today the powerful are being Scene 2: Some time later
on the importance of relationships,
challenged to address the status Scene 3: Some time later
interpersonal communication,
quo, and grant gender equality and
interdependency and caring.
respect. Extremities is aimed at Act II
The act of love and courtship are empowering women and educating Scene 1: Following
rightly lauded as the means of men towards a greater understanding Scene 2: 15 minutes later
crossing the divide, and bringing and common good.
opposites together. But for a man There will be a 15 minute intermission between the Acts.
Aarne Neeme
to use alcohol, drugs, intimidation
Director of Extremities
 S z e
Ca r o l in eCh in Ha u G u e i
Zizi
Caroline is a performer and creator born Guei Sze (a.k.a. Zizi) from Kota Kinabalu
and raised in Singapore. She began in Sabah, Malaysia, found her passion for
acting through the Drama Elective theatre at the very first drama lesson she
courses during her secondary school received in secondary school. In 2013,
and junior college days, and in between, Zizi trained and performed under Pitapat
Theatre (Sabah). She then furthered her
found a passion for dance. Her time in
studies in Taiwan from 2014 to 2015 in
ITI has also allowed her to rekindle her
performance and theatre.
love for the violin.
Zizi has worked extensively with Pitapat
Caroline has been working both as an
Theatre, appearing in various productions
actor and dancer over the last few years, such as The Wanted (2013), An Enemy
and hopes to keep making work that of the People.At the Moment (2015
involves collaborations between different & 2016), Theatre in Kampung-Island
forms, cultures, languages, and of Shade (2016), and Kakak (2017). An
course, people. She also publishes her Enemy of the People.At the Moment
photography and poems on her website: toured to Damansara Performing Arts
carolinechin.photography Centre, Kuala Lumpur (2016). Kakak
was performed in Kuala Lumpur
The cohort of 2018, along with Alex Performing Arts Centre and Black Box
Beard from Western Australian Academy KK, Sabah, and later toured to Tua-Tiu-
of Performing Arts (WAAPA), have Tiann International Festival of Arts, Taipei
formed Jangama Collective, and will (2017). In 2018, Zizi’s performance in
continue touring and creating work in the Kakak won her an award for Best Actress
years to come. in a Leading Role at the 15th Asli Drama
Awards. In Singapore, she has performed
Email: [email protected]
in The Moonlit Smile at the Esplanade
Caroline is a recipient of the Moonfest (2016) and Speak Cryptic’s
ITI-William Teo Scholarship. The Tribe as part of Club Malam at SIFA
O.P.E.N. 2016.

After ITI, Zizi plans to continue her

practice, exploring the intricacies of voice
production and character work.

Zizi is a beneficiary of the Möbius Fund,

which provides loans for actor-students.

[email protected] [email protected]
La ks h ma na Lakshmana KP is an actor, director, writer
Po o ja o ha n ra j
M
Hailing from Kerala, Pooja is an actor,

KP
and teacher from Karnataka, India. He
director, translator, voice artist and theatre
graduated from Ninasam Theatre Institute
educator. Her theatre journey started at
in 2012 and has been travelling across
age 10 as a member of the children’s
India, working in various productions
theatre wing, Lokadharmi. Prior to ITI, she
with different theatre groups. He has
trained with G. Venu, David Zinder and
performed in Bharat Rang Mahotsav
Chandradasan, and attended workshops
and in Mahindra Excellence Theatre
by Richard Schechner and Alex Pinder.
Awards (META), both international theatre
festivals in Delhi. He has also taught in Pooja has worked with acclaimed
Adima Kolarand Rangayana Shimoga directors such as Chandradasan, Kumara
and repertory theatres in Karnataka. Varma and Neel Chaudhuri. Her major
Lakshmana has had the opportunity to productions include Egle and Cleopatra
work not just in professional theatre, but (a solo play), Andorra and Balcony. She
also in theatre-in-education with children directed her first play, Sorry Dad but
and young adults. I Have To, for the Collegiate Theatre
Festival for New German Writing by
In Singapore, he was in Chowk
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller in New Delhi.
Productions’ The Second Sunrise (2016),
She has collaborated on The Bowl Project
Pallavi in Time (2017) from: The Platform
with multidisciplinary artists from Korea
(2017) and Pallavi with Stillness (2018)
and The Eleven Project with French
as an actor, dancer, musician and
artists, and has also been a facilitator
technician.
for theatre-in-education programmes for
Lakshmana is also a published poet and schools in India. In Singapore, she has
an activist for marginalised people and performed in Pathey Nimidam, a Tamil
cultures of Indian society. theatre festival by Ravindran Drama
Group. Pooja holds a Masters in Theatre
Lakshmana is a recipient of a scholarship Arts from the School of Drama and Fine
sponsored by a private philanthropist and Arts, Thrissur.
a beneficiary of the Möbius Fund.
After ITI, Pooja hopes to create her
own theatre projects, get involved in
collaborative work, and work towards
using theatre as a tool for social change
through her new arts and cultural
organisation, Talir.

Pooja is a recipient of the ITI International

Scholarship and a beneficiary of the
Möbius Fund.
[email protected] [email protected]
Cast photos: Bernie Ng
 Creative Team
William Mastrosimone Bang Bang You’re Dead and was nominated
Playwright for a Primetime Emmy for Into the West and
William Mastrosimone is an American The Burning Season.
playwright and screenwriter from Trenton,
New Jersey. He attended high school at The Aarne Neeme
Pennington School and received a graduate Director
degree in playwriting from Mason Gross Aarne Neeme has been in the theatre and film
School of the Arts, a part of Rutgers University. profession since the 1960s as a director and
academic. He has taught at various leading Newcastle and Canberra, he was most notably Spellbound – Kit Chan Concert 2015
His plays include The Woolgatherer,
tertiary institutions over the past forty years in conferred the Order of Australia Award in the (at The Star).
Extremities, Shivaree and Cat’s Paw. He also
Australia (Head of Department of Theatre at Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2013.
wrote Bang Bang You’re Dead, A Stone Carver, Set design is her secondary field, and she
The Afghan Women and Nanawatai, upon the Western Australian Academy of Performing
Dorothy Png does that as and when the occasion calls for it.
which the film The Beast is based. Arts) and Singapore (Senior Fellow at the
Lighting and Set Designer Her most recent set designs this year were for
National University of Singapore). He has
Two other plays are Sleepwalk, a story A lighting designer by profession since 1994, Wings of Resonnance at Victoria Theatre and
also previously held the positions of Artistic
focusing on the traumas of modern teenage Dorothy is a highly experienced and much Garden.Uprooted (a collaboration between The
Director of National Theatre Company Perth,
life, and Dirty Business, a play about a party sought-after designer for most of Singapore’s Philharmonic Orchestra and dance company
Hunter Valley Theatre Company and Hole in
girl caught between the mafia and the newly theatre companies. She also collaborates with Arts Fission) at Esplanade Theatre.
the Wall Theatre Company. Since 2001, Aarne
elected President of the United States. His independent artists for their own performances
has worked in television, directing drama Marilyn Chew
screenwriting credits include Into the West with a passion for creative experimentation.
series such as Blue Heelers and Neighbours. Sound Effects Designer, Stage Manager
and the adaptation of his play Extremities. Her range of work spans across theatre,
A recipient of various awards in Sydney, Perth, A final-year student at NUS, Marilyn juggles
He won a Daytime Emmy Award for contemporary dance, ballet, opera, musical,
site-specific works, outdoor productions and her undergraduate and stage management
music concerts. duties. She has been working since 2016, and
her past credits as stage manager include:
Some of her favourite past lighting designs The Old Woman & the Ox, A Double Bill:
are: Wings of Resonnance (a traditional flute Lemmings & The Wedding Pig (The Second
music performance, 2018), L’Elisir d’Amore Breakfast Company) and NUS Arts Festival
(Singapore Lyric Opera, 2017), Farewell: The 2018: Titian Naluri (NUS Ilsa Tari/Malay
Body in 16 Chapters (by Drama Box for Macao Dance). Marilyn was also the assistant stage
Arts Festival 2013), Language Of Their Own manager for 13.13.13 (TheatreWorks) and
《男男自语》(for Singapore Arts Festival Leakage(s) & Anticoagulants (Intercultural
2012), The Ma(r)king of Nanjing: 1937 (by Theatre Institute). After she graduates in May
Nelson Chia), RAW: Empty.Interval 2019, Marilyn will further pursue her career in
(a collaboration amongst good friends Lee stage management. She may be contacted for
Yongwei, Lim Chin Huat and Julius Foo), projects at [email protected].
 About ITI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr Arun Mahizhnan (Chairman)
Special Research Advisor, Institute of Policy Studies
Dr Kwok Kian Woon
Associate Provost (Student Life), Nanyang Technological University
Mr Chew Kheng Chuan
Independent consultant in philanthropy
Mr Tan Tarn How
Playwright; Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies
Ms Winifred Loh
Director, LeadForte Consulting

ACADEMIC BOARD 2017–2020

Prof Erik Ehn
Playwright and Director, USA
Prof Phillip B. Zarrilli
Artistic Director, The Llanarth Group; Research Fellow, IRC, Freie Universität, Berlin;
Professor Emeritus, Drama Department, University of Exeter, UK
Dr Quah Sy Ren
Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Dr Frances Barbe
Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), based in Singapore, is a three-year, practice- Senior Lecturer & Course Coordinator — Bachelor of Performing Arts,
based, professional actor training programme founded on a rigorous, intercultural Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
learning methodology with a view to producing original, contemporary theatre.
The school began as the Theatre Training & Research Programme (TTRP), founded in 2000 by renowned EXAMINATION BOARD 2017–2020
dramatist, Kuo Pao Kun (1939–2002), and current Director, T. Sasitharan – both Cultural Medallion recipients. Mr Aarne Neeme, AM (Order of Australia)
It is shaped by Kuo Pao Kun’s vision of intercultural learning that draws from a matrix of traditional theatre Director and educator
systems and modern theatre-making. Dr Paul Rae
Associate Professor in Theatre Studies, School of Culture and Communication,
ITI’s distinguished alumni include Peter Sau, recipient of the 2011 Young Artist Award and the Life! Theatre
University of Melbourne
Awards; Yeo Yann Yann, winner of the 2013 “Best Supporting Actress” Award for her role in Ilo Ilo at the
Golden Horse Awards, the Vladivostok International Film Festival, and the Asia-Pacific Film Festival; Felimon Mr Noushad Mohamed Kunju
Blanco, recipient of the 2013 Most Outstanding Zambosurian Award (Philippines); and Sankar Venkateswaran, Director, actor and educator;
Associate Professor, Department of Theatre Arts,
recipient of the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskar (India) presented, to young, contemporary artists for
Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad
outstanding achievements.
Mr Peter Sau
Director, actor and educator;
Theatre faculty, School of the Arts, Singapore
Mr Nelson Chia
ITI is a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Company Grant for the period from 01/04/18 to 31/03/21 Artistic Director, Nine Years Theatre, Singapore
UEN Charity/CPE No: 200818680E  |  CPE Registration Period 13/7/16 to 12/07/20
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GRADUATION PRODUCTIONS 2014–2016 GRADUATION PRODUCTIONS 2017–2019

BaSeD on FyoDor DoStoyevSky’S

Crime and Punishment

eakage(s)
&
nticoagulants

7–9 Sep 2017

DraMa Centre BlaCk Box

Written by DaviD Gaitán

DirecteD by alberto ruiz lopez
enGlish translation by Julián Mesri

2019 Cohort 2019 Cohort

Show #1 TBA Show #2 TBA 2019 Cohort
Show #3 TBA
Directed by Directed by
Ang Gey Pin Koh Wan Ching Directed by
Phillip Zarrilli
14 – 16 Mar 5 – 7 Sep
Drama Centre Drama Centre TBA
Black Box Black Box
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~ Denise Mordeno Aguilar ‘14

Peter Sau (‘03, Singapore) is the Sankar Venkateswaran (‘06, Denise Mordeno Aguilar (‘14,
founder of Project Tandem, a training India) is the founder and artistic Philippines) is a theatre practitioner
programme for disabled performing director of Theatre Roots & Wings. and educator. She is the recipient
artists. He is also the associate He has set up a cultural space in of the Lambago Art Award 2016,
director and cast member of And Attappady, Kerala, where he works in recognition of her outstanding
Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore with the impoverished indigenous work as a theatre artist and her
‘d’ Monologues, the first disability-led communities. Sankar is a recipient of invaluable contribution to the
theatre project created between the UK the International Ibsen Scholarship development of arts and culture in
and Singapore. Peter is a theatre faculty 2013 and Aditya Vikram Birla Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.
member at School of the Arts (SOTA). Kalakiran Puraskar 2016.