Articles Archive

The 8th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards — Results!

By Kakiseni dance BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE Prize of RM1,000 ASWARA Dancers for “Tapak 4” in Jamu 2009 – 2; choreographed

Azwan Ismail
April 18, 2010

The 7th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards — Results!

By Kakiseni dance BEST FEATURED PERFORMER Prize of RM1,000 Suhaili Ahmad Kamil for “2=1” in Jamu 2008; choreographed by Suhaili

Azwan Ismail
May 3, 2009

The 7th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards Nominees

By Kakiseni dance BEST FEATURED PERFORMER Prize of RM1,000 Chew Zi Xin for The Nutcracker; choreographed by Steve Goh, presented

Azwan Ismail
February 10, 2009

Abdul Multhalib Musa: Travelling with Moving

By Eva McGovern Stillness. Stasis. Movement. Action. Sitting in traffic on the way to Wei Ling Gallery to see Abdul

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2008

Big Art and Little People

By Rachel Jenagaratnam Some confessions ought to start this piece off nicely: First, when asked to review Multhalib Musa’s recent

Azwan Ismail
July 17, 2008

Of Boys and Breath Mints

By Yasmin Zetti Martin What kind of school has toughening-up camps that they force their “effeminate” students to attend? The

Azwan Ismail
July 11, 2008

The 60 Second Plug: HSBC Young Composers Workshop 2008

By Yasmin Zetti Martin A few months ago, there was a call for submissions for anyone under the age of

Azwan Ismail
July 2, 2008

Shirley Lim’s Layered Confection

By Grace Ng A daughter rapes and kills her father. This was how I first came to know Shirley Lim

Azwan Ismail
July 2, 2008

The 60 Second Plug: “Air Con”

By Yasmin Zetti Martin A school. A dead body. A scandal… “Biasalah asrama.” Award-winning singer-songwriter Shanon Shah’s first full-length play,

Azwan Ismail
June 23, 2008

Loi Chin Yu Answers His Calling

By Dr. Wong Oi Min My Calling My Act, My Stage is being marked as a return to the stage

Azwan Ismail
June 5, 2008

Zaitun Mohamed Kasim: 1966 – 2008

By Kakiseni Some years ago, Time magazine ran a cover story asking, “Do the good die young?” It’s what comes

Azwan Ismail
June 4, 2008

New Mall, Old School: The Pavilion and the Demolition of BBGS

By Gabrielle Low Away from the broken sidewalk and wristwatch peddlers just a little further up Jalan Bukit Bintang, Pavilion

Azwan Ismail
May 15, 2008

The 60 Second Plug: “The Annexe Collision Weekend”

By Yasmin Zetti Martin Pang Khee Teik, writer, photographer, program director at The Annexe, and former editor of Kakiseni takes

Azwan Ismail
May 2, 2008

The Virtues of Sin

By Gabrielle Low In Bernice Chauly’s small but substantial collection of poetry and prose, The Book of Sins, words indeed

Azwan Ismail
March 19, 2008

Lloyd Fernando, 1926 – 2008

By Ann Lee For any history of Malaysian literature, it is remiss not to consider the pioneering work of Lloyd

Azwan Ismail
February 29, 2008

Looking Backwards

By Helen Musa Recent coverage in Kakiseni about the phenomenon of censorship in private sector Malaysian arts may seem like

Azwan Ismail
February 21, 2008

Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis”

By Kathy Rowland Persepolis is based on the best-selling graphic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi. Directed by

Azwan Ismail
February 14, 2008

Mega Art on Discount

By Daniel Chong If you were told that a grandmaster of 20th century modern art from France is exhibiting in

Azwan Ismail
February 6, 2008

Hans Issac’s “Cuci”

By Benjamin McKay The directorial debut by leading actor Hans Isaac is more impressive than I had anticipated. For all

Azwan Ismail
February 5, 2008

A Space For The Other

By Veronica Shunmugam The regular gallery visitor setting foot in Galeri Petronas today will be, first of all, roused into

Azwan Ismail
January 29, 2008

KSFM’s “Malaysian Shorts”

By Benjamin McKay Monday evening’s screening of recent Malaysian short films largely confirmed the talent and richness to be found

Azwan Ismail
January 24, 2008

The Year The Arts Showed The Way (Part II)

By Veronica Shunmugam In last week’s part of what the arts meant to 2007, I looked at what the arts

Azwan Ismail
January 18, 2008

Tembak: Mark Tan’s “Jarum Halus”

By Benjamin McKay For a debut feature film, Mark Tan’s “Jarum Halus” proves to be both bold and audacious. With

Azwan Ismail
January 9, 2008

Tembak Shots: “WOMAD Singapore’s 10th Anniversary”

By Bernice Chauly My first WOMAD experience in Toronto, Canada in 1988 was a seminal experience – having hitch-hiked from

Azwan Ismail
January 4, 2008

Size Does Matter

By Andrew Hwang Two thousand and seven, for a businessman and arts collector like myself, was noteworthy arts-wise because of

Azwan Ismail
December 31, 2007

More Than Just Another Music Festival

By James Lochhead Two years ago, I wrote a gushing review of the 2nd Penang Island Jazz Festival (PIJF). Sitting

Azwan Ismail
December 27, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: KLPac’s “Aladdin – the Pantomime”

By Juliet Jacobs She’s done ‘Sepi’ and ‘Fawzia’ and even parodied some Broadway ditties in between. Now Doreen Tang takes

Azwan Ismail
December 20, 2007

Success At First Bloom

By Benjamin McKay It takes great skill to make a film about the emotional and material deprivation of young children

Azwan Ismail
December 19, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: ASWARA’S “Asyik”

By Juliet Jacobs Besides guiding, training and inspiring young minds towards greater things, the lovely folks at ASWARA have also

Azwan Ismail
December 13, 2007

What’s That Smell?

By Zedeck Siew The shop-lot in Taman Tun Dr Ismail that the theatre companies Dramalab and Five Arts Centre share

Azwan Ismail
December 5, 2007

Tembak: Low Yi Chin & Chong Kim Chiew’s “A White House and A Temporary Road”

By Zedeck Siew A red Chinese box-altar stands on one of The Annexe Gallery’s upper levels; its idol, a cross-legged

Azwan Ismail
November 11, 2007

Tembak Shots: “LAMU: Performance art by Donna Miranda”

By Kakiseni When Filipina choreographer Donna Miranda of the Quezon City arts group Green Papaya Art projects first came to

Azwan Ismail
October 25, 2007

Playing Catch Up

By Kathy Rowland Malaysia has a long history of conflicts over arts and culture, pitting artists against the Japanese during

Azwan Ismail
October 5, 2007

Bad Theology Leads to Bad Morality

By Aloysious Augustine Mowe An image deemed insulting to a prophet is printed in a newspaper. Religious leaders express their

Azwan Ismail
September 14, 2007

Halcyon Days

By Zedeck Siew Things began in 1975: the world’s first home computers were made available to the public; American Congress

Azwan Ismail
September 7, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: KLPac’s “4.48 Psychosis”

By Juliet Jacobs Director/actor/writer Gavin Yap tells us about his initial meeting and subsequent relationship with playwright Sarah Kane’s works,

Azwan Ismail
September 5, 2007

Every Frog Has Its Day

By Amir Hafizi Urgh. For some reason, when the arts community decides to embark on a production that have frogs

Azwan Ismail
August 27, 2007

Malaysia at First Sight

By Gina Fairley “Selamat Datang ke Malaysia” is a cultural expo of sorts … on one hand playing off the

Azwan Ismail
August 20, 2007

The Dreaming

By Benjamin McKay As part of the year-long My.Oz festivities (that celebrate 50 years of friendship between Malaysia and Australia),

Azwan Ismail
August 14, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Teater Ekamatra’s “Madu II”

By Zedeck Siew Fast becoming Singapore’s most important playwright, the strength of Alfian Sa’at oeuvre lies in the wit and

Azwan Ismail
August 8, 2007

The Business of Theatre

By Jenny Daneels In reply to critical comments in an article we published last year on the Kuala Lumpur Performing

Azwan Ismail
August 6, 2007

Tembak: Instant Café Theatre’s Adaptation Masterclass

By Zedeck Siew “I believe we never stop learning,” said actor Anne James, sitting down at a long table. She

Azwan Ismail
August 2, 2007

Sit Down and Talk

By Adeline Ooi Held once every five years in Kassel, Germany, documenta – the Hundred Day Museum is a post-war

Azwan Ismail
July 27, 2007

More Than a Festival

By Antares It gets harder and harder to review the Rainforest World Music Festival without sounding like someone who’s had

Azwan Ismail
July 25, 2007

The Politics of Muslim Clothing in Indonesia

By Nuraini Juliastuti Jilbab versus Schools This article is about the dynamics of jilbab conflicting with the social, political, and

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Philippine Art Across the Islands: Luzon

By Marilyn R. Canta In 2002 and 2003, I essayed “preliminary assessments” of writing on art from different Philippine regions.

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Between Revolution Stronghold and Laboratory of the West: Political Positions in Indonesian Fine Art in the 1950s

By Antariksa Yogyakarta was Java’s principal art centre during the 1950s. According to Claire Holt’s “Art in Indonesia” (1968), there

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Philippine Art Across the Islands: Mindanao

By Chris Rollo When the Zamboanga del Norte Federation of Visual Artists (ZANFEVA), a confederation of four art groups in

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Investigating Circulations: The Folly of [Art] Bottom-lines and Number-crunching

By Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez The relatively cent ruckus over how the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) figures indicate that Filipinos still

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Philippine Art Across the Islands: Visayas

By Estela Ocampo-Fernandez & Raymund L. Fernandez The cursory view of the raw data would seem a bit depressing. Outside

Azwan Ismail
July 18, 2007

Wayang Nakal

By Zedeck Siew At a crucial point in “Dua, Tiga Dalang Berlari”, an informal-by-form check-up on Wayang Kulit, performer Wong

Azwan Ismail
July 8, 2007

Regional Survey

By Fahmi Fadzil Regional Survey Jogjakarta, Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Dao: a diary of food, art, and lanterns

Azwan Ismail
June 22, 2007

Shadow Runners

By Tengku Amalia Over a year ago, my classmates and I watched a Wayang Kulit performance as part of our

Azwan Ismail
May 23, 2007

Strange Bedfellows

By Benjamin McKay Two very varied feature films opened recently, the first two parts of a planned trilogy on love

Azwan Ismail
May 22, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: KLPac’s “Within / Without”

By Juliet Jacobs Taking time off their rehearsal schedule, Lim How Ngean, Loh Kok Man and Reza Zainal Abidin discuss

Azwan Ismail
May 17, 2007

Tembak: Wed 9 – Wed 16, May 2007

By Kakiseni Opera Pinocchio Sat 12, May 2007 Once upon a time there was an old carpenter, Geppetto, who wanted

Azwan Ismail
May 16, 2007

Metaphors Be With You

By Antares The moment you start focusing your attention on them, metaphors wriggle right out of the woodwork, springing from

Azwan Ismail
May 14, 2007

Quiet Please

By Bernice Chauly One of the most intriguing guests at the 2nd Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival, held between March

Azwan Ismail
May 1, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: KL Ensemble’s “A Bucketful of Beckett: 8 Shots”

By Juliet Jacobs Kay Chin on knitting, remembering lines, and bizarre initiation rituals. ~ Tell us about yourself. I don’t

Azwan Ismail
April 26, 2007

Making Spirits

By Gabrielle Low A long, straight and well-paved road leads you into Pulau Carey. Along either side of the road

Azwan Ismail
April 13, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Nyoba-Kan’s “Curse of the Forbidden Palace”

By Juliet Jacobs Tell us about yourself. I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, and I’ve loved the creative

Azwan Ismail
April 5, 2007

Best Intentions

By Jess C I don’t pretend to be an opera buff, but I have seen enough productions to know what

Azwan Ismail
March 30, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: KLPac’s “The Magic Flute”

By Juliet Jacobs Shamelessly blow your trumpet, and tell us about yourself. I studied at the Trinity College of Music,

Azwan Ismail
March 21, 2007

The Red Army on the Russian Steppes

By Antares Since returning from England in the late 1980s, Kam Raslan has carved a niche for himself as a

Azwan Ismail
March 15, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Balletbase’s “Take Flight”

By Juliet Jacobs Tell us a bit about yourself. In 1997, I went off to Harvard for four years, where

Azwan Ismail
March 14, 2007

Tembak: Wed 28, Feb – Wed 7, Mar 2007

By Kakiseni Kg Berembang Mon 5, Mar 2007 Kg Berembang was a place I knew about only because its children

Azwan Ismail
March 9, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Monti and Logi’s “Indian Stories, Chinese Tales”

By Juliet Jacobs Tell the world about Fong Muntoh, AKA Monti. I am from the land of many virgins: Ipoh.

Azwan Ismail
March 8, 2007

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Profile: Shahnon Ahmad

By Loo Jia Wen “I have a bit of a split personality,” says Shahnon Ahmad (January 13th, 1933; full name:

Azwan Ismail
March 2, 2007

Death and Tears

By J-Teoh Fancy costumes and hoity-toity language do not generally agree with me in the theatre, so it was with

Azwan Ismail
March 1, 2007

Mengalih Punggung

By Zedeck Siew Tell us about yourself. Did you, like any other good middle-class child, have to pick up a

Azwan Ismail
February 28, 2007

Press Statement on the banning of “Apa Khabar Orang Kampung”

By Artis Pro Activ (APA) Artis Pro Activ (APA) unreservedly condemns the Malaysian Film Censorship Unit’s decision to ban director

Azwan Ismail
February 22, 2007

What Is My Culture

By Tan Sooi Beng Cultural identity formation and national belonging in the contemporary age is complex. Most Chinese who are

Azwan Ismail
February 15, 2007

Rabbits’ Eyes and Seascapes

By Gabrielle Low On January 28th, 2007, the art world’s luminaries and big-spenders converged on the Kuang estate of the

Azwan Ismail
February 7, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Ahmad Fuad’s “Dislocated”

By Juliet Jacobs Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born 38 years ago in Baling, Kedah. I graduated

Azwan Ismail
January 29, 2007

Other Than Angkor – Pt. 2

By Gabrielle Low Among the lesser-known temples at Angkor is a pyramidal mass of hewn stone blocks called Baphuon, completed

Azwan Ismail
January 25, 2007

Other Than Angkor – Pt. 1

By Gabrielle Low ‘Stung Treng 216 km’ flashed on the blue signboard as our bus sped along the highway. I

Azwan Ismail
January 17, 2007

The 60 Second Plug: Tourniquet Production’s “Okiku”

By Juliet Jacobs Okiku is based on a story from Japanese folklore. Tell us more about the conceptualization and story.

Azwan Ismail
January 16, 2007

Enjoy the Silence

By Shanon Shah The semi-autobiographical domestic drama by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter, Betrayal (staged at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts

Azwan Ismail
January 16, 2007

Polymathic Spree

By Benjamin McKay A celebrated photographer, filmmaker, writer, and actor (for stage and screen), multi-talented Bernice Chauly is also an

Azwan Ismail
January 10, 2007

Be Heard

By Sonia Randhawa In 2001, a group of young Malaysians set up a project to help their fellow citizens rediscover

Azwan Ismail
December 21, 2006

Telltale Lovebites

By Benjamin McKay It has been an important year for independent Malaysian cinema. Triumph on the international festival circuit, success

Azwan Ismail
December 20, 2006

Roti Bakar With Planta

By Lucy Friedland I don’t bother with film shorts in the States. I think of American shorts as a training

Azwan Ismail
December 20, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: Lapar Lab’s “Five Alone”

By Juliet Jacobs Tell us a bit about Five Alone — how was it conceptualised? What can the audience expect?

Azwan Ismail
December 19, 2006

Ladies and Gentlemen

By Juliet Jacobs and Zalina Lee He’s practically done it all: the West End (Miss Saigon, Rent), Hollywood (Anna &

Azwan Ismail
December 13, 2006

X Marks the G-Spot

By Ann Lee When can you call yourself a playwright? After a three-act play? After one or two drinks? When

Azwan Ismail
December 13, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: Integrated Expressions’ “Little Mission Impossible”

By Juliet Jacobs Little Mission Impossible: should we Expect the Impossible? Tell us more about the musical. Little Mission Impossible

Azwan Ismail
December 12, 2006

Bootlegging

By Benjamin McKay It would take a very hard-hearted person to not admire the gumption of Khairil M Bahar, who

Azwan Ismail
December 5, 2006

Crossing the River

By Benjamin McKay An emerging visual artist whose work has been exhibited both in Malaysia and abroad, Yap Sau Bin

Azwan Ismail
November 30, 2006

Anugerah Seni Negara

By Juliet Jacobs and Kathy Rowland While most people spent Sunday evening huddled at home, awed by the almighty storm

Azwan Ismail
November 23, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: Sankai Juku’s “Hibiki”

By Juliet Jacobs Hibiki is described as a work of “unparalleled simplicity and poetic beauty”. What can you tell us

Azwan Ismail
November 21, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: PingStage’s Theatre Carnival — Monodrama 2006

By Juliet Jacobs ‘Three girls in a play’ is your tagline for the event — sounds naughty. Tell us more!

Azwan Ismail
November 20, 2006

Stiff Monster

By Amir Hafizi Watching the KLPac production of Frankenstein in Love, I was somehow reminded of a play I saw

Azwan Ismail
November 9, 2006

Stop the Sledgehammers

By Farish A Noor A nation is as rich as its geography; and geography is enriched when it is over-determined.

Azwan Ismail
November 2, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: The DFP’s KL BBC Proms 2

By Zedeck Siew Tell us about yourself. What inspired you to pick up the baton? The sound of the large

Azwan Ismail
October 30, 2006

Pasar Ramadan

By Toni Kasim Walking into a Ramadan evening bazaar with a rumbling tummy is almost masochistic. Here you are at

Azwan Ismail
October 25, 2006

The Funky Guru

By Matt Armitage Finding out about international acts performing live in Malaysia can be a bit like playing with the

Azwan Ismail
October 24, 2006

Shining Through The Rain

By Benjamin McKay Some filmmakers use film as a tool to tell narratives and build worlds. Other filmmakers, a rare

Azwan Ismail
October 24, 2006

Free To Speak

By Kee Thuan Chye Let’s start with a number of disclaimers: first, I’m writing as an individual and not as

Azwan Ismail
October 19, 2006

Why Care?

By Lainie Yeoh Should I be afraid to point a camera at something if it’s wrong? A few nights ago,

Azwan Ismail
October 19, 2006

Lepidopterists – the Musical

By Jess C Those who are familiar with classical Chinese literature will have heard of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai,

Azwan Ismail
October 17, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: The ComeBackKings’ “Free Flow”

By Zedeck Siew Why the ComeBackKings? The first time we performed we were just a bunch of seniors in Taylor’s

Azwan Ismail
October 16, 2006

Pak Saari Abdullah, 1952 – 2006

By Prof Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof I first met Saari when, in early February 1975, I started research work for a proposed

Azwan Ismail
October 12, 2006

Listening to Pomeloes

By CH Loh What do the films Lelaki Komunis Terakhir and Gubra have in common? Obvious answer: they were both

Azwan Ismail
October 11, 2006

Drawing Water

By Gabrielle Low An Indonesian artist once pointed out to me the pervasiveness of visual clichés. He said that Indonesian

Azwan Ismail
October 11, 2006

Assembling Performance Virgins

By Zedeck Siew Recently we called on Thailand to ask about the coup. From a condo on the Gulf, by

Azwan Ismail
October 4, 2006

Race and Place

By Benjamin McKay One should applaud the release of another Malaysian independent feature on local screens – on that count,

Azwan Ismail
October 3, 2006

Jack Nathan, 1965 – 2006

By Rafil Elyas Kumaresvara (Jack) Nathan, 360° Head Rotation co-founder, musical collaborator, and my very dear friend of almost 15

Azwan Ismail
October 3, 2006

Pillage the Village

By Amir Hafizi The programme leaflet for Anak Bulan Di Kampong Wa’ Hassan, staged recently at KLPac, has a sort

Azwan Ismail
September 27, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: Francesca Beard’s “Chinese Whispers”

By Pang Khee Teik and Zedeck Siew Who is this ‘Beard’ that gave you your last name? Did you have

Azwan Ismail
September 24, 2006

Hiking Out of Ipoh

By Benjamin McKay Coming of age stories, especially those that take us on a physical journey, can be problematic films

Azwan Ismail
September 21, 2006

Domestic Stress Test

By Zedeck Siew At the door to Laut Lebih Indah Dari Bulan, which ran between September 7 – 10 at

Azwan Ismail
September 20, 2006

Questioning Mark

By Benjamin McKay In an attempt to uncover the mysteries of creative practice in Malaysia, and discern what makes Malaysian

Azwan Ismail
September 14, 2006

The 60 Second Plug: The Shape of Things

By Juliet Jacobs Shed some light on the play for us Well, it’s about art and how far a person

Azwan Ismail
September 7, 2006

Sejarah Masa Depan

By Saifullizan Tahir Majlis pelancaran buku From Majapahit to Putrajaya –– yang mana saya terlewat dan bila sampai majlis sudahpun

Azwan Ismail
September 7, 2006

Street Smart Heritage

By Zedeck Siew The entrance to Khoo Kongsi, perhaps one of Penang’s most iconic locations, is a porte cochère that

Azwan Ismail
September 6, 2006

The Freedom to Worry

By Zedeck Siew I have been worried that my teeth are falling out. It has been six months since my

Azwan Ismail
August 24, 2006

The Freedom of Limits

By Jac SM Kee We exercise our freedoms in modest amounts. Selecting carefully which brand we prefer, what newspapers to

Azwan Ismail
August 24, 2006

The Scenic Bridge of Ipoh

By Nigel Skelchy There is always that moment of trepidation when a curtain rises on a musical for the first

Azwan Ismail
August 24, 2006

Bohemian Academy

By CH Loh Long long ago in a galaxy far far away there was a land whose people enjoyed a

Azwan Ismail
August 24, 2006

Baggage Check

By Amir Hafizi Break-ing (Ji Po) Ka Si Pe Cah, at first glance, looks like an ‘Osman, Mutusamy, Lai Kok

Azwan Ismail
August 22, 2006

The Freedom to Remember

By Benjamin McKay In remembering the late Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin, former chairman of Petronas and well respected public

Azwan Ismail
August 18, 2006

The Freedom to Justice

By Sonia Randhawa The Federal Constitution establishes and protects the Judiciary. In turn, the Judiciary’s main task is to protect

Azwan Ismail
August 18, 2006

Music Has The Right to Children

By Zalina Lee I was sent for the opening ceremony of the 27th International Society of Music Educators (ISME) World

Azwan Ismail
August 18, 2006

Who’s Afraid of Harmony Street?

By Concerned Citizens There is a street in Georgetown, Penang that has been affectionately dubbed “The Street of Harmony”. Once

Azwan Ismail
August 11, 2006

Dream Merchants

By Sonia Randhawa Inter-ethnic understanding is a high priority for many groups, and National Service doesn’t really seem to be

Azwan Ismail
August 11, 2006

Jeri Azhari, 1955-2006

By Nur Hanim Khairuddin Ahmad Azhari bin Mohd Nor atau lebih sinonim dengan panggilan Jeri telah berhijrah ke alam serba

Azwan Ismail
August 9, 2006

Life is Beautiful

By CH Loh Twenty years ago in a small basement room in a school in Singapore there was a piano,

Azwan Ismail
August 3, 2006

The National DNA

By Hazri Haili One morning in July, giddy with expectations of travelling with a busload of tourists all geared up

Azwan Ismail
August 3, 2006

You Must Go On

By Philip Koh This double review first appeared in Sunday Star, Aug 1998. Damned To Fame: The Life of Samuel

Azwan Ismail
August 2, 2006

Tidak Seniman Hilang di Dunia

By Yati Hj Kaprawi Melalui seni, U-Wei Haji Saari sentiasa meneroka alam pemikiran baru. Isu-isu dan sifat manusia yang kompleks

Azwan Ismail
July 27, 2006

Intimacy

By Jo Kukathas The following was first presented at Utih… Celebrating Krishen, 28 Apr 2006, at Sek San’s Gallery. It

Azwan Ismail
July 27, 2006

Congratulations, Dato’ Krishen Jit!

By Kakiseni So the Yang di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, on the occasion of his 84th birthday, handed out

Azwan Ismail
July 27, 2006

Bringing Chin Peng Home

By Sharaad Kuttan It is near impossible to write about Lelaki Komunis Terakhir without dealing with the immediate politics of

Azwan Ismail
July 20, 2006

Where have all the Commies Gone?

By Zedeck Siew After watching Amir Muhammad’s Lelaki Komunis Terakhir l remembered I had a copy of In Search of

Azwan Ismail
July 20, 2006

Rockin’ in the Free World

By Chuah Siew Eng Music as a tool of political consciousness doesn’t happen often enough — perhaps unsurprisingly for a

Azwan Ismail
July 12, 2006

Take The Lead – Choreography for non-choreographers: The dance of democracy

By Kathy Rowland Can I use the word “inscrutable” to describe an ethnic Chinese man without being accused of resorting to

Azwan Ismail
July 12, 2006

Il Diva

By Lisa Ho Most people know that an opera “ain’t over till the fat lady sings”. Originating from a reference

Azwan Ismail
July 4, 2006

Artistic Intifada

By CH Loh The Wall: Breaking point Representing the concrete wall being built to fence off the West Bank from

Azwan Ismail
July 4, 2006

Free Winnie

By Ruhayat X “Apa erti semua tadi tu?” kata makcik yang telah mencegatkan dirinya bertentangan dengan aku tu. “Saya… tak

Azwan Ismail
June 29, 2006

A Room with a View

By Zalina Lee Theatre diva and award-winning set designer Edwin Sumun is the interior decorator for the recently opened Top

Azwan Ismail
June 21, 2006

Alien Nations

By CH Loh We learn something new everyday. I for example learnt that the new politically correct term for foreign

Azwan Ismail
June 20, 2006

Unequal Partnership

By J-Teoh Are double bills the fashion nowadays? Directed by up-and-coming 20-year old director Goh Fung Shuan, Noise Performance House’s

Azwan Ismail
June 17, 2006

Talk Is Action

By Benjamin McKay There will be some among you who believe that talking about problems, about crises and about rights

Azwan Ismail
June 15, 2006

Talk Is Action

By Benjamin McKay There will be some among you who believe that talking about problems, about crises and about rights

Azwan Ismail
June 15, 2006

Janganlah Stress, It’s Only Cameronian

By Benjamin McKay These awards have in the past received criticism from some bitter and twisted quarters – allegations of

Azwan Ismail
May 11, 2006

No Higher Love

By J-Teoh Spending a Friday night out with two unmarried, middle-aged Englishmen who still live with their mothers is not

Azwan Ismail
May 7, 2006

Silencing the Lambs

By Benjamin McKay The media here of late have been reporting and commenting upon a number of issues to do

Azwan Ismail
May 5, 2006

The Awards FAQ

By Kakiseni As we go crazy dealing with the DBKL, the VVIP, and the scariest of them all, the RSVPs,

Azwan Ismail
May 5, 2006

Sedang Ingin Bercinta

By Remin Noir Apa sebenarnya berlaku pada petang panas terik hari sabtu 15 April yang lepas? Khabarnya terjadi satu peristiwa

Azwan Ismail
May 5, 2006

Undang-undang Pelukan

By Hishamuddin Rais Saya menimbulkan perkara nilai dan moral ini kerana pada minggu ini saya terus membaca berita tentang agenda

Azwan Ismail
April 28, 2006

Pent-up House

By Sherry Siebel Maybe far too many evenings spent captive watching fusty, antediluvian and embarrassingly démodé British Airways Playhouse productions

Azwan Ismail
April 25, 2006

Instant Latte Theatre

By Lainie Yeoh ROJAK! ended with a shower of empty Marlboro boxes, several successfully aimed at my head — and

Azwan Ismail
April 20, 2006

Imaginary Homeland

By Benjamin McKay “Sometimes I wonder if you guys realise how hard it is for the rest of us to

Azwan Ismail
April 14, 2006

The Umur of Innocence

By Ruhayat X Masa sekolah rendah dulu aku ramai member Cina, sebab parents aku for whatever reason lebih suka bergaul

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April 14, 2006

Where Muftis Fear to Tread

By Toni Kasim Gubra raises a whole pile of socio-religio issues — some may even consider it somewhat overburdened —

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April 14, 2006

Mall Art

By Zhin Teng I am not a good window shopper. And I do not regard mall-ing as a very culturally

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April 5, 2006

The Pied Piper of Penang

By J-Teoh The first question Janet Pillai asks me when she sees me is: “Have you finished your folio yet?”

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March 30, 2006

Putting the “Ha” Back in Harold Pinter

By Ruhayat X The Homecoming, typical of Harold Pinter’s plays, starts out innocently enough, with a normal domestic scene between

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March 29, 2006

Project Runaway

By Antares M! The Opera, staged at Istana Budaya from Thu 23 Mar to Sun 2 Apr 2006, is arguably

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March 28, 2006

THE 2005 NOMINEES!

By Kakiseni dance nominees BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE Prize of RM1,000 and Tumasek Pewter Trophy En-Body-Men, choreographed by Wei Jun, presented

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March 23, 2006

The Mild Mild West

By Benjamin McKay In a lovely article for the British press, Annie Proulx, the author of the short story that

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March 22, 2006

Saidah! the Phenomenon

By Jenny Daneels “Next time I say I want to do something like that , please bang me

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March 18, 2006

Protocol 101

By Gina Fairley Censorship is a contemporary issue. It is mitigated by a new set of protocols that we are

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March 15, 2006

Nomadic Dancers of Kuala Lumpur

By Joseph Gonzales The 2nd National Chinese Cultural Dance Competition organised by the Chinese Language Society of Malacca and Multi-Media

Azwan Ismail
March 15, 2006

Mak Yong: A Jihad

By Fahmi Fadzil Royat hilang berita nak timbul Timbul nak royat Seorang Raja sebuah negeri Seorang Raja sebuah menteri… A

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March 14, 2006

Bebas Dari Onani

By Hishamuddin Rais It is easier to dominate someone if they are unaware of being dominated. Colonised and colonisers both

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March 1, 2006

Cartoons

By Goenawan Mohamad Puffy face. Heavy eyebrows. Bushy moustache. Black turban inscribed with sacred words in Arabic calligraphy. More interesting

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March 1, 2006

Revenge of the Native

By Sharaad Kuttan I must admit that I am rather partial to academic conference even when held on home grounds

Azwan Ismail
March 1, 2006

Membutuhkan Tempat Tetap

By Nuraini Juliastuti “Sebenarnya aku tidak yakin, yang kita butuhkan itu sebenarnya

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February 21, 2006

The Princess who Went Up a Mountain and Came Down a Hit

By Shanon Shah Judging from the last two big budget Malaysian musicals I caught at Istana Budaya – Hang Li

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February 17, 2006

Exposing Artists

By Gina Fairley On the 14th January, a crowd gathered at Sek San’s Lucky Garden, mustered by the alliterative mantra,

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February 16, 2006

Laptop Unplugged

By Matt Armitage When we heard that Lewis Pragasam was lining up a couple of Asiabeat shows (Fri 27 –

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February 12, 2006

Double Afdlin Burger

By Ruhayat X Don’t say I never do anything for you, ducklings. Sebagai khidmat sosial dari aku, here’s a quick

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February 9, 2006

Facilitator, Chill Thyself!

By Zedeck Siew Stella Maris, a mission school in Pudu that shares its premises with a chapel under restoration, found

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February 7, 2006

The Mat Salleh Speaks Malay

By Sherry Siebel Tiara Jacquelina has always wanted to play the immortal enchantress-princess of Mount Ophir, that most mystical creature

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February 7, 2006

Sarong Party Beruk

By Hishamuddin Rais Kehidupan dunia moden semakin mengasak kita. Mata kita akan terus dikelilingi oleh imej, gambar, ikon, logo atau

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February 6, 2006

Aunties In Agony

By Rebecca Duckett Penang playwright Mark Beau de Silva must have found his latest women characters from the Sunday market

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February 3, 2006

Gated Garden Variety

By Andrew Hwang Very few things romance the egalitarian Malaysian public as seductively as free gifts from public-listed companies. When

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January 25, 2006

Not In The Mood

By Jerome Kugan I have nothing against the Chinese. After all, I myself am half chink. But every now and

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January 18, 2006

Crawl, Wriggle, Squirm, Walk, Run, Jump!

By Revathi Murugappan “My mother told me I was very good at art, singing and dancing so she wanted me

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January 18, 2006

The Gospel of Rock

By Azmyl Yunor It was interesting to see if the Street Roar Independent Music Festival 2006 could be translated effectively

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January 17, 2006

“Kami Tak Minum Darah Kambing!”

By Rafil Elyas About two weeks before the cops hunted down satanic elements at Paul’s Place, I accepted this assignment

Azwan Ismail
January 16, 2006

Yang Berat Dan Yang Hitam

By Hishamuddin Rais Tahun 2005 berakhir dengan nota yang kurang menyenangkan. Apa yang saya maksudkan ini bukan kerana kegagalan bursa

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January 12, 2006

Black Mental Nation

By Pang Khee Teik Rafil Elyas, 39, engineer, builder of mathematical models and rock musician, wasn’t playing at the ill-fated

Azwan Ismail
January 11, 2006

Teater Saat Akhir

By Zulkifli Mohamad Saya menjadi Lipas Kudung selama 5 hari kerana nak menonton Teater Melayu. Apa tidaknya, ada tiga festival

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January 9, 2006

The Merlion Spouts

By Jerome Kugan Recently, I attended the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) as an invited writer. Objectivity is very much suspect

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December 30, 2005

RM309 Million And The Arts

By Fahmi Fadzil The latest edition of our federal government’s proposed annual budget was disclosed 30 Sep 2005. This time

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December 30, 2005

The Year of Tears

By Pang Khee Teik When we received the SMS that morning in April informing us that Krishen Jit was expected

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December 30, 2005

Playing With History

By Beverly Yong As children we are told the names of things – naming is one of the earliest tools

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December 29, 2005

The MPO Winter Collection

By Zalina Lee I spent the first two years of my marriage as a professional mall rat. And I’m here

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December 23, 2005

Majukanlah Rock Untuk Negara

By Nur Hanim Khairuddin Meski menyorot sekelumit dari sejarah sosio-hiburan silam yang berkecamuk dan tercerai-cerai, Rock membawa kita kembali menjengah

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December 23, 2005

Oh Baby, Baby, It’s A Wild World

By Jenny Daneels We thought that the Christmas season would be a good moment to review some children’s books made

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December 22, 2005

Enough Is Enough!

By Revathi Murugappan We’ve heard it before (and will continue to hear it). Man fed up with world full of

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December 21, 2005

Fun on the Night Shift

By Lydia Chai Chapter 1: Ikat Batu at Gudang – a warehouse tucked away in suburban Damansara Jaya – was

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December 15, 2005

Murder Most Foul (Can you smell the belacan?)

By Meng Yew Choong This is another whodunit for the big stage. Though it was presented to Singaporeans for the

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December 15, 2005

Our Funny Valentines

By Antares I don’t even like jazz, as a genre, but jazz virtuosos do generate a peculiar fascination. You have

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December 15, 2005

To Dye For

By Dr Zakaria Ali [This paper was first presented at “Batik Paintings – Public Talk by Dr. Zakaria Ali” organised

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December 15, 2005

Konfrontasi: With Ourselves

By Chuah Siew Eng “If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.” The significance of history, succinctly

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December 9, 2005

Beaches Brew

By James Lochhead Lying on the grass, staring up at the crescent moon, the sea breeze gently rustling, and then

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December 9, 2005

The Taste of Death

By Christina Orow We’ve all heard about the unusual delicacy that is the Shakespeare speech. Breaking through the initial layer

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December 7, 2005

Spongy Minds

By Yeah Jin Leng In the last 20 years, this country has seen the rise in the number of art

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December 2, 2005

Victory Against Satan

By Zedeck Siew I am sitting in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s main auditorium watching a band of Akademi Seni

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December 2, 2005

The Death of Art

By Carmen Nge Art for art’s sake died along Jalan Raja Laut the first Friday of Ramadhan this year. It

Azwan Ismail
December 1, 2005

The Undanced Heroes of Malaysia

By Kakiseni Two years ago, French human resource consultant Cyril Rayer took a sabbatical – to “leave the analytical approach

Azwan Ismail
November 24, 2005

Trust Me

By Ray Langenbach (Ir)reversible Déjà vu I used to spend weekend mornings in Singapore with a friend, Lee Weng Choy,

Azwan Ismail
November 17, 2005

Jit vs Afdlin

By Jit Murad & Afdlin Shauki Jit Murad: There’s a knife in my back Here’s another important Message to the

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November 17, 2005

Noise For The Ringtone Generation

By Azmyl Yunor Penang-born Goh Lee Kwang deserves his due credit in the “Malaysia Boleh” rhetoric; he has toured Europe

Azwan Ismail
November 17, 2005

Negara-who?

By Shanon Shah Music and sports. You gotta love the possible permutations of controversy that emerge when the two meet.

Azwan Ismail
November 17, 2005

Memoirs of a Banana

By Cheryl Tan “A Chinese Make Love Story.” What does that mean, exactly? The programme synopsis says the play “explores

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November 17, 2005

Kak Endon, 1940 – 2005

By Faridah Merican & Joe Hasham What can be written about Kak Endon that hasn’t already been read, digested and

Azwan Ismail
November 10, 2005

A Theatrical Bermuda Triangle

By Jeremy Mahadevan German playwright Falk Richter’s Electronic City is meant to be chaotic or, as the programme would have

Azwan Ismail
November 10, 2005

Who’s Shitting in My Backyard?

By Erick Chiew Bravery in Broga I stay in Puchong. Some time back, I was asked to sign a petition

Azwan Ismail
October 27, 2005

Hari-hari Mawi

By Zulkifli Mohamad Nama Mawi kian menjadi satu nama yang tidak asing lagi di dalam arena seni suara tanahair. Wajahnya

Azwan Ismail
October 27, 2005

Croatian Idol

By Lisa Ho Franz Liszt was classical piano’s first idol. He took the European musical world by storm in the

Azwan Ismail
October 25, 2005

Seluar Pendek Cina

By Ruhayat X Di taman permainan kau boleh kutip lebih banyak honesty daripada di mimbar dan pulpit. Selalunya orang paling

Azwan Ismail
October 20, 2005

My Fair Ah Lian

By Cheryl Tan On first impression, Pygmalion the musical seems larger than life. Just look at it, for goodness sake.

Azwan Ismail
October 20, 2005

Rise From The Ruins

By John McCarry It was a lovely evening (17 Sep 2005) in Kuala Lumpur – a bit steamy, but it

Azwan Ismail
October 19, 2005

The Goddess of Big Things

By Leah Ray Belly Tribe – don’t you love the name? – was staged at Velvet Underground, Zouk, one sweaty

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October 18, 2005

Don’t Cry For Me, Malaysia

By Maya Tan Abdullah What makes a Malaysian musical Malaysian? It’s written by a Malaysian even though it could be

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October 13, 2005

We Still Haven’t Found What We’re Looking For

By Revathi Murugappan Ever play a round of table tennis with your eyes? Yeah, that’s right, with your eyes. Audiences

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October 13, 2005

Ready To Reincarnate?

By Lee Jia Ping At the “Party With 12 Local Theatre Directors” which closed the PingStage Theatre Carnival (3 Sep

Azwan Ismail
October 13, 2005

Meet Me in the Metaverse

By Zedeck Siew Zedeck Siew the Kakiseni Scatterbot trawls the internet to find interesting art and culture beyond our shores,

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October 7, 2005

Too Many Apples, Not Enough Oranges

By Benjamin McKay The head of jury for the 50th Asia Pacific Film Festival, Datuk Johan Jaaffar of Malaysia, in

Azwan Ismail
October 6, 2005

Dalang Dollah Baju Merah, 1937 – 2005

By Fahmi Fadzil The first time I met arwah Pak Dollah Baju Merah was in February this year. It was

Azwan Ismail
October 6, 2005

Unsur-unsur Seram dan Semiotik

By Isham Rais Menonton filem ini seperti membaca buku. Kita perlu mengetahui nahu dan hukum-hukum filem untuk menikmati bentuk seni

Azwan Ismail
September 30, 2005

Swami Shanthanand Saraswathi, 1934 – 2005

By Shankar Kandasamy Swami Shanthanand Saraswathi came to Malaysia in 1970, and like all visiting Hindu monks, gave a series

Azwan Ismail
September 30, 2005

The Blistering Whoosh of Oblivion

By Dr. Zakaria Ali Artifacts are old things, often kept in the museums, cataloged, analyzed, debated, regularly served to illustrate

Azwan Ismail
September 29, 2005

Angin Kemarau

By Zulkifli Mohamad Muzium Islam mempunyai persepsi yang agak baik di kalangan pencinta seni tanahair. Kehadirannya di suatu tempat yang

Azwan Ismail
September 22, 2005

Happy Divorce Anniversary!

By Cyril Wong On a stage with only four scaffolding structures and two foldable screens, four actors come on to

Azwan Ismail
September 22, 2005

Whose Film Is It Anyway?

By Benjamin McKay The Fifth Asian Film Symposium and Inaugural Forum on Asian Cinema took place at Singapore’s Substation from

Azwan Ismail
September 21, 2005

The Idiot’s Guide to Natya

By Lee Jia Ping Until last weekend, classical Indian Dance was boring to my uneducated eyes and the music, too

Azwan Ismail
September 15, 2005

Melodies That Bring Back Memories

By Lisa Ho The new season of concerts by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) opened with a gala performance –

Azwan Ismail
September 15, 2005

A Night in the Life of Gavin Yap

By Kakiseni Paparazzi Despite the intense stage presence that he has, I must admit, it is a relief to watch

Azwan Ismail
September 9, 2005

Wanted: Higher Voltage

By Sharon Chin & Lydia Chai There is no denying the esprit de corps that arose during the five-day-long notthatbalai

Azwan Ismail
September 9, 2005

Of Space and 17,000 Islands

By Goenawan Mohamad “…a girdle of emeralds on the equator” – Multatuli (1820-1887) A metaphor may beguile, even as it

Azwan Ismail
September 9, 2005

Waiting for Kok Man

By Jerome Kugan Written in 1952, at a time when Europe was intellectually paralysed by World War Two, Les Chaises

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September 7, 2005

In Flying Spaghetti Monster We Trust

By Zedeck Siew Zedeck Siew the Kakiseni Scatterbot trawls the internet to find interesting art and culture beyond our shores,

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September 2, 2005

Plug and Play

By Gabrielle Low The first part in a series documenting young Malaysian artists and their work. Gan Siong King was

Azwan Ismail
September 2, 2005

Six Players in Search of a Piano

By Lisa Ho Statistics prove that there are more pianos in Malaysian households than there are OSIM massage-chairs. More people

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September 1, 2005

The Aw-Shucks Couple

By Jeremy Mahadevan If you go to the Kakiseni.com event listing for Romi and Joolee dan lain-lain and read the

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August 25, 2005

Why did the Chicken stay in the Middle of the Road?

By Caroline Marshall “Is it a hen?? Or is it a rooster??” What would YOU do if you find a

Azwan Ismail
August 25, 2005

Plagiarise This!

By Sonia Randhawa Borrowing is an important part of the creative process. Shakespeare’s genius was often shown in his interpretations

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August 24, 2005

“It’s OK to Undress Me”

By Gina Fairley Arahmaiani is a master at creating herself. She is a performance artist and her work is intended

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August 18, 2005

The Long And Winding Road

By Pia Zain & Simon Hegarty Pia: Athol Fugard is one of the great playwrights of our time. He has

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August 17, 2005

Girls Who Dig Balls

By Chuah Siew Eng Gol & Gincu is like an extended 3R episode. The girl-power slant is to be expected,

Azwan Ismail
August 16, 2005

Canto Bard

By Pia Zain & Simon Hegarty It was an experience and an education for us (Simon and Pia) who don’t

Azwan Ismail
August 16, 2005

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Adaptation

By Lim How Ngean Adaptation mania has hit Chinese-language theatre recently. Starting with the concurrent showings of Lee Swee Keong’s

Azwan Ismail
August 11, 2005

Dama Does Disney

By Chris Fui Dive bars, Alley Girls, brothels, and the soldiers that frequent them. China has had its dragon’s share

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August 11, 2005

I Can’t Dance

By Zedeck Siew “Ai, careful,” Mdm Surianty Liu says as I topple over. It is 11 on Sunday morning. She

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August 11, 2005

Matinya Seorang Petani

By Zulkifli Mohamad Sewaktu melangkah masuk ke Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, lampu panggung masih terang dan kita seperti dilindungi lelangit kayu

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August 4, 2005

Musique Anda

By Chan Siew Lian There is a certain coolness in being a female guitarist. It doesn’t matter if you’re any

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August 4, 2005

Vagabonds in Their Own Land

By Sonia Randhawa The first day of the Rainforest World Music Festival began with three choices for me. Attending the

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August 3, 2005

Violent Symphonies

By Lisa Ho Listening to Gustav Mahler’s 6th symphony (a.k.a. “Tragic”) performed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton

Azwan Ismail
July 28, 2005

Under Exposed

By Gina Fairley When setting out to review the inaugural Kuala Lumpur International Photography Biennale (KLip, 4 June – 9

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July 27, 2005

Too Many Awards, Not Enough Movies

By Kakiseni Paparazzi Talk about efficiency. For the entire first half of the 18th Malaysian Film Festival 2005 (FFM18) awards

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July 21, 2005

No Silk Purse

By Antares Titiwangsa is a nice lyrical sort of name. The Titiwangsa Range itself conjures a sense of adventure and

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July 19, 2005

Back to Africa

By Kakiseni Rey Buono chides me: “If you had told me you were going to do an interview about my

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July 19, 2005

Dematerialise Girl

By Shanon Shah Everyone knows this folklore, so there is no ending to be given away. On the day of

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July 14, 2005

Don’t Rain On My Painting

By Lydia Chai It was a very wet afternoon. Not the ideal time for a visit to the National Art

Azwan Ismail
July 13, 2005

Renewal – A Short Story

By KS Maniam All I had wanted to do after my retirement was sit in the patio – I had,

Azwan Ismail
July 13, 2005

Fine Young Communists

By Kam Raslan As the elderly leader of the now defunct Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) points out in his

Azwan Ismail
July 12, 2005

Mat Salleh and the Temple of Brown

By Benjamin McKay Getting Lost You may recall that two weeks ago I had the pleasure of reviewing Professor Madya

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July 6, 2005

Artists Without Borders

By Gina Fairley The idea of exchange is an interesting one in today’s world where technology, the internet, cheap air

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July 6, 2005

Waiting for the Next Generation

By Rogayah Shahariman Not being a dancer or choreographer herself, Rogayah Shahariman doesn’t want to be known as a “dance

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July 5, 2005

Pak Su Mat, 1939-2005

By Bernice Chauly It is with profound sadness that I write this. I received a phone call last Friday morning

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June 30, 2005

Postcards from the Edge

By Lor Yew Mien Demonstration at Putrajaya Sometime in October last year Noon. Putrajaya Position: Volunteer for KOMAS Job Task:

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June 30, 2005

Taking On New Meanings

By Dr Mohd Anis Md Nor Passionately academic and handy with anecdotes about every dance practitioner in this country, Dr.

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June 27, 2005

The Classical Challenge

By Lisa Ho Decked with flowers and fruits in their hair to personify temperate seasons, the nymphs standing outside The

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June 22, 2005

The Thinking Man

By Adlin Rosli Azmyl Yunor – Tenets (Rapid Ear) Is there some strange community run by Neil Young, Johnny Cash

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June 22, 2005

Abducted Traditions

By Aris A Ya’acob A grey cold April evening had descended on Exeter, England, along with the news of Krishen

Azwan Ismail
June 21, 2005

Return to Nature

By Dr. Zakaria Ali The newly established Alpha Utara Gallery, 83 China Street, Penang has just opened its Inaugural Exhibition,

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June 21, 2005

Not About Winning Competitions!

By Lisa Ho There used to be a time when any intelligent discussion on choral singing would result in covert

Azwan Ismail
June 16, 2005

The Taming of Ning

By Benjamin McKay Subtitles not required A friend here in KL recently suggested to me that my view of Malaysia

Azwan Ismail
June 14, 2005

Tun Mamat Naik Lif

By Isham Rais Tidak berapa lama dahulu saya telah diundang oleh geng Kakiseni untuk merewang ke Kampung Pinang di Taman

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June 9, 2005

Farewell My Contemporary

By Kakiseni Saidah Rastam is not one of Malaysia’s best kept secrets. Her cutting-edge music has a reputation beyond our

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June 3, 2005

Welcome to KLPac

By Kakiseni Paparazzi This is what KLPac looks like as you approach it: An angular contemporary structure with two 103-year-old

Azwan Ismail
June 3, 2005

What A Virgin Needs

By Lim How Ngean One might expect celebration galore to usher in the very first audience members to the Kuala

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June 2, 2005

The Battle for Time and Space in Malaysia’s Narrowing Society

By Farish A. Noor ‘Power’ is not, and should not, be understood in a purely abstract sense. For ‘Power’ to

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May 28, 2005

Quality Time

By Lee Jia Ping My mom and I were watching We Are Family, the third and most recent instalment of

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May 20, 2005

Kerajaan Merah

By Al-Mustaqeem Sir Ridley Scott! Dan kita membayangkan sebuah filem epik yang cemerlang seninya, dengan gerak kamera yang memukau; semburat

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May 19, 2005

Moral Police in French Clothing

By Toni Kasim Talk about a cruel coincidence. While the cast of Tartuffe was preparing for opening night at The

Azwan Ismail
May 19, 2005

The 2004 Special Awards

By Kakiseni THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL, KUALA LUMPUR MOST PROMISING ARTIST AWARD Prize of RM1,000, sponsored by Mandarin Oriental, and Tumasek

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May 7, 2005

How to Make a Malaysian Quilt

By Lisa Ho A famous English conductor once said to a lady cellist: “Madam, you have, between your legs, an

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May 6, 2005

Kakiseni’s 50 Most Eligible Cronies

By Pang Khee Teik Controversy No.1: How could you hold the awards on the night of Cleo’s Bachelor Bash? The

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May 6, 2005

Dancers on the Run

By Selvi Gopal During intermission, as people walk out for a toilet break or a hit of coffee, it is

Azwan Ismail
May 5, 2005

You Are Not Alone

By Vanessa Surian The title didn’t inspire much confidence. A flaccid attempt at humour which I imagined would be replicated

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May 3, 2005

Perhaps Think A Little

By Sharon Bakar Life Sdn Bhd 3 began with each member of the cast of thirteen bounding forward to introduce

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April 29, 2005

Icon, Guru, Beloved Friend

By Kathy Rowland I came late to Krishen Jit. Having grown up with Talking Drama with Utih, his review column

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April 29, 2005

THE 2004 AWARDS!

By Kakiseni Congratulations to the following! music BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE – INSTRUMENTAL Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Genting City of

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April 23, 2005

Bangsar Fight Club

By Tan Sei Hon Someone asked me how the latest works by Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman @ Paiman and Roslisham

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April 21, 2005

Brave New Whirl

By Pete Teo James Lee is working on my music video. So I might not be the best person to

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April 21, 2005

The Girl Who Cries “Huh?”

By Chuah Siew Eng At the first instalment of Shorts for 2005 (it is presented at Help Institute three times

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April 15, 2005

The Lost Hero

By Zedeck Siew On July 12, 2004, a conspicuous but largely unnoticed full-page advertisement ran in the New Straits Times.

Azwan Ismail
April 15, 2005

The Immortals

By Jeremy Mahadevan When wandering through the labyrinthine extents of ancient monuments, wonders of the world and so on, one

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April 8, 2005

Rocket Men Pt. 2

By Shanon Shah + Jerome Kugan This article is a continuation of a series of emails exchanged between singer-songwriters Shanon

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April 7, 2005

Experiment in Bronze

By Antares On opening night of Monkey Business, director Krishen Jit wasn’t sitting like a stone deity in the foyer

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April 7, 2005

What’s That Balai?

By Sharon Chin Shopping malls are the truly remarkable spaces of this nation. In one multi-storey complex you can get

Azwan Ismail
April 1, 2005

Rocket Men Pt. 1

By Shanon Shah + Jerome Kugan We invited Shanon Shah, winner of the Kakiseni Most Promising Young Artist Award 2003,

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April 1, 2005

Soul Searching in Sunway

By Chan Siew Lian Fingers, minus the Soul Avanti Friday Nite Jazz featuring Soul Fingerz, 11 Feb 2005, at Avanti

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March 24, 2005

Life is a Holodeck

By Nizam Zakaria I try to stop myself from giggling when I see, for the first time in my life,

Azwan Ismail
March 24, 2005

Pak Samad di Penjara

By Amirul Fakir Di sebalik tembok pejal dan kaku yang menyimpan jutaan memori kelam dan duka warganya, kemunculan tokoh yang

Azwan Ismail
March 17, 2005

Brit-Melayu-pop

By Remin Noir Dewa – Laskar Cinta Aquarius Musikindo Album studio terbaru Dewa, kumpulan rock termashyur dari Indonesia, benar-benar adalah

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March 10, 2005

They’ve Theatres, We’ve Monuments

By Anne James At the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2003 last year, sitting next to Ghafir Akbar, a fellow nominee

Azwan Ismail
March 10, 2005

Arts Worldwide | 2

By The Special Bunch This monthly column brings you news of arts happenings around the world. We called it ‘Cool

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March 10, 2005

THE 2004 NOMINEES!

By Kakiseni Paparazzi Congratulations to the following nominees! music nominees BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE- INSTRUMENTAL Prize

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March 6, 2005

RAMLI IBRAHIM – Finding His Bliss

By Chacko Vadaketh The temples of Orissa have come to Istana Budaya. On a huge gauze screen that stretches the

Azwan Ismail
February 24, 2005

Eyes Wide Open

By Alfian Sa’at Sepet: to possess single eyelids, or used pejoratively, slit-eyed. The condition of being slit-eyed sometimes goes beyond

Azwan Ismail
February 21, 2005

Tong-Tong-Chang!

By Phang Kuan Hoang A couple of cute infant Chinese Lions were brought inside the concert hall at the end

Azwan Ismail
February 17, 2005

Polis & Negro

By Amir Muhammad Tahun 2005, tibalah masanya untuk episod ketiga daripada rentetan layar lebar Gerak Khas, yang dimulakan pada tahun

Azwan Ismail
February 16, 2005

To Bitch or Not to Bitch

By Jit Murad In the current spirit of fulsome, if not full, disclosure I should admit to a couple of

Azwan Ismail
February 14, 2005

Our Hamlet

By Jit Murad First of all I’ll assume that the reader isn’t a seni kaki and wouldn’t mind a refresher

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February 14, 2005

Royal Charmer

By Chacko Vadaketh “My daughter will only wear local Malaysian clothes, calls me ‘Bapa’ and wants to move here!” With

Azwan Ismail
February 8, 2005

COOL STUFF | 1

By The Special Bunch This is a monthly column bringing you news of arts happenings around the world. Hardcore Soft

Azwan Ismail
February 4, 2005

Hidup Rakyat!

By Fahmi Fadzil “Selamat datang tuan-tuan dan puan-puan! Selamat datang ke Pertandingan Permainan Tradisional, anjuran Kementerian Kesenian, Kebudayaan dan Warisan!”

Azwan Ismail
February 3, 2005

The Lady Esplanade

By Pete Teo I played at the Esplanade (Jan 14 – 16, 2005). For those who are clueless, the Esplanade

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February 1, 2005

There’s A Kind of Hush

By Khoo Gaik Cheng Ho Yuhang’s Sanctuary, which had garnered a Special Mention at last year’s Pusan International Film Festival,

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January 27, 2005

Elastic Reality

By Sharaad Kuttan Nicely shot, simply told, Chemman Chaalai, is a must see for all those interested in the many

Azwan Ismail
January 23, 2005

Filem Tempang ke Rotterdam

By Amir Muhammad Filem Independen lstilah ‘Filem independen’ diwujudkan di Amerika pada tahun 1980an untuk merujuk kepada filem yang tidak

Azwan Ismail
January 20, 2005

Si Pelarian dan Si Penderma

By Mislina Mustaffa Hannah & Hanna. Kedua-duanya remaja 16 tahun. Usia yang ingin keluar dari kepompong rutin keluarga. Usia di

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January 13, 2005

Adrenalin Meluap

By Remin Noir Suasana pada petang 8 januari yang lalu di depan kelab Hard Rock Cafe terasa berbeza dari petang

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January 12, 2005

In the Year of the Tsunami – Pt. 2

By Pang Khee Teik Film: 157 (last year: 196) Why do spineless cowards and sycophants keep saying that giving freedom

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January 6, 2005

In the Year of the Tsunami – Pt. 1

By Pang Khee Teik Theatre: 138 productions (Last year: 148) In 2004, theatre began with three-and-a-half hours in hell, in

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January 6, 2005

Mud and Makan

By Lucy Friedland Last month I was hanging out at Kafe Lidiana, one of my favorite nasi melayu stalls in

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January 3, 2005

Of Hope, Faith, and Frailty

By Goenawan Mohamad At the calendar’s last page lies our primary question: is hope ever possible? Each December we surmise

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December 30, 2004

Nature vs Nurture

By Jo Kukathas & Haresh Sharma Half a year ago, I brunched with director Jo Kukathas and Singaporean playwright Haresh

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December 30, 2004

Is Everything a Performance?

By Khoo Gaik Cheng Foreword by Editor: Gosh, how does one explain Performance Studies? It sounds harmless enough, doesn’t it?

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December 30, 2004

Jingle All The Way

By Chan Siew Lian David Gomes & Junji Delfino – It’s Christmas Time Again Every December, a condition known as

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December 22, 2004

Love On Trial

By Yasmin Ahmad We the rakyat, as represented by the Censorship Board, are being spared of Yasmin Ahmad’s new film

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December 22, 2004

Strangled Carmen

By Pia Zain & Simon Hegarty Bizet’s music is transcendent. Once you have seen and heard Carmen, you can never

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December 22, 2004

Sing It, Mean It!

By Zedeck Siew Last weekend my chamber choir performed an enactment of The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a

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December 22, 2004

Saboturg

By Pang Khee Teik Again, many are shaking their heads at the dismal state of theatre this year. Nevermind the

Azwan Ismail
December 16, 2004

Beyond Beyond

By Phang Kuan Hoong It was early 2003; the world news was taking an uneasy shift as President Dubya and

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December 16, 2004

Theatertubbies

By Elaine Tan My co-reviewer, a sandy haired postulant, has been to a dozen or more live performances but only

Azwan Ismail
December 9, 2004

Super Tweety

By Mislina Mustaffa Sinopsis persembahan ini memang epik. Inilah cubaan saya untuk meringkasnya: Ptuih! (nama protagonis) yang rebel bertengkar dengan

Azwan Ismail
December 9, 2004

The Sound of New Music

By Dr Valerie Ross Congratulations Chong Kee Yong – here’s to even greater compositional heights and more Starry Nights! One

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December 8, 2004

Notes from Underground

By Toni Kasim In Dramalab’s restaging of Huzir Sulaiman’s The Smell of Language and Notes on Life and Love and

Azwan Ismail
December 3, 2004

Australia Boleh

By Zedeck Siew The cello’s left rib edge can scar one’s inner left thigh, as I found out while playing

Azwan Ismail
December 2, 2004

The Political Artist

By Carmen Nge If Wong Hoy Cheong’s exhibition at the National Art Gallery had kept to its original opening date

Azwan Ismail
December 1, 2004

Cruelty to Audiences

By Pang Khee Teik The World is a Comedy for Those who Think… Instant Café Theatre Road Show Presented by

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November 25, 2004

The Age of Disposable Cool

By Pete Teo Some midget in dark-rimmed glasses trotted up to me one day. “Hey Pete,” she growled. “You’re so

Azwan Ismail
November 24, 2004

Bombs and Books

By Lucy Friedland The program for the first Ubud Writers and Readers Festival from October 11-17 seemed overly ambitious. The

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November 24, 2004

Empire Writes Back

By Jerome Kugan Dear Mumsy, You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen here in the big city. KL-ites

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November 24, 2004

Supermarket Theatre

By Pia Zain My late father was a strong supporter of the arts, and my family heritage has always included

Azwan Ismail
November 18, 2004

What’s with Malays and Cats?

By Alfian Sa’at In the 80’s and early 90’s, both Malay as well as English programmes were screened on what

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November 18, 2004

Five for Fighting

By Lim How Ngean The week-long national Malay Language theatre festival that filled the auditorium at Malaysian Tourism Centre last

Azwan Ismail
November 17, 2004

Nakhoda Tergoda

By Hasmi Hashim Katakanlah, pameran Bakat Muda Sezaman, macam nyanyian merdu dewi laut itu. Kerana tidak mahu tergoda, demi cinta

Azwan Ismail
November 10, 2004

Malaysian Graffiti

By Kam Raslan Questionnaires were handed out at the door. Then the lights went down, a broken air-con rattled like

Azwan Ismail
November 9, 2004

Mitos Peribumi Alim

By MR Al-Mustaqeem Dan berkatalah salah seorang (intelektual?) negara kita, bahawa siapa sahaja yang mempertikaikan Dasar Kebudayaan Kebangsaan (DKK) 1971,

Azwan Ismail
November 8, 2004

A Malaysian Jew in New York

By Pang Khee Teik When asked his age, Petaling Jaya boy Richard Chang, now a business news editor at New

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November 4, 2004

Alice in Videoland

By Zedeck Siew On the 17th of September I was at Budaba for the Malaysian Video Awards. Having finally found

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October 20, 2004

Feeding Art to Orphans

By Jerome Kugan As many local arts practitioners know extremely well, funding for the arts is a big problem. It’s

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October 18, 2004

Public Hangings

By Yelena Gluzman Galeri Petronas Many people I have spoken to say that the Malaysian art scene is in some

Azwan Ismail
October 15, 2004

Biar Berjuang untuk Kebenaran!

By Amirul Fakir Ketika diundang dengan penuh takzim bagi menyempurnakan pelancaran kumpulan puisi dwi bahasa Raja Ahmad Aminullah berjudul Menyarung

Azwan Ismail
October 6, 2004

Poetry In Motion

By Prof Dr Mohd Anis Md Nor Joseph Gonzales’s Choreography: A Malaysian Perspective is the first local publication on Choreographic

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October 6, 2004

Enema of the Suburbs

By Vanessa Surian I am tempted to meander on in a pretentious manner about things we already know about the

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October 6, 2004

The Prophet’s Descendant and The Mystery Woman

By Shanon Shah Given the level of what passes for popular discussion on literature in this country, I am all

Azwan Ismail
October 6, 2004

You Talkin’ To Me?

By Pang Khee Teik Toh Hai Leong, a Singaporean film critic, is highly annoying, and not just because he is

Azwan Ismail
September 29, 2004

Angry Ghosts Festival

By Kelvin K. Wong Having been disappointed by two out of three plays from The Actors Studio’s Malaysian Playwright Series,

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September 22, 2004

Tumpang Glamour

By Fiona Lee It was with mixed feelings of pride and nostalgia that I attended three Malaysian film screenings at

Azwan Ismail
September 17, 2004

Tetek Besar, Pantat Lebar

By Khalid Jaafar Sebelum diterbitkan di Beijing, penerbit Mo Yan, penulis novel Red Sorghum yang difilemkan dengan arahan Zhang Yimou

Azwan Ismail
September 17, 2004

Homo-patriotic

By Alfian Sa’at Heard of the pink dollar? It’s the latest trans-national currency. It’s not actually pink in colour, and

Azwan Ismail
September 15, 2004

Crouching Warrior, Hidden Princess

By Woo Ming Jin After months of hype and anticipation that reached the levels of a Paris Hilton video, I

Azwan Ismail
September 14, 2004

Bukan Budaya Kita

By Kathy Rowland “Bukan budaya kita.” It’s a phrase that crops up in the oddest of places. A municipal newsletter

Azwan Ismail
September 8, 2004

Brickfields Brat

By Zedeck Siew I find Childhood Reminiscence a generally enjoyable pastime, being someone who was sniggering about sex not too

Azwan Ismail
September 6, 2004

Koran Nyamuk

By Hasmi Hashim Katakanlah, kita akan membubuhkan nama untuk lapangan seni lukis nasional hari ini, sudah tentu ia bukan medan

Azwan Ismail
September 3, 2004

A Poem in Its Becoming…

By Goenawan Mohamad Goenawan Mohamad’s opening speech at the World Poetry Festival, Kuala Lumpur, 17 August 2004 **** I would

Azwan Ismail
September 3, 2004

Moraliti Fantasia

By MR Al-Mustaqeem Bukan untuk siapa saja, rasa meluat dan menyampah tengok Akademi Fantasia. Banyak hal yang menjengkel dan meloyakan

Azwan Ismail
August 25, 2004

Wanna Be An Actor?

By Ghafir Akbar Sometimes I feel that my life is a missing episode on Drama Minggu Ini. The episode where

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August 22, 2004

Theatre of Experimental Sermons

By Toni Kasim In case you were wondering … demi Zaitun… is neither about olives nor a woman called Zaitun.

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August 21, 2004

20 Years of Uncertainty

By Jerome Kugan Five Arts’ humble beginning in 1984 was a dismal time. According to co-founder and veteran theatre director

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August 18, 2004

Identity: A Cautionary Tale

By Zedeck Siew “Lorna Tee is handling my fee,” I told the good people at Silverfish Books. Lorna was one

Azwan Ismail
August 16, 2004

Ubud – A Story

By Goenawan Mohamad “Upon the earth, beneath the sky, among mortals, before the divinities…” She tells herself she is in

Azwan Ismail
August 12, 2004

A Jakarta Romance

By Jerome Kugan It was meant to be a holiday. When local theatre/film producer Lorna Tee, Options journalist Danny Lim

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August 12, 2004

Disco at the End of the World

By Pang Khee Teik Primal Jam Everybody was rushing to the Iban longhouse. It’s not the real thing, but a

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August 8, 2004

Fear Factor

By Sonia Randhawa Fed up with pesky reviewers? Think critics have just too much power? For that shiny positive feel

Azwan Ismail
August 6, 2004

Penyair Perang Balkan

By Amirul Fakir Ketika dihubungi oleh Eddin Khoo, seorang penulis dan pengkaji budaya, tentang hasratnya untuk melakukan ziarah seni ke

Azwan Ismail
August 4, 2004

Emotional Therapy Airwaves

By Chan Siew Lian If only for one night, life’s problems could disappear: creaky knees, credit card bills, demented, PMS-ing

Azwan Ismail
August 4, 2004

The Old Men and The Scene

By Kathy Rowland Of late Kuala Lumpur, bearing the battle scars of an economic downturn, and the promise of a

Azwan Ismail
July 29, 2004

Penang Pedagogues

By Meilu Ho “School does not let us scream, run whenever we like,” says agitated sixth-former Johann Dzulkifil. “We have

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July 28, 2004

Higher Calling

By Lee Jia Ping Riding high on the commercial success of their last production Siddharta, the producers of Above Full

Azwan Ismail
July 27, 2004

You Can Close Your Eyes

By Pete Teo & Rafil Elyas Jairus Anthony. 17 November 1963 – 12 July 2004 Jairus Anthony, beloved pub singer,

Azwan Ismail
July 21, 2004

Fine Orchestra, Pathetic Attendance

By Aaron Raj I was pleasantly surprised with the choice of repertoire for the MPO’s concert on Friday June 25.

Azwan Ismail
July 19, 2004

Animal Instinct in Eden

By Tan Sei Hon “Man is categorically not the crown of all creation: every creature stands at his side, at

Azwan Ismail
July 11, 2004

Fashion Opera? What’s that?

By Shanon Shah There’s a lot to love about OPs OPHELIA: A FaShioN opeRa. First of all, it is a

Azwan Ismail
July 8, 2004

Abusing Prisoners of Wars

By Pang Khee Teik Like prisoners of war, starved, feverish, I found myself drifting in and out of consciousness, beholding

Azwan Ismail
July 5, 2004

The Francis Yeoh Interview

By Jenny Daneels He was fed Mozart as a child. At 46 now, Tan Sri Francis Yeoh makes no hesitation

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June 30, 2004

Crawling Toward 2020

By Kam Raslan “My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions. As soon as men will

Azwan Ismail
June 30, 2004

Dari Kamar Cinta ke Medan Perang

By Khalid Jaafar Nah, akhirnya kita menyaksikan Troy dengan Brad Pitt sebagai Achilles. Puas hati? Saya mendengar ada yang mengatakan

Azwan Ismail
June 25, 2004

National Unity Crash Course

By Zedeck Siew My time at National Service began on 24th March and ended 4th of June. I was part

Azwan Ismail
June 25, 2004

The Greatest Show on Earth

By Elaine Tan First you repress all such bohemian desires. Then you get into show business and establish yourself as

Azwan Ismail
June 22, 2004

Young Hopeful

By Lorien Holland Diminutive Anne James is a heavyweight in the Kuala Lumpur arts scene. The 49-year-old has been acting

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June 18, 2004

The Bomoh’s Stare

By Adeline Ooi Take a journey into the primeval Malay heartland of myths, supernatural beliefs and superstitions with artist Jalaini

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June 9, 2004

We Are Special

By Dr Alvin Ng “They are just jealous because we are special” – Emily Spikerman The term “otak tak centre”

Azwan Ismail
June 8, 2004

The Bangsawan Hero

By Kathy Rowland If you were in search of some rest and relaxation in 1930s Malaya, chances are you would

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June 4, 2004

Fertility Dance, Anyone?

By Antares Uncle Ant’s Agony and Ecstacy is a monthly column. Uncle Ant, or Agony Ant if you prefer, will

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June 3, 2004

Becoming a Great Civilisation

By Antares Two years ago an email was circulated on the APA list and around the arts community requesting inputs

Azwan Ismail
May 28, 2004

Menacing Forms

By Adeline Ooi Walking into the side entrance of the new Westin Hotel down at Jalan Bukit Bintang, you will

Azwan Ismail
May 26, 2004

Responsible Filmmaking 101

By Toni Kasim For over a decade, Pusat KOMAS (Komuniti Masyarakat), a non-governmental organisation producing social documentaries, has been training

Azwan Ismail
May 26, 2004

One Beat

By Sunetra Fernando Petronas Performing Arts Group’s latest offering, Satu Rentak, was performed on April 28 and 29, 2004, at

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May 19, 2004

Devil In a Kebaya

By Zan Azlee U-Wei has always made daring films that force spoon-fed Malaysian audience to think. Which is always a

Azwan Ismail
May 13, 2004

We’re In Heaven

By Sonia Randhawa Pete Teo’s Songwriters Round has entered a new phase, coming back from the despair of no-No Black

Azwan Ismail
May 12, 2004

From Melaka With Love

By Shanon Shah To turn a historical figure or moment into a musical, one needs a cult of personality, a

Azwan Ismail
May 6, 2004

Girls’ Night Out

By Yap Sui Lin It is raining torrentially. We – my eagerly-awaiting-Irish-dancing-of-any-kind aunt, my game-for-everything mom and I – are

Azwan Ismail
May 6, 2004

White Man’s Burden

By Kam Raslan It could be said that Sir Frank Swettenham invented Kuala Lumpur. It was he who turned the

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May 6, 2004

Rose Chan The Musical?

By Pang Khee Teik Last week, I put up a poll asking people to vote for the Malaysian woman whose

Azwan Ismail
April 29, 2004

Angels And Devils

By Kathy Rowland With The Passion of the Christ raking in millions, religion is clearly in again, and there are

Azwan Ismail
April 23, 2004

Irish Extras For Hire

By Elaine Tan In between writing articles for Astro Magazine and posing with the Dutch Lady fibreglass Friesian cows at

Azwan Ismail
April 23, 2004

Trash & The City

By Tan Sei Hon “This should be listed in the Malaysian book of records!” exclaimed the headwaiter of a fancy

Azwan Ismail
April 15, 2004

Jeritan Hati…

By Nizam Zakaria Jeritan hati seorang wanita yang mencari kebahagiaan dalam segala kesulitan hidup boleh diperhatikan dalam Monolog Seorang Perempuan,

Azwan Ismail
April 15, 2004

Singaporean Couplings

By Pang Khee Teik On a makeshift tent by the Singapore River, Stella Kon took her place behind the microphone.

Azwan Ismail
April 15, 2004

Indy Rock Darlings

By Sonia Randhawa My heart sank when I walked into Paul’s Place and I heard the not-too-delicate strains of the

Azwan Ismail
April 8, 2004

No Political Agenda

By Elaine Tan The elections are over: BN is still the ruling party, the oppositions are still yelping, Anwar is

Azwan Ismail
April 6, 2004

Girlfriend Dumps You For Actor?

By Antares Uncle Ant’s Agony and Ecstacy is a monthly column. Uncle Ant, or Agony Ant as we like to

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April 5, 2004

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

By Pang Khee Teik I was wondering where our Malaysian volunteers were. There were supposed to be 50 of them.

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April 1, 2004

May 13 In Our Minds

By Kathy Rowland There aren’t many creative works which explore the riot that broke out on May 13, 1969 in

Azwan Ismail
March 29, 2004

Pendekar Bujang Gemuk

By Nizam Zakaria Seorang sutradara yang saya kenali, Yasmin Ahmad (alah, Yasmin yang buat iklan Petronas dan filem Rabun yang

Azwan Ismail
March 25, 2004

Ada Apa Dengan Apathy?

By Fahmi Fadzil The Taman Medan community arts project by Five Arts Centre recently won the IMG Most Outstanding Educational

Azwan Ismail
March 18, 2004

Extremism That Threatens Our Freedom

By Artisproactiv On page 42 of the Tuesday March 16, 2004, edition of The Star, you will find a small

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March 16, 2004

Malaysia Tacky Asia

By Antares With another general election around the corner, it was inevitable that the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism

Azwan Ismail
March 16, 2004

The Weight of an Award (11-03-2004)

By Zedeck Siew The following is a listless meander through the awards in search of meaning. You already know how

Azwan Ismail
March 11, 2004

The Unifying Forces of Adeline Wong

By Saidah Rastam It’s tough being a composer of orchestral works. You only acquire skill by hearing how your music

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March 10, 2004

Be Grateful!

By Sonia Randhawa While the role of tragedy could be seen as investing the sublime with a human face, the

Azwan Ismail
March 10, 2004

The Professional Prizewinner

By Saidah Rastam This is a fairy tale. This is, for me, the ultimate success story. Chong Kee-Yong, 33, grew

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March 10, 2004

Fanfare for the Common Man

By Saidah Rastam ‘Serious’ Malaysian orchestral music composition has been limited. Until now. Maybe there has been an increase in

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March 4, 2004

I’ve Got Polyrhythm

By Cassandra Chong Cassandra Chong is a very enthusiastic student at the International College of Music (ICOM). Last week she

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March 4, 2004

The Public Ineffectual

By Rey Buono Rey Buono has taught theatre for over 30 years in USA and Singapore, and presently in Malaysia.

Azwan Ismail
March 4, 2004

Are ‘Theatre Baargers’ Elitists?

By Antares Uncle Ant’s Agony and Ecstasy is a monthly column. Uncle Ant will answer questions about anything to do

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February 25, 2004

Island Fever

By Jerome Kugan You know what? I’m sick of reviewing. So, instead of a review, I’ve decided to write eight

Azwan Ismail
February 25, 2004

Wildfire and Teargas

By Shanon Shah There was a moment during Rhythm in Bronze: Wujud Antara that struck lightning through history. It was

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February 25, 2004

Xenophobia, Necrophilia and Nostalgia

By Pang Khee Teik Marriage of Inconvenience: Playing Doctor It is always amusing when a country decides that its special

Azwan Ismail
February 19, 2004

Making Bahasa Indonesia Sexy

By Amir Muhammad We’ve all heard the joke about the Polish starlet who went to Hollywood and tried to get

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February 19, 2004

Highlight This In Orange!

By Toni Kasim If you haven’t kept up with the brouhaha over Five Arts Centre’s permit to stage Election Day,

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February 18, 2004

Thespians Anonymous

By Antares What happens when you pick 12 actors with varying degrees of experience and skill, put them on stage,

Azwan Ismail
February 11, 2004

Isteri Bekerja Punca Perceraian

By Uthaya Sankar SB “Iruvar akan mengajak kita berfikir.” Kata-kata itu sudah cukup untuk membuatkan saya berminat menonton drama pentas (teater?)

Azwan Ismail
February 11, 2004

Dr. Mahathir’s Name Not Allowed?

By Fahmi Fadzil Note: According to Five Arts Centre producer Marion D’Cruz, Election Day has been given a “verbal approval”

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February 9, 2004

Follow The Cute Young Punks

By Sonia Randhawa Where to begin with Urbanscapes? Even before reaching the venue, a vibe could be felt from within

Azwan Ismail
February 6, 2004

Kemunculan Kembali Seorang Diva

By Nizam Zakaria Malaysia Theatre Awards: Waterworks Tatkala saya pergi untuk mendapatkan tiket untuk menonton pementasan Dejavu, saya dapati tiket

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February 6, 2004

Teachers, Mothers & Sugar Daddies

By Pang Khee Teik Malaysia Theatre Awards: Waterworks If you think the Chinese-language theatre in Malaysia is a tad melodramatic,

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February 6, 2004

Autonomy in Setapak

By Tan Sei Hon In 1997, a few Malaysian artists took over a spacious single-storey house in Setapak and turned

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January 29, 2004

Bye Bye No Black Tie, Hello Paul

By Sonia Randhawa Paul’s Place is a dive. As you go in, a multi-coloured sign announces the place. It sits

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January 28, 2004

Making Love With The Audience

By Shanon Shah The first time I played at No Black Tie, it was during open mike at Songwriters Round

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January 22, 2004

Punggung Saya Macam Mana?

By Zedeck Siew The restaging of Bidin Subari’s Anak Kerbau Mati Emak is quite aesthetically pleasing. Even unlit, the kampong

Azwan Ismail
January 21, 2004

The Contest Winner’s Date

By B.C. Ng It was a Monday afternoon that I received a call from Kakiseni, notifying me that I was

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January 15, 2004

Bisikan Lantang

By Nizam Zakaria Bisik merupakan sebuah antologi drama Melayu Singapura oleh tiga penulis mudanya yang berbakat: Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, Alfian

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January 14, 2004

Chennai Jam

By Charlene Rajendran In its sixth year of festive celebration, last year’s programme at The Park’s The Other Festival in

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January 14, 2004

Forces to be Reckoned With

By Anne James I consider the Second MyDance Festival as one of the highlights for dance in the year 2003.

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January 7, 2004

Mercilessly Mundane

By Antares In recent years, young filmmakers like Osman Ali, James Lee, Amir Muhammad, and a host of graduates from

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January 7, 2004

Not Another Gay Tragedy

By Mark Augustine A familiar story in the genre of gay fiction: wholesome, studious, clean-cut good-boy (sigh, gush, swoon) meets

Azwan Ismail
January 5, 2004

In The Year of The Flood

By Pang Khee Teik After the Cameronian Arts Awards, I thought there might be an outpouring of original scripts. But

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December 31, 2003

The RM1.2 Million Opera

By Elaine Tan Let’s face it, how many of us really know opera? If you’re honest, not that many, but

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December 31, 2003

Krishen’s Durian

By Fahmi Fadzil I once read somewhere that a writer, over the course of his lifetime, is really writing just

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December 30, 2003

Where’s the Jazz??

By Jerome Kugan The late jazz trumpeter Miles Davis said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Indeed,

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December 24, 2003

Communal Menses

By Alfian Sa’at It would be parochial to insist that Singaporean theatre companies only produce plays by indigenous playwrights, but

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December 24, 2003

To Kill a Lelaki Lembut

By Nizam Zakaria The riskiest gimmick in the Malay theater scene for 2003? There’s really no contest. Especially when the

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December 24, 2003

The Silent Majority

By Zedeck Siew Like half of KL, I have the flu. At seven o’clock on Projek Suitcase 2003’s opening night,

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December 19, 2003

Kepelbagaian Dunia Melayu

By Nizam Zakaria Minggu lepas adalah minggu yang agak sibuk dengan adanya persembahan empat buah monolog di Stor Teater, Dewan

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December 19, 2003

A Whole World Behind The Everyday Meaning

By Elaine Tan Puccini’s epic opera about the beautiful but cold-hearted Chinese princess Turandot who plays violent head games (literally)

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December 15, 2003

From Opera To Bollywood

By Elaine Tan After the setback of losing many precious scores and instruments in the flooding of the Dataran Merdeka,

Azwan Ismail
December 12, 2003

Lyrical, Topical, Moving Asian Theatre

By Antares As a cross-cultural project for “ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003” it was decided that a young Singaporean playwright-director named

Azwan Ismail
December 12, 2003

The Different Colours of Asia

By Jeannie Cotter It is the sea which unites different continents of the world. Inside, that sea, lived a mermaid.

Azwan Ismail
December 3, 2003

Weird Isn’t Always Wonderful

By Antares Call me an old stick-in-the-mud, but I’m one of those diehard conservatives who generally hopes to gain some

Azwan Ismail
December 3, 2003

Wild Rice Celebrates an Orwellian Centennial

By Antares “In the world of Animal Farm, most speechifying and public palaver is bullshit and instigated lying, and though

Azwan Ismail
November 27, 2003

Getting Ready for Riverdance

By Cheryl Lim With less than two weeks to go before the arrival of the acclaimed Riverdance show in Kuala

Azwan Ismail
November 27, 2003

Pratonton: Projek Suitcase 2003

By Nizam Zakaria Saya merasa agak beruntung kerana telah dijemput untuk menyaksikan pratonton “Projek Suitcase”, anjuran Pustaka Cipta yang mempersembahkan

Azwan Ismail
November 27, 2003

The Edinburgh Arts Festival According to Toby Gough: How You Can Work There, With Your Show, or as a Temp

By Cheryl Lim After having scared his audience with the sheer magnitude of the competition between shows and the logistical

Azwan Ismail
November 20, 2003

Birds of a Feather

By Antares Fancy Poultry is what they call themselves – four very yummy chicks and a couple of not-too-macho guys

Azwan Ismail
November 20, 2003

Buddha and Other Jet Setters

By Pang Khee Teik Singaporean director Ong Keng Sen is often accused of being wanky. As the founder of Theatreworks,

Azwan Ismail
November 14, 2003

Kedurjanaan Politik dan Perjuangan

By Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Cerita dari Blora mungkin tak sehebat atau sepopular siri Bumi Manusia atau otobiografinya, Nyanyian Seorang

Azwan Ismail
November 12, 2003

Shakespeare, Inc

By Antares John Bell is arguably one of the world’s most accomplished Shakespearean actors without a knighthood – a likely

Azwan Ismail
November 12, 2003

The Edinburgh Arts Festival According to Toby Gough: Perseverance and a Killer Instinct is What You Need Above All Else

By Cheryl Lim Last week, Part 1 of the notes on the workshop conducted by Toby Gough and John Lee

Azwan Ismail
November 12, 2003

The Edinburgh Arts Festival According to Toby Gough: A Mud-Wrestling Fight

By Cheryl Lim A group of local arts practitioners gathered at the Actors Studio Bangsar on October 9, 2003 for

Azwan Ismail
November 6, 2003

Perlukah Terseksa?

By Adam Tuan Mukriz Stor Teater DBP malam itu agak padat dengan personaliti-personaliti tanahair yang mungkin tidak mahu melepaskan peluang

Azwan Ismail
November 5, 2003

Fundamentally Floored

By Matt Daniels Every once in a while an artist comes in from the fringes to shake things up and

Azwan Ismail
November 4, 2003

I Have Discovered My Vagina!

By Pang Khee Teik Four sunny Saturdays ago, I was invited to an open house at the Universiti Putra Malaysia’s

Azwan Ismail
October 31, 2003

They inspired Picasso, will they inspire you?

By Kakiseni You may have seen them in interior design shops around Kuala Lumpur. Slick, unusual, primitive and very contemporary

Azwan Ismail
October 31, 2003

A Survival Course For Creativity in a Hostile Environment

By Tan Sei Hon Last September, twenty five arts students met in the woods of Taman Alam in Kuala Selangor

Azwan Ismail
October 31, 2003

Life From A Child’s Perspective

By Lizzie Yeoh Recently in Galeri Petronas, an exhibition of selected photographs of Malaysia was curated by renowned Malaysian photographer,

Azwan Ismail
October 21, 2003

All The World’s A Stage

By Kathy Rowland John Bell AM OBE, Artistic Director of The Bell Shakespeare Company took some time off his busy

Azwan Ismail
October 21, 2003

Secangkir latte bersama Dr Mohd Anis Md Nor

By Adam Tuan Mukriz Adakah anda berpuas hati dengan sambutan orang awam terhadap MyDance Festival 2003? Jika berbicara dari segi

Azwan Ismail
October 17, 2003

Siddharta: Satu Pengalaman Yang Mengasyikkan

By Nizam Zakaria Terlebih dahulu, sebelum meneruskan ulasan drama tari Siddhartha ini, saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih yang tidak terhingga

Azwan Ismail
October 16, 2003

A Truly Asian Siddharta

By Nizam Zakaria I’d got myself free tickets to Linkin Park’s concert and had the choice between that or attending

Azwan Ismail
October 16, 2003

Whither Local Theatre?

By Jit Murad Dear Kakisenians, It has made me want to simply give up. After all these years of working

Azwan Ismail
October 10, 2003

Usaha Para Sekutu

By MR Al-Mustaqeem Ex-Siasah Editor, MR Al-Mustaqeem joins Kakiseni’s stable of roving writers with an article which has the scoop

Azwan Ismail
October 10, 2003

Melihat Kerenah Budaya Korporat

By Nizam Zakaria Kali terakhir saya menonton sebuah persembahan teater dwi-bahasa di The Actors Studio, Bangsar adalah persembahan teater Causeway

Azwan Ismail
October 10, 2003

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Plagiarised

By Pang Khee Teik Dina Zaman, writer for Marie Claire and former script editor and veteran of the rough and

Azwan Ismail
October 7, 2003

A Method To The Madness (or Be-Kind-To-Robots Week In KL)

By Antares “Pappa TARAHUMARA productions try to liberate themselves from ‘meaning,’ leaving members of the audience free to control their

Azwan Ismail
September 24, 2003

Look Out, Here Comes Another Rave!

By Antares How much does a minister get paid? RM9,000 a month? RM15,000? Okay, let’s say RM12,000. How much in

Myrddin Emrys
September 17, 2002

Siapa Kena Sekolah?

By Faisal Tehrani Senarai panjang Dato Jins Shamsudin di dalam buku cenderamata tidak dapat menolong pementasan Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! (selepas

Myrddin Emrys
September 11, 2002

A Bland But Wholesome And Morally Correct Music Fable

by Antares “Once upon a time, Kingdom Earth was a beautiful and joyful place with a noble emperor on the throne. Until Evil descended…” So begins

Myrddin Emrys
September 11, 2002

Good Going Despite Shortcomings

by Antares Chaotic Harmony Theatre is certainly not short on energy and enthusiasm, going by the number of productions this

Myrddin Emrys
September 6, 2002

Busa-Busa Politik Arena Wati

By Faisal Tehrani Sasterawan negara Arena Wati kurang dikenali berbanding Usman Awang, A. Samad Said dan Shahnon Ahmad. Kurang sangat

Myrddin Emrys
August 28, 2002

All The World’s A Toilet

By Pang Khee Teik The Restroom Association of Singapore organised the inaugural World Toilet Summit last year. One of their

Myrddin Emrys
August 28, 2002

In The Imperial Garden

By Jess C. You can always expect an element of innovation and surprise from Dama Orchestra. Whether it is ethnic

Myrddin Emrys
August 27, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Crime, Poetry and Other Misdemeanours

By Amir Muhammad In the discussion after the screening of his film “The Poet and the Con” at the Actors

Myrddin Emrys
August 23, 2002

Young Directors Anonymous

By Pang Khee Teik After reading Antares’ gushy review of Chaotic Harmony’s production of Blithe Spirit late last year, I

Myrddin Emrys
August 20, 2002

Tuneful Treats at the DFP

By Cheryl Lim The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas’ (DFP) 01/02 Concert Season ended on a colourful note in late July with a

Myrddin Emrys
August 20, 2002

Off Walls Off Pedestals di Akal di Ulu

By Nur Hanim Khairuddin Lagi kisah Akal di Ulu. Kali ini mengenai sebuah acara seni yang punya potensi besar untuk

Myrddin Emrys
August 20, 2002

Everyone is Happy. Then Mahsuri Dies

By Pang Khee Teik Mahsuri dies. No surprises there. What led to her death, however, remains a debate. The origin

Myrddin Emrys
August 12, 2002

Embun, Mona Atau Zakiah

By Faisal Tehrani Maafkan saya, kali ini saya tidak akan menulis kritikan teater, pratonton atau membincangkan isu seni dan budaya

Myrddin Emrys
August 12, 2002

Burp… Simply Sedap!

By Antares Good home cooking imparts a marvellous sense of well-being. Who was it who defined patriotism as a fond

Myrddin Emrys
August 12, 2002

KERTAS KAJANG: Ke Mana Seni Orang Muda?

By Dhojee Dinihari, pukul dua pagi, kami menikmati teh tarik di Lotus Restaurant, Petaling Jaya. Entah macam mana saya dan

Myrddin Emrys
August 7, 2002

Pass The Lauk, Please

by Cheryl Lim Man of many hats – actor, writer, stand-up comedian – Jit Murad returns to playwright mode with

Myrddin Emrys
August 7, 2002

Not So Sweet But Really Quite Something

by Antares Gavin Yap may well be the best thing that’s happened to Malaysian theatre since The Actors Studio set

Myrddin Emrys
August 7, 2002

Bharatanatyam Blues

By Antares I caught the 177th performance of Mahesh Dattani’s highly acclaimed living room drama, Dance Like A Man, at

Myrddin Emrys
August 5, 2002

The Hitmen Chronicles

By Cheryl Lim Last seen as the demure Cecily Cardew in The Actors Studio’s all-male production of Oscar Wilde’s The

Myrddin Emrys
July 30, 2002

ICT Rocks 12SI

By Antares The cavernous dance club, Atmosphere at 12SI, was SRO for ICT’s latest outing 23-24 July. It would appear

Myrddin Emrys
July 30, 2002

Ah, Sweet Nostalgia!

By Antares Some things you never forget. Like learning to French-kiss and finding yourself on Cloud Nine with a sore

Azwan Ismail
July 30, 2002

PRATONTON: Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

By Faisal Tehrani Merdeka dan UMNO… begitulah dua tema teater Melayu kebelakangan ini. Anugerah telah dipentaskan sekali lagi pertengahan Julai

Myrddin Emrys
July 23, 2002

A Foretaste Of Heavenly Rapture

By Antares Three days have elapsed since RWMF 2002 ended at the Sarawak Cultural Village, under the benign gaze of

Myrddin Emrys
July 19, 2002

KERTAS KAJANG: Kudisnya Bahasa!

By Dhojee Ada suatu macam propaganda jahat yang sedang disebarkan tentang angkatan pejuang bahasa dan pendidikan seluruh negara. la semakin

Myrddin Emrys
July 17, 2002

Enter The Yangqin

By Jess C. There are few musicians in Malaysia who are professionally trained in Chinese instruments and Don Tew Tiong

Myrddin Emrys
July 16, 2002

Meng’Ukir’ Budi Melayu

By Prof. Madya Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail Meng’Ukir’ Budi Melayu by Prof. Madya Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail Kertas kerja yang disediakan

Myrddin Emrys
July 16, 2002

Cerpen: Kayu Bersurat

By Prof. Madya Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail “Tiap-tiap sesuatu akan binasa melainkan ZatNya. BagiNyalah kuasa memutuskan segala hukum. KepadaNyalah kamu

Myrddin Emrys
July 16, 2002

Ukiran Budi Siti Zainon Ismail

By Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin Profesor Madya Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail: satu nama yang tidak asing lagi di dalam dunia

Myrddin Emrys
July 16, 2002

Pra-Tonton: Cinta Sang Arnab

By Faisal Tehrani Di Lembah Kelang, barisan pelajar yang cemerlang mementaskan pementasan saban bulan saban tahun tentulah pelajar-pelajar dari Akademi

Myrddin Emrys
July 10, 2002

From Taiwan With Love

By Antares Fay Theatre is a new generation of Malaysian-born Chinese, educated in Taiwan, and exposed to European cultural influences.

Myrddin Emrys
July 10, 2002

Voicing Difference

By Kathy Rowland Kathy Rowland takes a look at language and the arts A year after Independence from the British,

Myrddin Emrys
July 4, 2002

E-interview with Fay Theatre

By Jenny Daneels / Zoe Au A new Chinese company was created this year – Fay Theatre. It is presenting a

Myrddin Emrys
July 4, 2002

When Tedium Becomes The Medium

By Antares “Ars longa, vita brevis,” some say (art lasts, life is brief) and having said so, summarily disappear up

Myrddin Emrys
July 4, 2002

Oh Behave!

By Cheryl Lim Thomas Wesley Douglas and his troupe of five silky-voiced performers really got the joint jumpin’ last Thursday night,

Myrddin Emrys
July 2, 2002

Ada Apa Dengan Bahasa Melayu?

By Faisal Tehrani Tulisan ini tidak bertujuan untuk mengkritik membabi buta melainkan untuk membincangkan lebih lanjut isu perlaksanaan bahasa lnggeris di

Myrddin Emrys
June 26, 2002

Lovers In A Dangerous Time

By Pang Khee Teik Huzir Sulaiman can wither lesser intellects with a mere glance. Though he seems to be smiling a

Myrddin Emrys
June 26, 2002

Lights, Camera…

By Jenny Daneels Two years ago, something happened in Malaysian theatre: students from the Taylor’s College, presented to full houses a

Myrddin Emrys
June 26, 2002

YOU DID SWELL, NELL!

By Antares I was introduced to Nell Ng’s family outside The Actors Studio Box. Her brother Joey is reportedly a

Myrddin Emrys
June 21, 2002

Young Chinese theatre company infuses new life and fresh ideas

By Jenny Daneels NEED Entertainment is presenting this week Fall of the City, a play in Mandarin but with a translation

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

Songs for the Paramour

By Clarissa Lee The enchanting soiree begins with a serene, light and breezy tune by Donizetti. This allows a warm-up session

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

Bimal Roy, The First Neo-Realist Auteur in Indian Cinema

By June Mong It may seem strange to discover a Bengali film director whose style has been compared to Vittorio

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

SMORGASBORD: The drinks of our lives

By Amir Muhammad The subject for today: Drinks consumed in local movies. A small subject, to be sure, but one worthy

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

Look Out for Those Hardy Boyz N Crazy Girls

By Jenny Daneels You might have seen her as the bubbly voluptuous Chinese girl in The Instant Cafe Theatre’s sketches. Nell

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

La La Li La Tam Pong

By Pang Khee Teik Ten years is long. The P’nang Dance Station have begun life on a culturally lethargic island but

Myrddin Emrys
June 20, 2002

An Evening of Romantic Art Songs

By Clarissa Lee Walking into an adjoining Yamaha showroom has me observing a bespectacled man engrossed in perfecting a section of

Myrddin Emrys
June 13, 2002

Menjejak Kembali

By Michelle Woo Rahel Joseph, Manager of Cultural Affairs at the Australian High Commission (AHC), takes Michelle Woo through the 80s

Myrddin Emrys
June 13, 2002

Remaja Berkampung Lagi

By Faisal Tehrani Di tengah-tengah penghinaan demi penghinaan yang dipantakkan kepada bahasa kebangsaan sedang hebat dilaksanakan secara rapi, Dewan Bahasa dan

Myrddin Emrys
June 13, 2002

Akal Juhari

By Nur Hanim Khairuddin Berjiran dengan monyet, biawak , ular dan babi hutan? ltulah yang dialami Juhari Said, perupa senicetak Malaysia

Myrddin Emrys
June 13, 2002

First Malaysian Composer for the Pipe Organ

By Pang Khee Teik On the 27th May, we were given the world premiere of Journeys, a local composition for the

Myrddin Emrys
June 13, 2002

Chong Siew Ying: the next Malaysian “grand artiste”?

By Jenny Daneels Published on kulture.com.my on April 20, 2000 Chong Siew Ying leads her life in the same way

Myrddin Emrys
June 11, 2002

Intestinal Convulsive Therapy

By Antares An Instant Cafe Theatre performance is not usually something one reviews so much as raves about. No doubt the

Myrddin Emrys
May 29, 2002

Soh Boon Kiong: Colourscapes of Natural Inspirations

By Michelle Woo Soh Boon Kiong, a Kuantan-born 36-year-old abstract artist, is fondly visited by his collectors and fans whenever he

Myrddin Emrys
May 29, 2002

Occupation: Singapore commissions play by some of Malaysia’s best artists

By Jenny Daneels The music was bewitching. Painful, it was so beautiful. It was coming from the rehearsing room at the

Myrddin Emrys
May 29, 2002

A Night In The Life Of Rashid Salleh

By Pang Khee Teik Two girls from Kuching posted in Kakiseni’s guestbook in March: “Really a good site u have here

Myrddin Emrys
May 29, 2002

Not Exactly Wilde But Wacky Enough

By Antares Photos by Pang Khee Teik The foyer of the Actors Studio Theatre in Bangsar saw a festive crowd

Myrddin Emrys
May 29, 2002

Who Are We?

By Michelle Woo “Identities: Who we are”, at the National Art Gallery, is an exhibition that hones the tough-to-pin-down Malaysian identity

Myrddin Emrys
May 22, 2002

Jangan Bunuh Mereka

By Faisal Tehrani Apabila pelajar-pelajar Tingkatan Empat dan Lima Sekolah Menengah Teknik Selangor bersama-sama Purnama Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka mementaskan Jangan

Myrddin Emrys
May 22, 2002

My life is rich. I have no pain.

By Pang Khee Teik Doing some business within Central Market sometime in April this year, I found myself stalled by photographs

Myrddin Emrys
May 22, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Bringing Back The Bums

By Amir Muhammad It has been a dispiriting month so far for Malaysian theatre. Several high-profile productions were confronted with half-full,

Myrddin Emrys
May 14, 2002

Chaos and Cacophony at Chow Kit

By Pang Khee Teik The Chow Kit Fest, originally scheduled for December, then March, then April, finally hauled itself off on

Myrddin Emrys
May 14, 2002

31-year-old Chew Hee Chiat brings fresh energy to Chinese music in Malaysia

B Jess C. He wanted to return to his roots. After all his years of training and exposure to Western

Myrddin Emrys
May 14, 2002

Glamour, Glitz and Gumption

By Antares As I was turning into the lavishly lit lstana Budaya (congratulating myself for arriving in good time for

Myrddin Emrys
May 14, 2002

East Meets West at the DFP’s Family Fun Day

By Cheryl Lim There is probably no better way to introduce you to the world of classical music, and the Malaysian

Myrddin Emrys
May 13, 2002

The BBC Proms Come to Kuala Lumpur

By Cheryl Lim The renowned BBC Proms turns 107 this year and yet, this venerable musical tradition shows no signs

Myrddin Emrys
May 13, 2002

Dari Lembah Kinta ke Korea…

By Nur Hanim Mohamed Khairuddin Artis Visual dan Kurator Yayasan Kesenian Perak Pengalaman lima tahun berturut-turut (1996-2000) melaksanakan Festival Pekan Seni

Myrddin Emrys
May 9, 2002

Taming Of The Sari

By Antares Having been greatly entertained by Rani Moorthy’s one-woman play, Pooja, I was looking forward to the staging of her

Myrddin Emrys
May 7, 2002

Bulan Separuh Retak Di Petaling Jaya

Faisal Tehrani Enam kali Di Mana Bulan Selalu Retak karya Sasterawan Negara A. Samad Said dipentaskan. Persembahan paling memuaskan menurut

Myrddin Emrys
May 7, 2002

I Am So Not Exotic

By Pang Khee Teik In January, Rani Moorthy came upon us like desert rain and showered on us a deeply Malaysian

Myrddin Emrys
May 2, 2002

The Long Road to Chow Kit

By Jerome Kugan In the April issue of Klue magazine hype surrounding the Chow Kit Arts Fest earned cover status. It

Myrddin Emrys
April 30, 2002

A Swinging History Lesson

By Greg Lyons Pianist William “Count” Basie took the helm of this band in the early thirties after the demise of

Myrddin Emrys
April 30, 2002

Marvellous Marathon Of Mirth

By Antares Oh, it’s good to spend a Sunday afternoon guffawing non-stop (though 150 minutes did seem a bit excessive towards

Myrddin Emrys
April 30, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Filipino Films in the Age of Deconstruction

By Amir Muhammad I always look forward to the few Filipino films I get to see. Unfortunately, I only get

Myrddin Emrys
April 30, 2002

Singaporeans as Dumb Animals

By Pang Khee Teik The most brilliant coup pulled off by Singaporean theatre icon Ivan Heng in his direction of George

Myrddin Emrys
April 26, 2002

… And The Show Goes On!

By Antares Having to cancel a RM200,000 production on the day it’s scheduled to open is not such a funny

Myrddin Emrys
April 26, 2002

The Angst of Malaysian Artists: Taxes and Permits

By Jenny Daneels The postponement of the launch for the musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”

Myrddin Emrys
April 25, 2002

Schizophrenic Endeavour

By Clarissa Lee The theatre of the absurd mingles with episodic formulation, sometimes coherently threaded by a known theme but other

Myrddin Emrys
April 23, 2002

Mimpi Panas di Malam ASK

By Faisal Tehrani Jangan-jangan begitulah sebenarnya semangat pementasan teater yang dikemukakan William Shakespeare sekitar 400 ratus tahun lampau. A Mid Summer

Myrddin Emrys
April 23, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Learn From Singapore

By Amir Muhammad Should we laugh or cry? In the month where the most-publicised film event here was a Bollywood awards

Myrddin Emrys
April 16, 2002

A Night in the Life of Jo Kukathas

By Pang Khee Teik The waiter kept coming back for more. If it isn’t to pour the wine every half a

Myrddin Emrys
April 16, 2002

Winged Voices, Lightly Seasoned

By Antares Q: What’s a good remedy for road fatigue, neck strain, and (instru)mental clutter? A: An evening with The

Myrddin Emrys
April 11, 2002

Gardner & Wife present another hilarious musical comedy for the family with “On the Way to the Forum”

Cheryl Lim Stephen Sondheim’s multiple award-winning musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened at

Myrddin Emrys
April 11, 2002

PREVIEW: Puteri lntan Baiduri & Potpuri Malaysia

By Cheryl Lim The mystical wayang kulit takes on a more three dimensional form this weekend at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

Myrddin Emrys
April 9, 2002

Naked Dancers Fight Back

By Pang Khee Teik The Hong Kong Arts Festival, a spectacular international showcase since 1973, was on in March. And

Myrddin Emrys
April 9, 2002

Chef Wan: Dari Dapur Ke Pentas Teater

By Faisal Tehrani Chef Wan, siapa yang tidak kenal beliau? Lurah Dendam atau Soal Hati, rancangan Famili Ceria, buku-buku masakannya, kisah

Myrddin Emrys
April 9, 2002

Drum Drama!

By Jeroma Kugan While it was no surprise that Hands Percussion would attract a full house on the opening night of

Myrddin Emrys
April 9, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Meeting Garin Nugroho

By Amir Muhammad Last Friday something happened in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. There wasn’t much fanfare, but Garin Nuqroho was

Myrddin Emrys
April 2, 2002

Japanese Drums Make The Earth Move At The DFP

By Cheryl Lim With a majestic drum roll and a succession of grand fanfares, Kevin Field, Associate Conductor of the Malaysian

Myrddin Emrys
April 2, 2002

Yusof Majid: Landscapes without Pretentions

By Michelle Woo In his third solo – Panorama – at Valentine Willie’s, abstract artist Yusof Majid talks to Kakiseni

Myrddin Emrys
April 2, 2002

Drumming Up a Storm

By Jerome Kugan For most Malaysians, including myself, Chinese drums are inextricably linked to Chinese New Year celebrations. According to customs,

Myrddin Emrys
April 1, 2002

Carl Davis Brings The Silent Classics To Life

By Cheryl Lim On his third appearance at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas from March 8 to 10, 2002, conductor/composer Carl Davis

Myrddin Emrys
March 26, 2002

KL’s First A Cappella Fiesta Hits The Right Notes

By Cheryl Lim A cappella. Singing without instrumental accompaniment. A style that allows the full magic of the human voice

Myrddin Emrys
March 26, 2002

REVIEW: Return to Kandahar

By Amir Muhammad The most exhilarating Iran film I have ever seen was A Moment of Innocence during a screening

Myrddin Emrys
March 26, 2002

Apanya Berkenaan Anugerah?

By Faisal Tehrani Pementasan teater Anugerah berakhir pada 21 Mac 2002 yang lalu di DBKL setelah tujuh hari dipentaskan. Teater anjuran

Myrddin Emrys
March 23, 2002

Winnie Yong’s first book Of Fishes & Bicycles is like a marshmallow

By Cheryl Lim At first glance, this looks like Malaysia’s answer to Melissa Bank’s wickedly funny Girls Guide to Hunting

Myrddin Emrys
March 19, 2002

Russian Outpour of Emotions from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

By Cheryl Lim The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Mariss Jansons’ reputations precede them, as seen from the large crowd that

Myrddin Emrys
March 19, 2002

More Nightmare Than Dream

By Antares I seriously considered keeping mum about my strange reaction to this gaudy and raucous musical comedy put up

Myrddin Emrys
March 19, 2002

Smorgasbord: Dogs, etc. in Deauville

By Amir Muhammad There were two big controversies during the recently concluded Festival du Film Asiatique de Deauville. Both provided interesting

Myrddin Emrys
March 19, 2002

The Bltimre W*ltz Opens in KL!

By Antares This was supposed to be a straightforward review of a not-so-straightforward play, The Baltimore Waltz by the award-winning

Myrddin Emrys
March 19, 2002

Thinking Outside The Box

By Kathy Rowland Confrontations between the State and artists are a fact of arts practice. Whether it is the Church and

Myrddin Emrys
March 11, 2002

Artist of Many Ta-lann-ts

By Jenny Daneels In 1997 Yee I-Lann sent 12 faxes and in nine days organised an illegal event at the Pudu

Myrddin Emrys
March 11, 2002

Listen Up!

By Cheryl Lim Mention jazz and images of great musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong immediately spring to

Myrddin Emrys
March 11, 2002

Joe Kidd: Unclogging the Underground

By Jerome Kugan For much of the past decade, the Terengganu-born 37-year-old Joe Kidd has dedicated himself to the KL music

Myrddin Emrys
March 5, 2002

Tale of Two Brothers

By Jess C. There were heart-breaking moments of tears, as well as heart-warming splatters of laughter. A great script with

Myrddin Emrys
March 5, 2002

Sharpshooting From the Hip

By Antares “What You Get Is What You See” is what Sue Ingleton calls her latest one-woman show, which features

Myrddin Emrys
March 4, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Tomyam Western

By Amir Muhammad The most-viewed Thai film among Malaysians in the past few years has got to be Nang Nak. Elderly

Myrddin Emrys
March 4, 2002

Letter to the editor – The Vagina Monologues are anti-Muslim propaganda – Feb 7

By Zue Nell I’d like to comment on the Editor’s statement that the license for Vagina Monologue was probably refused on

Myrddin Emrys
February 27, 2002

Berdendang Dalam Opera

By Faisal Tehrani Apakah saya menyukai produksi Opera Uda dan Dara yang dipentaskan di The Actors Studio Bangsar pada 20 Februari

Myrddin Emrys
February 26, 2002

Barbie Turns 40, Reinvents Herself

By Antares She was called “Barbie Doll” as a kid. But Barbara grew up and became the archetypal all-American golden

Azwan Ismail
February 25, 2002

Of Giggles, Guffaws and Groans

By Cheryl Lim Last March, we were introduced to the very first Malaysian Comedy Festival 2001, courtesy of Hans Issac and

Myrddin Emrys
February 19, 2002

Anoushka Shankar Lives Up to Her Reputation

By Cheryl Lim The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas reverberated with the exotic sounds of the sitar recently when Anoushka Shankar, daughter and

Myrddin Emrys
February 19, 2002

Uda Dan Dara Menyanyi Lagi!

By Faisal Tehrani Allahyarham Usman Awang menulis 22 buah drama. Salah satu yang paling diingati tentunya Uda dan Dara, naskah

Myrddin Emrys
February 19, 2002

SUE INGLETON on healing, shamanism, and theatre

By Antares KAKISENI: Sue, can you tell us a little about your life and work? SUE: My life and my work

Myrddin Emrys
February 19, 2002

SMORGASBORD: A Perfect Story

By Amir Muhammad There are many short stories that I love greatly. Here are my two favourites: Vladimir Nabokov’s Signs and

Myrddin Emrys
February 12, 2002

Ballsy Babe With Barracuda Brains

By Antares There she stood: Vera Verbiage, vivacious, voluptuous, and very vulgar Venusian, portrayed by a peroxide blonde American woman

Myrddin Emrys
February 12, 2002

PREVIEW – Mek Mulong Cahaya Bulan

By Cheryl Lim It is indeed heartening to know that some efforts are being made to preserve the traditional Malaysian art

Myrddin Emrys
February 12, 2002

Of Metaphors and Transformations

By Dr Tripat Narayanan You enter a darkened theatre, grope your way towards your seat, speak in hushed tones, and

Myrddin Emrys
February 5, 2002

An Evening of Organ Music at the DFP

By Cheryl Lim Organist Simon Preston delighted the audience with his expressive playing at a series of performances with the Malaysian

Myrddin Emrys
February 5, 2002

Azizi Abdullah berKAWIN-KAWIN

By Faisal Tehrani Setelah begitu lama, entah apa masalahnya sebelum ini, pemenang-pemenang Hadiah Sako anjuran Kumpulan Utusan pun diumumkan. Pemenang kali

Myrddin Emrys
February 5, 2002

Metaphorical Metamorphoses

By Jan Thornton The demands of his professional life would defeat most, but Ramli manages his kaleidoscopic commitments with apparent ease

Myrddin Emrys
January 29, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Lesson from Indonesia

By Amir Muhammad One of the highlights of the recently concluded Sarawak Millennium Film Festival was the screening of Kuldesak. This

Myrddin Emrys
January 29, 2002

Pete Teo: Malaysian Troubadour Poet

By JK It’s January 4, 2002, 11pm at No Black Tie. Pete Teo approaches the mic and plugs in his

Myrddin Emrys
January 28, 2002

From Majapahit to Putrajaya: The Kris as a symptom of Civilisation Development and Decline (Part 3)

By Farish A. Noor (edited by kakiseni.com) Read part 1 here. Read part 2 here From Weapon to Stigmata –

Myrddin Emrys
January 27, 2002

Clamorous and Clever Clams

By Antares “Evolution began with Eve when she took the first bite of the forbidden fruit.”-A.N. Onymus (actually I just

Myrddin Emrys
January 26, 2002

Return Of The Queen

By Antares There is no greater pleasure than seeing someone buck the trend and successfully transcend all cultural and racial boundaries.

Myrddin Emrys
January 24, 2002

The MPO starts the year with a concert as fluffy and sweet as a Viennese cream coffee

By Cheryl Lim The late evening shower did not dampen the spirits of those who turned up for the MPO’s first

Myrddin Emrys
January 22, 2002

Sekretariat Penulis Muda Ditubuhkan

By Faisal Tehrani Penulis-penulis muda sastera Melayu yang memiliki pelbagai idealisme, mazhab dan fahaman serta sukar pula untuk duduk semeja

Myrddin Emrys
January 21, 2002

From Majapahit to Putrajaya: The Kris as a symptom of Civilisation Development and Decline (Part 2)

By Farish A Noor (edited by kakiseni.corn) Read part 1 here. From Luxury to Weapon: The gradual de-mystification of the Kris

Myrddin Emrys
January 21, 2002

Feasting on Limp Biscuits

By Antares How does one review a tin of assorted biscuits? That’s essentially what anthologies of Asian short stories are:

Myrddin Emrys
January 14, 2002

From Majapahit to Putrajaya: The Kris as a symptom of Civilisation Development and Decline (Part 1)

By Dr. Farish A. Noor (edited by kakiseni.com) “Tak ada orang Belanda yang bisa bikin kris, Gus. Tak mampu dan takkan

Myrddin Emrys
January 14, 2002

SMORGASBORD: Shorts

By Amir Muhammad I recently gave an interview on the subject of the upcoming Sarawak Millennium Film Festival in my capacity

Myrddin Emrys
January 14, 2002

Berhari Raya Di Rumah Wardina

By Faisal Tehrani Masih dalam Syawal kita, sebulan berhari raya, membawa ke kediaman Wardina Saffiyah Fadhullah. Antara bintang yang menghiasi filem

Myrddin Emrys
January 7, 2002

Charley’s Auntie Rides Again

By Jenny Daneels Charley’s Auntie! is being restaged after last year’s raging success. Have Gardner & Wife found a new

Azwan Ismail
October 24, 2001

Salesman Yang Hidup

By Faisal Tehrani Terlalu banyak yang baik-baik untuk dikatakan mengenai produksi Death of a Salesman arahan Roselina Johari Mohd Khir

Azwan Ismail
October 22, 2001

Haunted Theatre: Not Happy Together

By Pang Khee Teik It is supposed to be a scene of bittersweet romance. Two female Chinese Opera performers, Mei

Azwan Ismail
October 22, 2001

Kee Thuan Chye: Vorpal Pen*, Actorly Aspirations

By Michelle Woo Professionally: an editor, and formerly a literary one. Creatively: a writer of socially-provocative plays and stirring prose.

Azwan Ismail
October 17, 2001

Smorgasbord: A-Z of Spinning Gasing (Rampai Sari: “Spinning Gasing” dari A ke Z)

By Amir Muhammad Klik di sini untuk versi Bahasa Malaysia yang diterjemahkan oleh Abd. Latiff Bidin. A is for ARIFF.

Azwan Ismail
October 17, 2001

The Butterflies are Free, directed by David Lim

By Dina Zaman I dug the groovy hanging beads that greeted the audience as they entered the Box. I wasn’t too

Myrddin Emrys
September 12, 2001

Nam Ron Dalam Proses

By Faisal Tehrani NAM RON akan muncul semula dengan sebuah drama arahannya hujung bulan ini. Setelah MISI dan Gedebe, pengarah muda

Myrddin Emrys
September 12, 2001

Holy Pap! Burlesque Nuns!

By Antares There’s a website where you can answer a few questions and determine precisely what your belief system is.

Azwan Ismail
August 28, 2001

Pulau Antara The Island In Between: A Haunting Experience Indeed

By Antares Five hours after leaving the Citra Istana Budaya auditorium – a grandly named island of culture amidst the

Myrddin Emrys
August 14, 2001

An Introduction to Shi Dai Qu

By Jess C. Shi dai qu, which describes the type of Mandarin songs that initially rose into prominence in pre-war

Myrddin Emrys
August 8, 2001

Chinese oldies, Made Popular by Dama Orchestra Again

By Jess C. Names like Zhou Xuan, Li XiangIan and Bai Guang were not only famous years back, their songs

Myrddin Emrys
August 6, 2001

FERTILE GROUND – Antares undergoes MenAPause

By Antares Allan Perera and Indi Nadarajah discovered each other through the legendary Instant Café Theatre, of which both were

Azwan Ismail
August 2, 2001

Theatre of the ARTiculate

By Antares “Many people confuse information and meaning, which leads to a rather disturbing paradox: Our society has come to

Azwan Ismail
June 28, 2001

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Five Arts Centre is moving! New address and phone number coming soon.