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| Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Theatre > Oh Man! by The Necessary Stage More than a Man - Oh Man!Artist : TNS Details : 5-23 Nov 2003, 3pm & 8pm, $16, Marine Parade Community Building Theatrette Reviewer : Dawn Fung I guess I must write something about Oh Man! because I am currently unable to walk out of any producion without thinking of reviewing it. I figure a review also suggests the browsing moments of the play that I liked and trying my darndest to remember how they pieced together. Oh man... I loved the video on three television screen of a boy playing with a very orange ball- Andrew Crother's music brought me back to a walk down memory lane. I really liked the rap by Sheik Haikel for his daughter. I thought the music really went well with Micheas Chan's heartfelt sharing of his friendship with his dog until it died. Then there was a lot of aggression and anguish when the cast had to bare all to explain what men wanted to say, from higher salaries to intimidation by feminists and gays to impotence. I thought the Nicholas Tee's rendition of How a Boy saved Singapore from Swordfish was extremely delightful. So was the short stand up by Kumar, a staple on the necessary stage. Randall Tan looked too good to take my eyes off while Lim Kay Tong was magnetic although that was somewhat lost with too much shouting. Then there was also the finale where every one of the male cast appeared in a skirt, giving the audience ten things that men wanted, like 'listen to me' and 'accept me'. Sean Tobin's latest project on drawing men together has proved entertaining, if that all too familiar from all Oh Man! reviews are anything to go by. Then this is my personal take. Did I like it? Sometimes. The good thing was that I looked forward to the each next segment without dozing off. Would I watch it again? I don't think so. Once a year of listening to men's issues suffice for my nonchalance. Would I recommend it to someone? I might, for the very reason that it is funny and the sad parts don't last long because the rhythm seemed like a heart monitor. Would my family enjoy it? Certainly. I think people these days can understand that the stage is a condensed reflection of society - topics like violence at home and Kumar's maleness would spark good conversations. Did I think this a necessary play? No, from a technical, sociological viewpoint. Many plays in Singapore feel too engendering, or play with the notion of sexual identity too often. I still think movement on stage can be more succint and primary, but that's a mime thing. Yes from a spiritual point. Basically this review piques me because I feel as if I have to justify it somehow from my beliefs. However, what difference does it make whether or not I am atheist? All of us place our beliefs on our nose, peeking out through a glass, sometimes darkly. Seeing that this struggle is already surfacing, I rest my case on the spiritual simplicity of Oh Man! - it has the potential to bring out deeper issues of the heart, besides gender politics, just by placing Jesus in the midst of all the cacophony. For me, watching Oh Man! through my spiritual goggles have convinced me that this play has only touched the surface of something wonderful. Perhaps what I am trying to say is this : unity between men may seem daunting but the differences of opinions beyond the cultural and sociological framework can be best treated if we push it deeper towards Christ. This is a challenge of any necessary production.
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