SERGEANT, Christina
Performing Arts in Singapore (Theatre/Drama),
Accession Number 003474
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 6
Total Reels
- Michele Lim
Interviewer
- 05:23:23
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 6
Metadata
- 29 Jan 2010
Recording Date
- 00:49:37
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Born 1955, Massachusetts, USA. Youngest in family. Described growing up in mid-west, US. First play at nine years old - played narrator in Peter Pan in annual school show. Influenced by Fourth Grade teacher, a musician. High school attended was famous for drama. Another big influence was choir teacher in high school. Talked about other influences during growing up years. Described classes attended in school; activities during drama classes in school; how they went about doing school productions; artists in schools; school trips. Graduated from high school at eighteen years old. Decided to work first before going to university. Was in Houston then, the boom town in 1970s. Grew up watching a lot of television. Big influences – old comedies, ‘Three Stooges’, ‘I Love Lucy’. Described education system then – no examination. Explained why examinations were reintroduced in her high school. Described difficulty in having to sit for examinations in first year in university. Was very involved in high school’s drama club. Participated in choir and tennis. After high school, worked in retail for a year before attending University of Houston. Theatre was a tough department then. In 1975, Marcel Marceau gave a lecture at university. Was riveted by the talk. Took movement (elective) and mime (requirement). Was fascinated by language of mime and movement.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 6
Metadata
- 29 Jan 2010
Recording Date
- 00:53:48
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Described first encounter with Marceau. Took classes with him at University. Was fascinated and intrigued with Mime. Described first professional gig in university. Described university education, type of work undertaken in theatre department. Talked about getting work in mime, more than main stage work. Explained choice of studying drama in university. Described experience in ensemble work; cohort size (seven to eight students); subjects taken in class. Described work life after graduation. Worked for Texas Mime Troup. Did equivalent of what we know as arts education programme in schools. Described Texas Arts Bureau, state level organisation that handled touring shows. Worked for a year before going to France to study at Marceau’s school. Described how Marceau conducted classes. Described drama schools in France – Marceau’s school, Lecoq’s school. Staying in the school was more difficult than getting in. Acknowledged that not all performers were not great teachers. Learnt through watching Marceau perform or teach. Described classes in France. Described work undertaken when taking break back in Houston. Worked for theatre company – taught mime and movement, and performed. Was also involved with Phoenix Theatre, community theatre. Described community theatre in the US then. Married a Singaporean who studied and worked in US.
In 1983, was twenty-seven years old, arrived in Singapore. Some of the theatre companies known then were Scene Shifters, ETC, Stage Club, Raffles Players. Struggled with settling in Singapore. While visiting Stage Club, met woman who extended invitation to join Singapore Theatre Repertory Showcase (STARS). Became involved in STARS’ first production, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. Acted as the Fiddler. STARS was division in Singapore American Community Action Council (SACAC). Described STARS’ vision and mission – for the community in Singapore. Sue Ellen and Maria Wheeler formed STARS. Met Roger Jenkins at STARS. He was teaching at United World College then. Started working together creatively. Later in 1983, Dr Goh Poh Seng’s office called – asked interviewee to do a show for Rainbow Disco. Mime piece was performed. Lena Ng-Soh (then working for Dr Goh) spoke with interviewee and introduced her to perform at Toulous Lautrec, another outlet owned by Dr Goh.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 6
Metadata
- 12 Feb 2010
Recording Date
- 00:55:43
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Described in more detail interviewee’s involvement and work with Singapore Theatre Repertory Showcase (STARS) after joining full-time from late 1985 to 1988. Described formation of STARS and its founders, Sue Ellen and Maria Wheeler. Described first show by STARS that interviewee saw – ‘Sarong Quay’. Interviewee’s first involvement in STARS show was in May 1984, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ – played the Fiddler. Described audition for the musical at National Theatre. Five hundred people auditioned. Roger Jenkins was director. All people involved in musical were volunteers except for musicians. Talked about remuneration for administrators working in voluntary theatre organisations. No payment for performers and directors. STARS’ policy – to be part of the Singapore community as well as for American expatriates. STARS’ aim – to become a professional theatre company, limited by guarantee model. Lawyer Lam Pin Foo helped looked into this. STARS was not even a society – just a sub-committee of SACAC. Described how Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) subsequently started with capital from STARS when STARS dissolved. Described STARS’ productions, ‘Miracle Worker’ (Best Production for Singapore Drama Festival); ‘Music Man’; ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’. Besides main stage shows, STARS also did revues; a performance piece at Peranakan Place; children’s show; workshops in 1985 (introduction to theatre and mask work). Described entertainment tax system at that time, monies which theatre company had to pay to government when putting up shows. ESSO was big supporter of STARS. Described how Roger Jenkins came to join STARS full time. Described how Wheeler got Arts Housing for STARS at Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC). Described how STARS worked with local arts body, then under Ministry of Community Development (MCD). Described how volunteers got involved at STARS. Described organisational structure for STARS. Described STARS’ production of ‘West Side Story’ (1986) which involved the community, with professional director and two actors from US. Described typical length for a run for a musical then. Other shows – ‘A Day at the Country’ (Russian comedy); ‘Top Girls’. Was part of residency scheme at Victoria Theatre then initiated by MCD (now NAC). MCD helped STARS with setting up of Youth Theatre Singapore – another division in STARS which was theatre training programme for young people in 1986. 120 kids auditioned for forty spaces in programme.
MCD gave grant subsidy for each child who had to pay fee to be part of training programme. Youth training programme existed for five years. Described theatre companies which existed or formed during late 1980s and early 1990s. Listed contributions by STARS to local theatre scene. Discussed whether/how local practitioners like Ong Keng Sen, Alvin Tan, Haresh Sharma, Ivan Heng, Najib Ali worked with STARS. Described STARS’ membership scheme. How people learnt of auditions. Level of support from print, radio, TV platforms. Explained STARS’ considerations when selecting plays to stage. Described other plays done including big production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ at Kallang Theatre which played nine performances. Ticket prices then. Explained decision for staging musicals. Described expat community then, what their spouses did while in Singapore, how SACAC supported expat community in Singapore. Described social schisms between expatriate (in particular those with high paying posts) and local communities then. Described starting workshops in local schools during mid 1980s – Ping Yi Secondary (first school to ask for workshops), St Nicholas Girls’, Marymount Convent. Actors Theatre Circle (ATC) – one of first companies in 1989/1990 which brought Shakespearean plays to schools. In 1989/90, interviewee was asked to be Festival Director for Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF). Described people involved then. Was there as festival director for two festivals. Described contract terms then. In 1989, interviewee formed Actors Theatre Circle (ATC) with Shirley Smith.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 6
Metadata
- 9 Jul 2010
Recording Date
- 00:49:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Recapped work with River Valley High school when teaching under Julia Gabriel. Last year at Julia Gabriel spent exclusively in schools – Crescent Girls, Nan Chiau High. Was part of artist-in-schools programme at Changkat Changi Secondary only in 2003. Before 2003, other schools like Mayflower Primary already had artists working in their schools. In late 1990s, more education services were available for schools for in-curriculum arts programmes. Was involved for a while with Language Arts when it was under its founder, David McVickers. Language Arts currently led by Surekha Dey. After Mime Unlimited closed, approached Raffles Girls School (Secondary) (RGS) to do drama programme. Then revisited NAC artist-in-schools scheme, applied for it and became artist-in-school for RGS for 2007, 2008 and 2009. Taught in-curriculum as well as for CCA. In first half of 2010, continued work at RGS but at reduced capacity. Was then approached by SOTA (School of the Arts) to teach part-time on full-time basis. Has been there since starting second half of 2010. Described work at RGS as artist-in-residence; contact hours; integrating drama with humanities departments; attitudes and mindsets of RGS; principal being strong supporter of arts and recognising that part of education is being well-rounded student. Talked about Anglo Chinese Junior College (ACJC) beginning its Theatre Studies programme. Went there on ad hoc basis for speciality training under Mime Unlimited. Did mask work and improvisation. Also taught other institutions like other junior colleges, LASALLE College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
Talked about work at LASALLE – taught drama since programme first started in the 1990s. Will be 20 years at LASALLE in mid 2011. John Faulkner was first head of Drama Department with 28 students. Pioneer batch included Benjamin Ng, Danny Jow, Kit Chan. Second drama head was Sandy Philips. By 2003/2004, LASALLE began to take drama department in hand and looked at it for long term. It now has degree programme for Musical Theatre, Acting and Foundation. Work in advocacy in drama education – one of founder members of Singapore Drama Educators Association. In late 2001, was approached by Jeffrey Tan from TheatreWorks to be part of protem committee for establishment of Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA). Association allowed for creation of network for drama education. Before that drama educators worked in vacuum. There was need to talk and share. Over time, with NAC establishing AEP, everyone was getting into it. AEP seen as cash cow for number of artists and theatre companies; including commercial companies. Impacted on quality of teaching out there. Described different types of drama education in the field.
Talked about SDEA’s role; areas which it is looking at – standards and competencies level. Shared aspirations for SDEA – network, set standards, not to be exclusive or elitist in standards. Has been Vice President of SDEA since 2004, from second elected committee; and helped in most aspects of SDEA, including conducting and organising workshops. In 2007, Workforce Development Agency (WDA) began discussions with SDEA’s president on competency levels in arts education. Opportunity opened for SDEA to play vital role in establishing competency levels recognised by national body and not based on individual opinion. Over time, scope for drama education grew much bigger than when interviewee first started off as educator in early 1980s. Explained reason. Talked about people in SDEA committees interviewee has been in; Noorlinah Mohd as president; raising standards in drama education and educators; the committee members and its work.
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