It’s been said that grief changes us irrevocably - that the death of a loved one shakes us up in unexpected and unimaginable ways. Some of us cling to rituals and superstitions. Others replay memories. Still others laugh in the face of its absurdity.

Weaving together personal stories and cultural perspectives, Where Are You? attempts to excavate the universal experience of grief through its unique manifestations. How do we talk openly and honestly about death? How can we be fearless about grieving deeply? And how will we reckon with where we go after death?

First conceived and staged in New York in 2019, Where Are You? has been re-imagined from scratch by director Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’, in close collaboration with a new team of Singapore-based artists. Join us in bringing some light and lightness to stories that are too often kept in the dark.

Where Are You? was first conceived and staged at New York University’s Tisch

School of the Arts in 2019. It was subsequently produced digitally in October

2020 and is continuing its development as part of the Mabou Mines 2020/21

SUITE/Space programme in New York.

In 2021, this Singapore version of the show was devised and produced as part of

the Wild Rice Directing Residency Programme, under the same title and themes

but with a new group of artists.

The final scene of the show is adapted from an NPR podcast titled Planning

Ahead Can Make a Difference in the End, featuring a fictional eulogy written and

performed by Aaron Freeman.

Content Warning: Visceral descriptions of death and grief, mentions of suicide,

references to race & religion, and the intense feelings that accompany these

topics.

IMDA Advisory: 16 (Some Mature Content)

We would like to dedicate this show to those we love who have passed away, including:

Amsyar HamzahBobby LimDave Toole

Dennis ChiangDorothy Jean Smith

Gopindranathan KarthaGwendolyn Lee

Haji Ahmad Bin KassimHollyJ. Ma

June Lim Qing WenJustin Loo

K. K. Unnikrishnan NairKoh Wee Cheng

MallowMuhammad Said Bin Madina

Pakcik AminPoon Chee Kwong

Poon WaisyRaya Binte LepangRiduwan Bin Alwi

Russell WeeSim Goon WahSim Lee KimTan Ah Eng

Tan Siew PianVicki SymondsYasmin Ahmad

Yeo Kim Ho 雷金菊

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORThere was a palpable sense of despair in our community when the pandemic brought the theatre industry to a standstill last year. Several young artists I knew told me that they were contemplating giving up working in the theatre, because they couldn’t see a way forward.

We decided then to fast-track our Directing Residency programme, which had originally been scheduled to kick off later this year. We wanted to give young people hope and opportunities at a time when both seemed to be in short supply.

Over the past few months, it has been my great privilege and pleasure to work with these young theatre-makers – empowering them to develop their vision and tell the stories they want to tell.

We set out to inspire the four young directors in this programme – but they, too, have inspired us, giving everyone at Wild Rice a sense of purpose. They have helped us make sense of our mission to nurture future generations of artists.

At this performance, Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ directs Where Are You? – a production that is at once personal but also universal in the way it mines our stories, culture and traditions to better understand grief. How do we grieve, as individuals and as a communal act? This piece of physical theatre, which has been devised from scratch by YY and her collaborators, is quite unlike any other in our Directing Residency Season, but takes inspiration from Wild Rice’s body of physical theatre and verbatim productions. On her part, YY has approached this project with care, commitment and courage. She has done us proud in creating a safe environment for her remarkable company, and her adroitly athletic cast has risen to the challenge with their physicality, rigour and attention to detail.

We’re so glad to have you here with us in the theatre today. YY and her entire company will be listening to and learning from this live theatrical encounter with you. Your laughter, sighs and silences will teach us what we’re doing right and show us how we can improve. By being in the audience, you are playing a crucial part in supporting the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

Thank you very much, and we hope you enjoy the show.

Ivan HengFounding Artistic Director, Wild Rice

ABOUT WILD RICE’S DIRECTING RESIDENCY PROGRAMME

GET READY TO MEET TOMORROW’S THEATRE-MAKERS TODAY!

When COVID-19 compelled the closure of our theatre

last year, we made the decision to pivot from presenting

shows to incubating projects and investing in the future of

Singapore theatre.

And so, Wild Rice’s brand-new Directing Residency

Programme was born.

In April 2020, we put out an open call for young directors,

offering them a safe space in which they can learn, grow

and create.

We selected four exciting candidates – Victoria Chen,

Hazel Ho, Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ and Thong Pei Qin – from the

60 submissions we received.

Over the past few months, these incredible young directors

have been working closely with Ivan Heng, our Founding

Artistic Director, to bring their artistic visions to life.

Each director was given the opportunity to choose and

develop their script, cast and rehearse with their actors,

assemble and lead a design team and more.

Today, you will get to see the work of some of the thrilling

new artists who will be helping to shape Singapore’s

theatre industry for generations to come.

CAFÉDIRECTED BY HAZEL HO

MINEDIRECTED BY THONG PEI QIN

BULLDIRECTED BY VICTORIA CHEN

WHEREARE YOU?DIRECTED BY SIM YAN YING ‘YY’

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORWhere Are You? was born out of confusion and chaos during a time of immense personal grief. After my grandfather passed away in February 2018, my way of grieving in the immediate aftermath was to believe every ritual and every superstition.

As per Chinese tradition, I believed that my grandfather would return on the seventh day to pay his family a final visit. I believed that the coiled incense had to burn clockwise for him to have a smooth journey in the afterlife. I believed that we had to look away when the pallbearers shut his coffin, for our souls would get trapped inside it otherwise. Six months later, I found myself still

talking to my grandfather in the sky, feeling him in the wind, and believing that my roommate’s cat was the reincarnated version of him.

In 2019, I started working with a group of collaborators in New York to develop Where Are You? in an attempt to look death in the eye and capture the complex and almost indescribable experience of grief. After two productions, one in New York at the Tisch School of the Arts and another presented by Mabou Mines online, Where Are You? has expanded to include a Singapore version, asking the same difficult questions about grief and death, but devised with an entirely different group of artists.

Over the last four months, the Singapore team has worked tirelessly to create this work from scratch. We shared personal stories of grief with one another, spoke with interviewees about their experiences, and researched funeral traditions across cultures and religions. We challenged societal conventions of grief and questioned the politics surrounding it in Singapore, where it often feels like there is neither time nor space for such an emotion.

In our attempt to bring light to what is often kept in the dark, we acquired a deeper understanding of the unique ways in which we come to this universal experience and how we carry on with it. The process of developing this work was physically exhausting, mentally draining and emotionally taxing – and we have come out of it with a newfound appreciation of human resilience and of the people around us.

I am deeply grateful for every single one of my collaborators for the effort and love they have given to this project, evident not just in rehearsals, but also in pantry conversations and late-night WhatsApp messages.

I am indebted to the performer-devisers – Aiswarya, Al Hafiz, Deborah, Hafeez, Rachel, Shanice and Zora – for the courage, curiosity and compassion with which they approached the work, for their generosity in stepping up to support the process with their individual strengths, and for their relentless drive to challenge themselves and the team.

Thank you to our dramaturgs – Nabilah, Nien and Nick – for being my source of strength over the last four months, and for the incisiveness and care with which they went through every draft of every scene.

Thank you, too, to our scenic & costume designer, Johanna, for making it exciting to step out of our comfort zones and consider radical alternatives; to our lighting designer, Irfan, for his artistic sophistication and ideas that helped to push the work to a whole new level; to our sound designer, Jay, for his openness towards learning and bravely taking on the challenge of designing a live theatre show for the first time; to our surtitlist, Christer, our scenic & costume assistant, Caitlyn, and our assistant stage manager, Wani, who readily contributed their skills towards the success of this show when they joined us in the later half; and, of course, to our stage manager, Liana, for so beautifully holding this process together with her utmost reliability, exceptional meticulousness and unparalleled dedication.

I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to my artistic mentor, Ivan Heng, for his astute insights on the script and production, and for inspiring me with his utter fearlessness and immense passion. Thank you to the truly outstanding Wild Rice staff, whose robust support in the administrative, marketing and production aspects of Where Are You? has given me valuable time and space to focus on my creative work; to our volunteers, for the sheer effort they’ve put into scenic construction, as well as transcribing our many discussions and improvisations; to our interviewees, for their courage and generosity in sharing their vulnerable experiences with us; and to everyone we love who is no longer alive – for the indelible imprints they have left on our lives and their immeasurable love which we continue to carry with us.

And finally, thank you to you, the audience, for joining us on this very special journey. I hope that Where Are You? will be able to bring you comfort and solace in your grief, and hopefully some joy and light as well.

SIM YAN YING ‘YY’

RITUALS & RITESThe following are some of the rituals mentioned in Where Are You? (Singapore),

accompanied by footnotes that provide more context.

A HINDU RITUALAfter I breathe my last, they place me on the floor, in North-South direction.My nostrils are stuffed with cotton.My jaws, head, and big toes are tied up.The lamps are lit.I hear the recital of Ramayana¹.

“ShreeRama Rama Rama ShreeRamaChandra Jaya ShreeRama Rama Rama ShreeRamaBhadra Jaya”

Within a few hours, I am bathed and covered in white clothes.I am taken to the backyard and placed on a platform of wood.Rituals are carried out for me.My son lights the pyre with the sacred fire.My body is burnt till sunset. After three to ten days, I am visited by the men in my familyAlong with the Sheethikan2.With their thumb and fourth fingerThey pick out the bones and ashesOf my head, abdomen and feetAnd place them in an urn.

On the seventh day, my family gives a feast to everyone. Till the tenth day, the Shradham³ is performed by my sons.I am served rice balls and puja⁴ every day,Each day representing a month in the womb.

1 Ramayana: One of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, it chronicles the life of Lord Rama.

2 Sheethikan: The priests or instructors of funeral rituals in the South Indian Nair community.

3 Shradham: The rituals that one performs to pay homage to one’s dead ancestors.

⁴ Puja: Act of worship

5 Bali: Ancestral worship

6 The Ganga: A sacred river to the Hindus, The Ganga originates from the Himalayas and is also considered a Goddess.

The Ganga is said to have descended to earth from heaven and is also considered the vehicle of ascent from earth to

heaven.

7 Moksha: The transcendent state attained as a result of being released from the cycle of rebirth.

8 Sacrament of Penance: One of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, in which the faithful are absolved from

sins committed after Baptism and they are reconciled with the Christian community.

9 Holy Oil: Olive oil blessed by a bishop for use in a sacrament or sacramental. The primary purpose of anointing with the

holy oil is to sanctify, to set the anointed person or object apart as holy.

10 Holy Communion: The service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared, in

remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus that was broken and shed at the cross.

At the end of the tenth day, the final Bali5 is done.My ashes are released into The Ganga6 .I am purified by the rituals and have attained moksha7 .I am released from suffering the cycles of rebirth.

A CATHOLIC RITUAL

In my last hours, I receive the Sacrament of Penance8.I confess my sins to a priest.I make peace with God and receive forgiveness.

“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

The priest prays. My forehead and hands are anointed with Holy Oil9 .I am given the Holy Communion10 – bread and wine – the body and blood of Christ.This is my food for the journey, a seed of eternal life.

When I die, my soul departs from my body.My body is placed in a coffin and a rosary is placed in my hand.My coffin is sprinkled with Holy Water,Reminding me of the beginning of my life with Christ.My family and friends drape my coffin with a pall, The garment I will wear before the throne of God.

11 Allah: The one and only God in Islam.

12 Azrael: The angel of death who separates souls from their bodies. He is one of the four archangels.

13 Mecca: The holiest city in Islam and the capital of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. Prophet Muhammad was born

in Mecca and it is in this direction that Muslims turn five times daily in prayer. All devout and able Muslims attempt a hajj

(pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

14 Shahada: A Muslim declaration of faith and the first Pillar of Islam out of five pillars. It expresses the belief that there

is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

As I lie in the funeral parlour, I hear my loved ones chanting rosaries.They kiss me on the forehead and whisper goodbye.

After three days, the procession to the church begins.The cross-bearer goes first, followed by members of the clergy.The priest walks in front of my coffin; my family and friends walk behind.I hear verses from the Bible.

My coffin is placed at the altar with my feet facing it.The candles are lit.My youngest son holds the Bible, my third daughter holds the pall. My coffin is sprinkled with Holy Water and blessed with incense.

We make our way to the crematorium, where my family and friends say a final goodbye. They are taken to the viewing gallery.As I am delivered to the fire, the priest says a final prayer:

“Be not severe in thy judgement but let some drops of thy precious blood fall upon the devouring flames. O Merciful Saviour, send thy Angels to conduct thy departed servant to a place of light and peace.”

AN ISLAMIC RITUAL

Forty days before the heart stops beating,Allah11 drops a leaf bearing my name,From a tree beneath the heavenly throne.Azrael12 reads my name inscribed on the leaf,The next person he must take with him. Upon the hour of death, I will hope that I am facing Mecca13.Upon the minute of death, I will hope my mouth utters the Shahada14: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”Upon the second of death, Azrael will separate my soul from my body and return it to Allah.

15 Kain Kafan: A white cloth used to enshroud the deceased in Islamic burials. It requires three wraps for males and five

wraps for females.

16 Pusara Abadi: Located in Choa Chu Kang, it is one of the few dedicated Muslim cemeteries in Singapore. It translates

to “Eternal Cemetery”.

17 Al Barzakh: An Arabic word meaning “obstacle” or “barrier”, it designates a place separating the living from the

hereafter. In Islam, the soul and the body are independent of each other. Upon death, only a person’s soul goes to Al

Barzakh and not their physical body.

18 Qiyamah: Known simply as Kiamat in the Malay language, this is known to be the Day of Resurrection when all of time

has ended and it is time for God’s final assessment of humanity.

19 Munkar and Nakir: Angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves. They are responsible for propping the

deceased soul upright and asking three questions that will determine the soul’s trajectory.

I am wrapped completely using three white kain kafan15.A rope is tied at the top of my head, below my feet, and around my waist. I am brought to Pusara Abadi16 by four family men.They place me into a grave dug parallel to Mecca. My family throws three handfuls of dirt onto my body.They say a final prayer, Surah Taha, Verse 55:

“From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, And from it We will bring you back again.” I am lowered into the grave. ***Seven steps after the last person leaves,I enter the Al Barzakh17, a state of waiting until Qiyamah18, Day of Judgement. Two angels, Munkar and Nakir19, test me in my grave.They prop my soul upright.They ask three questions. Who is your Lord? What is your religion?

20 Peace Be Upon Him: An honorific phrase used after any mention in speech or print of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad.

21 Tahlil: A form of dhikr (devotional act) that involves the praising of Allah by reciting the Shahadah and other verses.

22 Nan Mo Lian Chi Hai Hui Fo Pu Sa: A Buddhist chant translating to “we take refuge in the Buddhas and

bodhisattvas of the Lotus Pond Great Assembly”. A Bodhisattva is any person who is on the path towards Buddhahood.

23 Sutras: Canonical scriptures regarded as records of the oral teachings of Gautama Buddha.

What is your faith about this person (Muhammad, peace be upon him20)? If I answer correctly, I will go to sleep in the Al Barzakh.If I do not, my punishment will begin in the grave.Together with the others, I wait for Qiyamah. ***On the third day of my death, a tahlil21 will be held for me. A recitation of prayers for my soul and a simple meal prepared by my family for the guests. On the seventh day, a tahlil will be held for me. On the fortieth day, a tahlil will be held for me. On the hundredth day, a tahlil will be held for me.

A BUDDHIST RITUAL

Nan Mo Lian Chi Hai Hui Fo Pu Sa22

When my heart stops beating, it’s the start of a new beginning. For the first four hours, my body is left undisturbed.Earth dissolves into water, water into fire, fire into air,Until my body comprehends the true meaning of emptiness.Monks chant sutras22 for me to light the path through this in-between state. My eldest son washes my body with water and pomegranate flowers.I am wiped down three times and placed in a coffin.Coins to bribe guardian spirits are put in my left hand.Rice is poured on my body so I have enough to eat on my journey.Some of my favourite belongings also come with me.

24According to Chinese folk religion, the Courts of Hell make up a purgatory that serves to punish and renew spirits in

preparation for reincarnation.

25Nirvana: The ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism. Those who attain it no longer reincarnate.

On the seventh day, my family sprinkles flour on the floor at home.My soul is allowed to return for a final visit.I may leave footprints.

On the forty-ninth day, my time in the in-between ends.The ten courts24 decide my fate,Whether I would be burnt, stabbed, frozen or otherwise tortured in hell,Or whether I would cross the bridge to enter Nirvana25. I end up somewhere in the middle.My soul is reborn to a new body wherein the cycle of life begins again.

HAFEEZ HASSAN

Hafeez is a dancer, choreographer,

fitness trainer and rehabilitation

specialist.

OUR CAST

AL HAFIZ SANUSI

Al Hafiz has performed in several

notable English and Malay productions

over the years - most recently, in Wild

Rice’s Candide and Akulah BIMBO

SAKTI’s Cerita Cinta. This Honours

Graduate in English Literature from

Nanyang Technological University

has also studied jingju (Beijing Opera)

in Shanghai, as well as clowning and

topeng pajegan in Bali.

alhafizsanusi.wordpress.com

DEBORAH HOON

Deborah is a theatre practitioner,

educator and producer based in

Singapore, with a focus on Physical

Theatre. Being in this production has

uplifted her and brought clarity to her

never-ending existential crisis on life

(and death). Her dying wish is to ensure

her coffin is eco-friendly with absolutely

NO red lipstick allowed!

AISWARYA NAIR

Aiswarya, a trained dancer in

Indian classical forms, rekindled her

childhood passion for acting in mid-

2014. A multilingual actor, she has

since performed in various theatre

productions, short films, TV series and

commercials in English, Hindi, Tamil

and Malayalam. Most recently, she

performed in Tadka, part of How to

Break a Window - A Hybrid Theatrical

Experience by T:>Works, Singapore.

RACHEL NIP

Rachel is a choreographer and performer

in theatre and dance. Rachel is

grateful for the time with this team of

generous and talented individuals, and

thanks everyone for sharing so much

of themselves in this work. She will

treasure this experience until the day

she dies.

www.rachelnip.weebly.com

SHANICE NICOLE STANISLAUS

Shanice is a physical theatre artist.

She started as a performing artist with

Flamenco Sin Fronteras, and has since

worked with esteemed theatre, dance

and film practitioners internationally.

She believes in arts empowerment for

all and, as a performer, creator and

educator, creates meaningful work for

communities around her.

ZORA SMITH

Zora is an actor and vocal artist based

in Singapore. Zora trained at William

Esper Studio in New York. She directed

the one-woman show, In Loving Memory

(2017), as well as Pioneer Passages:

The Stories of Black Women (2018).

In 2019, she co-wrote and performed

in Palindromes, an exploration of the

Filipino/Malay diasporic experience.

NICHOLAS CHAN Dramaturg & Casting Consultant

Nicholas is a graduate of the Dramatic

Writing programme at NYU, and one of

YY’s long-time collaborators. He served as

the dramaturg for I LOVE WHITE MEN

and Where Are You? (New York). His other

notable works include the award-winning

video game, Masquerada: Songs and

Shadows.

OUR TEAM

SIM YAN YING ‘YY’ Director

Yan Ying ‘YY’ is a theatre artist based in

Singapore and New York. She creates as

a director, performer and writer, and is

particularly drawn towards intercultural

works that challenge existing forms

and boundaries. Original works include:

Who’s There? (The Transit Ensemble &

New Ohio Theatre), I LOVE WHITE MEN

(Caveat NYC, Ars Nova ANT Fest, Dixon

Place) and Without Reason (Esplanade).

YY is currently an artist in the Mabou

Mines SUITE/Space programme, Fault

Line Theatre’s Irons in the Fire and Wild

Rice’s Directing Residency programme.

Training: BFA at NYU Tisch & 2017 SITI

Company Summer Intensive.

simyanying.com

IG: @simyanying

NABILAH SAID Dramaturg

Nabilah is a playwright, editor and

poet. Her plays have been presented

in Singapore and London, including

ANGKAT (2019), which won Best

Original Script at the 2020 Straits

Times Life! Theatre Awards. She is the

founder of playwright collective Main

Tulis Group and is currently the editor

of ArtsEquator.

CHENG NIEN YUAN Dramaturg

Nien Yuan is a Singaporean

performance scholar and dramaturg.

She is an Honorary Associate at the

School of Literature, Art and Media in

the University of Sydney. She recently

obtained her PhD in Theatre and

Performance Studies at USyd (class of

2020). Her work explores the politics of

storytelling.

JOHANNA PAN Scenic & Costume Designer

Johanna is a costume and scenic

designer. Her artistic practice is centred

around decolonising the imagination,

breaking down notions of feminised

labour, and anti-racism. She continues

to harbour hope for a more sustainable

humankind in the face of adversity.

MFA/Tisch Design for Stage and Film

www.johannapan.com

IRFAN KASBAN Lighting Designer

Irfan’s desire to find peace guides his

artistic trajectory in various mediums

and disciplines. Through writing,

directing, designing, and performing,

he hopes to create intricate worlds as

a way to make sense of this universe.

A freelance professional since 2006,

he humbly offers his energies by

celebrating the collision of space and

time. Presently, Irfan is interested in

performance as ritual healing.

NURLIANA HARON Stage Manager

Liana is proud to be working with Wild

Rice again following her involvement

in Emily of Emerald Hill, Supervision

and A $ingapore Carol. Her other stage

management credits include How Far

I’ll Go (Singapore Lyric Opera), Not In

My Lifetime? (The Finger Players) and

Lenore And The Learning Journey (Mind

Champs).

JAY ONG Sound Designer

Jay experiments with sound. Recent

projects include collaborations with YY

and Alvin Tan for Who’s There? (2020)

and Robert Casteels for Pictures at an

(SG) Exhibition (2019). His compositions

have premiered at The World Saxophone

Congress (Croatia) and as part of The

Esplanade’s All Things New programme

(Singapore).

CREDITS

CASTAl Hafiz Sanusi Hafeez HassanDeborah HoonAiswarya Nair

Rachel Nip Shanice Nicole Stanislaus

Zora Smith

CREATIVE TEAMDirector Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’

Devised by Sim Yan Ying ‘YY’ and the Where Are You? CastDramaturgs Nicholas Chan, Cheng Nien Yuan & Nabilah Said

Casting Consultant Nicholas ChanScenic & Costume Designer Johanna Pan

Lighting Designer Irfan KasbanSound Designer Jay Ong

PRODUCTION TEAMProducer Koh Bee Bee

Production Manager Melissa TeohTechnical Manager David Sagaya

Production Co-ordinator Phua Yun YunProduction Assistant Angela EeStage Manager Nurliana Haron

Assistant Stage Manager Nazirah Hazwani Binte SamadScenic & Costume Assistant Caitlyn Lim

Surtitlist & Surtitle Operator Christer Jon AplinTechnicians Ahmad Hafriz Bin Berkath & Muhammad Azhar Bin Azman

WILD RICE LTD IS SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL UNDER THE MAJOR

COMPANY SCHEME FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1 APRIL 2019 TO 31 MARCH 2022.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ARCHANGEL

CORPORATE SPONSOR

OFFICIAL CATEREROFFICIAL MAKE-UP OFFICIAL PRINTER

THANK YOU!

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our interviewees – Asher Tan, Edison Tong, Francesca Harriman, Gargi Bhattacharya, I.Z.,

Kurtz Blackstarz and S. Selvaraj, as well as those who wish to remain anonymous

– for their kindness and generosity in sharing their stories with us.

Thank you to our volunteers – Aditya Srivastava, Elvira Foo, Hannah Lim,

Isabelle Low and Nicole Daswani – for their invaluable assistance

in transcribing our many discussions and improvisations.

To Kendrick Tay, Quek Yu Han, Sean Gwee and The Made Agency

for their labour in scenic construction.

To the following for rendering their help to us in ways big and small:

Alfian Sa’at, Crispian Chan, Dileep Ennazhi Pandalankat, Distilleri,

Faridah Riduwan, Hazel Ho, Hemaa Shruthi Sekar, Jane Alison Koh, Jem Toh,

Koh Geok Sai, Nick Ng, Nip Tai Lun, Noor Effendy Ibrahim, P. Rajalekshmi,

Padma Sagaram, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Ruey Loon,

See Yongxin, Shann Nara, SISTIC.COM Pte Ltd, Thong Pei Qin,

Tucky’s Photography, Victoria Chen, Wild Rice Angels and Wild Rice Ushers.

ABOUT WILD RICEWIld Rice was founded in 2000 by Ivan Heng, an internationally acclaimed and award-winning theatre practitioner, and is recognised today as one of Singapore's leading professional theatre companies.Its mission is to provide an open forum for the shared experience of theatre: celebrating our diversity; reflecting on the problems and possibilities of our times; and presenting productions that inspire, challenge and entertain.

A commitment to the highest standards informs every aspect of Wild Rice’s creative work, which is first and foremost a celebration of Singapore’s theatrical talent. By producing and touring productions that are distinctively local in flavour and yet universal in vision and concerns, the company creates memorable experiences for audiences in Singapore and across the world.

Wild Rice is committed to touring its shows internationally to raise the profile of Singapore theatre, to create an international awareness of its unique productions, and to engage its artists and collaborators in creative dialogues with the international arts community. Its distinctively Singaporean productions have won great acclaim in major international arts festivals in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand and Russia.

Wild Rice @ Funan is the company’s new home in the heart of Singapore’s civic and cultural district. This groundbreaking performing arts complex promises to be an iconic destination theatre for Singapore, one dedicated to creating and presenting the best of Singapore theatre, while nurturing the artists and audiences of tomorrow.

The company's exciting and variedprogramming for the main stageincludes:

+ New and original works+ New productions of the Singapore repertoire+ New interpretations of world classics

The company's mission to build a theatre culture also extends to the wider community through the following divisions:

+ Wild Rice Academy and First Stage, which offer drama and training programmes to nurture young talents from the ages of 5 to 12+ Singapore Youth Theatre, which develops and empowers young people aged 13 to 17 through theatre+ Young & Wild, which identifies and develops Singapore’s young theatre professionals from the ages of 18 to 30

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTan Siok Sun - ChairJanice Koh – Vice ChairBill AngDeborah BarkerRandy ChanChan Ying LockGlen GoeiIvan HengAnthonia HuiSimone LoureyTony TrickettMary Ann Tsao

WILD RICETEAM

IVAN HENG Founding Artistic Director

TONY TRICKETT Executive Director

ARTISTICGLEN GOEI Co-Artistic Director

ALFIAN SA'AT Resident Playwright / Co-Artistic Director,Singapore Theatre Festival

YOUTH& EDUCATIONTHOMAS LIM Associate Artistic Director, Youth & Education

EDITH PODESTAAssociate Artistic Director, Young & Wild

EZZAT ALKAFFYouth & Education Manager

BENJAMIN LYEAdministrator, Young & Wild

SHALYN YONGProgramme Co-ordinator, Wild Rice Academy

PRIYANKA SABUYouth & Education Intern

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSLINDA TANMarketing Manager

SHAWNE WANGEditorial Consultant

NALIA RAHMATMarketing Intern

PRODUCTIONKOH BEE BEEProducer

MELISSA TEOHProduction Manager

PHUA YUN YUNProduction Co-ordinator

ANGELA EEProduction Assistant

DEVELOPMENTTERESA FUHead, Development

STELLA LIMDevelopment Executive

ADMINISTRATIONKATHERINE KHOOHead, Administration

JASMINE LIMAccounts Manager

ROSS TOHAdministrative Executive

VENUEKOH WEE GIAPVenue Manager

MUHAMMAD FADLY BIN NANYANAssistant Venue Manager

DAVID SAGAYATechnical Manager

AHMAD HAFRIZ BIN BERKATHTechnician

MUHAMMAD AZHAR BIN AZMANTechnician

Thank You, Wild Rice Angels!GUARDIANMs. Kay Kuok

ARCHANGELAL Wealth Partners Pte Ltd

GOLDEN ANGELMrs. Betty Chen

PINK DIAMONDMr. Lam Kun Kin Mdm. Lena Cheng U Wen and FamilyMr. Peter Michael Lee and Ms. Suzanne LiauWilliam S.W. Lim

YELLOW DIAMOND Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique Dr. Mary Ann Tsao Jeanette Tan Ai Lin

DIAMONDGioia and Mark BattistoniMr. Rogerio Bernardo The Friedman FamilyEugenia and Talenia GajardoMr. Anthony Huray Conrad Lim and Andrea GiamLim Ming YanNatasha and Olivier LimPing Ong and Jason CoatesPasar GlamourMolly Singam-Chow Ms. Priscylla ShawFinian and Fiona TanMr. Kenneth TanTerrific Mentors International Pte LtdYam Churn MengMr. Hugh Young

EMERALDNoreen Chan

HK ChanBenjamin and Annie Chang Nick and Maureen CheeChung Wei Han and Hoong Yik Luen CPElisabeth de RothschildJoel Devidal and Tomoko DevidalEnya-Lea Pte LtdDorian GohRonald GweeRussell HengJacqueline Ho, EsqRaja KamalMr. and Mrs. Kenneth KanJanice Koh and Lionel Yeo Ms. Kuah Eng Hua and Mr. Patrick KwekDr. Lai Jiunn Herng Dr. Ian MathewsLeroy and Genevieve McCully Catherine Poyen and David ZemansThe Silent FoundationTRAXX Trading Pte LtdDr. Knut Unger

PEARLKeith Aldrich and Janice NgeowAlzone and Bernice AngBernhard and ElenaLisa Burnage and Christoph TheisingerThe Cai FamilyClara ChanMs. Jessica ChanSL Chan Colin and Linda CheeCatherine Cheung and Elvin TooDr. Grace ChiamBen and Yvonne ChiangKevin and Dina Coppel

Jordan Dea-MattsonGoh Sze WeiWynthia GohHeng H MMr. and Mrs. Leonard HengHenry and SophieMr. Richard Ho KF Stephanie Ho Y FSimon HoMs. Susanna Kang Lee ChengMr. and Mrs. Dermot KeilthyKoh Choon HeongMr. and Mrs. Winston and Valerie KwekJoel LeeLeslie LeeLim Sin TeckMdm. Bernice LimCharmaine LimChoo LimDr. Loke Loo PinShirlyn LooLu and KatAlla LukyanovaTay Wen JieElizabeth OoRicky OwPacific Century GroupPromoPower Pte LtdMichelle SassoonMs. Kamini SathanantharPhilip and Christine SeahDr. Ági SlaterRoger Simons and Valerie TanDr. Tony Stanley and Dr. Suditi MuttuClarence TanDavid Tan THDr. Tan Hong WuiTan Jin KienDr. Tan Poh Kiang and Mrs. Tan Lie JoanCasey TehTeo Yi-Ling

Denise and Tristan TheurierVKWang Piau VoonMrs. Tracey Woon Mr. and Mrs. Don YapYeo Suan WeiMr. Yeoh Cheng Huann Geoffrey Yu

RUBY DEVILDr. and Prof. Irene Lim Kay Han and David Alexander Stringer

RUBYA Ruby Angel AlvinAngelShanta Danielle ArulCsaba B.Ben and MarianneBenettBodyworks StudiosMs. Judith BollingerCara and Tamara ChangLC Cheam Cheam Shou-SenChris and MatthewDr. Christopher ChenMr. Felix Chen Seong Kit and Mdm. Ong Paik SimFlorence Chek Chia Yu Hsien and FamilyTony Ching Dr. Chionh Su LinMs. Rosemary ChngElsie Ng and Cho Wee PengChong Zhi Xin and Jovin OngChoo Chee YongChu Kooi HarDr. Ivan ChuaMs. Roopa DewanEnceinte Pte LtdErvinAgnes Eu

FlorenceMervyn FongShawn FongMs. Y.L. FooRobert Fox and Irene LowGan Yong Ann Indra GenevieveGoei Kim ChweeGoh Kok Wee Goh Mia YangSharon GooiAndy Grant and June WeeShirley GweeJoy Haughton and Markus KraftChristine Henderson and Chandran KukathasCheryl HengShirley HengMichael HenningsenHo JieyingJudit HordaiAdeline and Matthew HowdenJason and Clare Humphreys Jake, Ta and Sasithon JacobsJi ShinKai Jun and Wan YiNaeem KapadiaDr. KhooKhoo Ai LinKhor Wei BoonDarren KohKoh Kim SiahKoh Tai AnnTimothy KohKelly KonMs. Kwok ShuhuiNicolas LangloisLeeAnnie LeeEugene LeePhillip Lee Soo HoonLee Sook LanTin Lin LeeLee Yueh FangLeong ChingLew Foon Keong CharlesLian Pek

Liew Zhi HaoAlexander LimMr. Amos LimFabian Lim Kwang LiangLim Kian Chong GeraldSuzanne LimMr. Terence Lim Chee WenTimothy LimEdmund Lin and Trina Liang-LinRichard LingnerGretchen LiuJeffrey LokeBenjamin and Sharon Low Steven Luk Chiew PengKitch LumProf. Kishore MahbubaniMay HuiMaisy and DawnMhwahSteven Miller and Patricia MeyerMuloongo MuchelembaMrs. and Mrs. MunnleyMurray FamilyDr. Euan Murugasu and Dr. Gillian KohMeena Mylvaganam andMichael TayDavid NeoWilliam and Teresa NeoDorothy Ng Geok EngHenry NgJohn NgDr. Serene NgBiggy Nguyen and Gwen JettainSerene OhDominic OngOng Hwee SuanOng KangxinLinda Ong Ong Poh LinMr. Stephen OngSu-Chzeng OngOon Su SunPang Siu Mei Adrian Peh Prakash and Vidhya PillaiDavid Poon and

Jacqueline NgCara Puah-WeePriya RathStephan RepkowQue Richard Rubnan RubyHenrik SaviaBenedict SeeTohYvonne SeowBrian Selby and Angelina ChangDr. Jam Sou Lai, E15/80Ken SiahRoy SimMohan SundaralingamMeena SundramMelissa TamCasey TanDr. Glenn TanHarry TanIvan TanTan Kay LipMr. and Mrs. Kevin and Tiffany TamCrystal TanVivienne TanCatherine TangCK Tang and Sylvia WongJoseph and Jeanette TangHazel TayMylene TayAbel TeoTeo Ai ShoonMs. Kathy TeoTeo Kien BoonAndreas ThiedeElsie TjoengToh Wei SengMrs. Carole TorelDominik von Wantoch-RekowskiMr. Joe Vu and Dr. Michelle Cheung Mr. Sacha WalkerDavid WaworuntuTania WeeAaron WeeDavid and Rachael WilkinsWong Ah YokeMr. and Mrs. Jonathan Wong

Patty WooWu PeihuiDolphy YeoYeo Yien HoeYuchienLeona Yuen

JADEA BarathanRajesh AchantaPeter AllenMr. Peter AllenAlvinDaselin AngAng Siew HuiAzlin and HaikelGeoff BakerProf. and Mrs. Neil BeardenJessica Beaton and Todd LoweDr. Anne K. BendtBrianAdeline ChewChew Yang HengTrisha ChanMs. Lyyn ChinMr. and Mrs. Chong Chin HuiRichard ChuaDaleMr. Ferdinand De BakkerRajeev and Alexandra De MelloMr. Maurice De VazNicholas Deroose and Ng WenjunDiana and ClaireElise and LynnDon and Purni FerrinDoris and MichaelLynnette EeMr. Foo Chwan JyeSharon GiblinHarry GohGoh Mia Liu LukeSiva Govindasamy and Malini SitaramMaryanne GulTom Ho and FamilyHolmberg

Huang WanyiMaria IvanenkoJörgJustin and Xiao XuanDuncan KauffmanKen, Joon and the Rae SistersEugene, Emily and Elliot KhooMs. Koay Su ChingKoh Soon HeongVolker KohlPooi-San KokJackie KongSabrina KongCoonoor Kripalani-ThadaniKuan and SanjayLalumiereJonathan LeeWan Ting LeeTina and Tse Liang LeeCL LeongJackie LeungCorinna LimMC LimLim Tow HweeZoey Lim B PWilliam Liu Wei HaiMs. Linda LockeAndy WH LohWilson LohMah How SoonChris Panfil and David MungallAvon Neo and Sophine ChinKaren NgNg Li YaGrandma Ng Mui LanKris NusantaraAlicia and Stefan Altorfer-OngCorine QuekKamini RamchandaniMr. and Mrs. Ralf SchmidtSear Guek TinNoah and Esme SeowFarhana SharmeenSitoh Li-LingOmar SlimSoong Jun Cheng AloysiusMs. Tan Bee LengDelicia Tan

Dennis TanGerard and Heem Juay TanGordon TanJohan Aidil TanTan Keng CheongTan Li KoonSheryl TanJoe Henderson-TangThe Oyster BankTeng Chee HockBG Michael TeoJessie TohTong Pui IanLH ThamThiong Sok TinPeter White and Ong Yaw HweeEmmett, Hazel and Emeric WongJamie WongYeap Ai MayDawn YipShinichi YoshiharaYusiZhuo Peiyi

AMBERAn AngelJolyn AngAng Kah Eng KelvinRoy AngAntonio CARTBEATZChris Beingessner and Brenda BaisleyGemma ByrneCelestCrispian ChanFiona ChanChia Yi ChangChang Jun BiaoChangqiEstovan Reizo CheahChee Huijie AngelineSoo Leng CheeChen HuishanCheng Shin MinCatherine Erica Cheok

David CheongKeely CheongJason ChewDarrell ChiaLiana ChiaTony ChinJoseph Chin Shi HaoDesmond ChngJoelle ChooChristinaMs. Chua Yi WenChuo CSCole C CasperPaula CraigieClémentine CulotMona and Parag Desai and FamilyDerrickMal DasMark EhrkeAlmira Farid, Azura Farid and Faizah JamalFazylahRobert FokDawn FooFanny FooCarolyn FuGabriel Fu BojunBob and Nantha GattieCharlotte GohClara GohGoh Chin ChyeGalvyn GohGoh Hian FongAshish GoyalPaul HaakensonSiti Rohana Hamson Harvon and TimHanrongMike HewetsonWilliam S W HoAngela HonMatt HoweMatthew Ing and Olivia Loh-IngElizabeth IpMariam JaafarJan and SihaoJ L

Travis JAlan JohnFiona KJoel KekPeggy KekRachel KellyDr. Lana Y L KhongMichael KohSerena KohKoh ShixinKoh Woon Teng & Alan NgJoyce KokKok Wai Mun JessyDr. Jack Tsen-Ta LeeJoanne LeeJune LeeKevin LeeLee Yean LayYida LeeLeighSumerry LeonardiCedric LeongLeong FengyiJimmy LeongLucia Leong Yong WahLim-Ang FamilyNat LimLim Rui ShengLim Seh LengLim Siew FernStephanie LimVanessa LimLim Yu-BengZorine LimLin YongqingNorman and Valerie LockhartPeter LokeLoneSophie and Aditya MathurKoji MiyoshiVignesa MoorthyNevins-Koh FamilyGregory NgNg Soo KokStella NgTerence NgTina and Jeremy NixonVernie Oliveiro

Ong Beng LeeOng Lay ChwanAgung S. OngkoCharlene OoiPak Geok ChooPEpePerlinPeh Soo HweeZoe and Tessa PhamAudrey PhuaPhua Chun HongAlan QuadrosQuah Kung YangSangeeta RazuNathalie Durot RibetteJeff and Stacy RyanMayumi SaitoP. Jordan SeahShirley SimSusan SimFedelma C SmithYvonne SohSoo Kuo TongSoon Sze MengStephen and JeanSu YuhanAlex TanAlicia TanCarrie TanDerrick TanDon TanFrancine Tan Law CorporationIvee TanKaylene TanMichelle TanPhyllis P.L. TanTan Puay ChiewTan Xu DaAileen TangD TangTang Tea HouseElaine TayGina TayTay Man ZhiValerie Tay K HTay Yi TingTJ TaylorTee Ling ZhiRoy Teh

Teh Sha-MaynKemmy TengWendy Anne TeoTerence and ChrisKelvin and Flora TeyThum BingmingMs. Jane Toh Hwee TiangToh Xuan TongStephen Uhr and Caroline Grant-UhrSara Matilde VachetValerieVictor and GraceJac WJeremy WangWang Wei-lungLucy WilkinsonBee-Eng WongWong FamilyJoanna WongKai WongWinnie WongJennifer S WuSiti Maryam YaakubWeicheng YangJoanne YeeGlynisia YeoKelvin YipYiyanMargaret YoongMs. Pat Young Siew RangYves MeyerYvonne

We also wish to thank our new Angels whom, due to printing deadlines, we have not been able to include.

HELP US SECURE THE FUTURE OF SINGAPORE THEATREPlease kindly consider being an Angel. We hope you enjoyed the show and see the value of nurturing the next generation of talents through our Directing Residency Programme.

If you are in a position to do so, we would greatly appreciate your support. It will help us to survive the COVID-19 crisis, and also enable us to keep doing the work we do.

As a leading Singapore theatre company, Wild Rice has blazed the trail for over two decades in the relentless pursuit of excellence.

We have created and presented the best of Singapore theatre - reaching out to more than a million audience members here and around the world, whilst nurturing and developing the artists and audiences of tomorrow. As one of the largest employers in the Singapore theatre industry, we provide gainful employment to hundreds of people, on stage and off, every year.

Last, but certainly not least, our award-winning, independently-run venue has brought unprecedented visibility and prominence to Singapore theatre, while also creating a home for the performing arts where all are welcome. If you share our belief in the power of theatre as a force for good and for change, please consider coming on board as a Wild Rice Angel. Your support will enable us to face the future with courage and confidence, and to achieve all that we set out to do.

AS AN ANGEL, YOU WILL ENJOY:• Complimentary Tickets• Special Discounts on all Wild Rice Shows• Priority Booking• 250% Tax Deduction• Special Events• Backstage Tours• Meeting the Artists• Acknowledgements in Promotional Material

Sign up now at wildrice.com.sg/angel or contact angels@wildrice.com.sg.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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What you and your child can expect:

Learning Comes Alive through Drama and Storytelling!Weekly drama classes for children aged 5 to 12

Learn to Perform

Fun-filled lessons in drama skills like storytelling, role-playing, music and danceDevelop Social and Emotional Skills Self-awareness, empathy, and appreciating di�erences through working with othersThink Creatively and CriticallyAppreciating and relating to stories of people from di�erent cultures, backgrounds and ways of thinkingGrow Confidence in Expression and CommunicationPerform in front of a live audience of teachers, family and friends

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