Thursday July 10, 2008 At the right time STORIES BY YAM PHUI YEE

"HELLO. How are you doing?"

How many times have you asked that question just out of courtesy? Isn't asking that question just a social convention?

The graduating batch of students from Sunway University College's Department of Performance + Media will be exploring social rituals from the eyes of American playwright David Ives in their latest production All in the Timing.

The show, which begins tonight, is a collection of three short plays that revolve around the theme of what people do when they meet one another.

The cast and crew of All in the Timing (from left): Eri Peng Jien Yee, Bryant Albuqurque, Mark Pillay, Erica Tham (seated), Adrian Teh Eu-Weng, Batsheba Zalikha Arsalan and Aaron Teoh.
"Ives criticises (social rituals). It has lost its meaning when we say 'Hi' or 'Hello'. Even when we don't like the person we say the same thing," says final year performing arts student Erica Tham, who is directing the play.

All in the Timing features Ives' well-known comedies English Made Simple, Sure Thing, and The Philadelphia. The scenes pictured in the plays reenact situations we encounter in our daily lives.

A guy who wants to pick up a girl tries to say and do the right thing according to the social norm; two strangers attempt small talk and find themselves grappling with how much they want to reveal to the other person while being cordial; and the state of mind that Ives called "The Philadelphia" - where you just can't get what you want.

Sounds familiar?

Translating the script onto the stage was a challenging task. Erica used different ways to convey the idea to her cast – all of whom she has given roles that they are not comfortable playing in the first place. On top of that, wearing the director's hat means that she has to envision the final product and see things "four steps ahead" of others.

Why this particular piece has been challenging as well is because the bunch of students had just finished a performance of the more serious Equus right before they began their rehearsals for Timing.

"One of my goals is to help the actors grow and try different genres.

"As an actor if you are versatile and people know you can play any role, there are more job opportunities for you," says Erica, adding that they have begun rehearsal about two months ago.

The play is produced by local playwright Leow Puay Tin and it features casts Adrian Teh Eu-Weng, Zalikha "Batsheba" Arsalan, Bryant Albuqurque, Eri Peng Jien Yee and Mark Pillay. Every student plays between two and three roles, and work behind the scenes, too.

Zalikha Batsheba Arsalan (left) and Bryant Albuqurque in Sure Thing, one of the three plays in All in the Timing.
The students find that their course opens their minds to a wide spectrum of knowledge not confined to stage performance alone. They learn different things – from politics and sociology to theology.

Asked if they think people value such productions, the reply was a dismal "No" but they feel that the lack of appreciation is not just for student productions, but performing arts as a whole.

"I don't think people value performing arts in Malaysia. We still have a long way to go. Our performing arts industry is very small, but it's coming up. We need a lot of new blood," says Aaron Teoh, the stage manager.

Perhaps theatre will someday be woven into the fabric of the mainstream society and become accepted as part of our popular culture? Well, for now, we already have a new breed of youth stepping out. As for the rest, well, it could all just lie in the timing.

All in the Timing runs from today until Sun at Rooftop Theatre, 4th Floor, Sunway University College. Show time is 8.30pm daily. Tickets are issued for free so call 012-350 0626 or 012-632 4657 to book a seat. Check out the show's blog at http://all-in-d-timing.blogspot.com.

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The cast and crew