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Thursday, May 29, 2003
A True Story: Agnes Law Interviewer : Dawn Fung Agnes Law is the founder of the Tapestry Playback Theatre. She talks with CreateLeVoyage about her incredible journey to the local arts scene, Playback and God's hand in it all. Agnes assures me that her surname is pronounced as 'Law' and not Lau. "Therefore, to leave my church felt like I would be taking something away that God had planned for me there. I decided that I would stay and see what God will do." Dawn : Tell us about your how you got started doing Playback, because having been to the open house, I was surprised to find such a genre existing in Singapore. Agnes : I think it began with this part of my life...I had been serving in campus ministry until I graduated and came out to work. I had been working for a while when I gradually felt lost, not least because I had been out of church and moving from one cell group to another. Suddenly I felt meaningless because life had turned out to be such a routine. As a result my work as a social worker for the past three to four years became dry. And I thought: it was time to do something outside. During my research on drama therapy, I came across Playback theatre on the web, and thought it sounded interesting. I emailed Beverly Hosking, since she was the closest, in New Zealand for its summer course. This was something that was quite daunting for me since it was my first time abroad by myself. New Zealand opened up my mind - I was amazed at how Playback Theatre crossed language and cultural barriers. There was a mixed racial group of actors who managed to play my Singaporean story - and I think that our [Singaporean] community needs something like that. Through Playback, I see myself bridging ties and building relationships, probably also because of my background as a social worker. I want to ask how differences can be explored and how we can bridge those differences. I am tired of fake stories and I would like to really hear and bring out, untold, true stories as a conductor. I had no experience in drama but since coming back from New Zealand and for the whole year of 2002, I felt as if God wanted me to use Playback to reach out to the community. So I asked Beverly Hosking if she would conduct a workshop in Singapore. At the same time I was struggling with another question, how should I position Playback, as a social or arts group? I received inspiration through the people who came for the workshop. These were people who were Christians and believed in the same vision as I had [like Angeline and Anne]. The past year we worked at raising awareness for Playback and finding a team. I found myself getting more involved in the arts, because normally I would be in the backseat praying. Dawn : Praying for arts? Agnes: Actually, In 2001 I went to watch an on site performance and was quite intrigued by it. This gave me the impetus to watch more [theatre] performances. Afterwards I got in touch with friends in church arts ministry, and for that one year, God gave me this seed to pray for Christian artists. I was quite scared because I didn't know many Christian artists, nor was I involved in the church arts ministry. So I struggle for half a year, learning how to pray for these people when I decided to join [another] cell. And it turned to be a cell of Christian artists and Christians who have a heart in the same area! Dawn : So you moved from the position of spiritual involvement to physical involvement within this area. How has Playback changed significantly your walk with God? Agnes : As a pioneer in Tapestry Playback Theatre, I was really afraid of mistakes, especially when I see a shepherd analogy to the position that I am in; there is a responsibility to hold and nurture the group. I don't know what is ahead. Furthermore when I was starting out, there was nobody to talk to in terms of spiritual guidance. Within my church and cell were empathetic people but there was still a lack of understanding on my situation. The connection to God is listening to Him more. I have to ask Him, what is it for me and the group? I pray for Playback everyday. I pray for opportunities to bring Playback out, asking God what is my next step and who can I link up to? God spoke to me and gave me encouragement because on one hand I felt inadequate as I did not have much [Playback] knowledge and on the other hand I was called to lead my members. Thankfully there has been much support from them in terms of regular attendance. There is no point without God because He is the one who brought me through this to help support artists and bless them. In the Playback group, I think of how to help them develop into better listeners and better Playback actors, probably analogous to Jesus and his disciples. One day, I want to share my testimony with my actors. I realize that when you are in the field for a while, you might lose the sparkle as a Christian. I need to maintain my relationship with God. I don't want to be so sucked into that sort of system. There was a time when I wanted to leave my church because I felt so alone. I longed to be with other artists, and I did not feel connected to my church people as everyone else was doing their individual, different work. I longed for a bonding with other like-minded people, to actively pray and fellowship. Recently I thought of leaving church again. However I did not feel the peace to do so because of this: the vision of my burden for arts and artists came about while I was worshipping at this particular church. Therefore, to leave my church felt like I would be taking something away that God had planned for me there. I decided that I would stay and see what God will do. If my pastor had followed what God wanted him to do through the church and set up a media entertainment branch, then the same thing follows for me- can I do something here? I want to do a Playback session in September or October for the friends that I know in church. Something might just crop up from there, and subsequently I might be able to find support and resources through the church, to help build relationships and do outreach. Dawn : Talking about resourcing, Forum Theatre is allowed in Singapore although there are no funds allocated for it. Drama Box and The Necessary Stage are perhaps the most prolific groups that do Forum Theatre. As a social worker tackling issues through theatre, how different is Playback from Forum Theatre, and thus, the other theatre groups? I see Playback as an offset of Forum Theatre because there are so many similarities. Agnes : People have a wrong idea of what Playback Theatre is - they think it is Forum Theatre. If you look at Forum Theatre, the issues are already there. For Playback, we don't know what we will get. Forum Theatre also has control of their stories, meaning that there is a certain level of direction from the conductor. I see a difference in connection with the audience through these two different theatres - Playback stretches towards the audiences through the teller's story, not through the acting participants from the audience. I had some resignations about forum theatre from a workshop but I see how it can help in some resolutions. [Paraphrased] Although Playback performances might share similar principles to Forum Theatre in terms of audience participation and improvisation; its nature of collecting material solely from the audience without a rehearsed piece beforehand sets itself apart. Just as Boal's revolutionary form stirred up confrontation from its public, Playback's form allows its teller to watch his or her story from a third person perch - its transformation takes place in the interior with a more conciliatory tone. I feel like my group is different from the other arts group because it is about social work in an artistic form, compared to the mainstream arts culture. In other areas of the arts, I was recently selected by Substation to participate in the Magdalena festival about women in theatre. I went to Brisbane in April for a showcase and I met this vast network of female artists. It was a good chance for me to share about Playback, because it is not only a place for social workers- it is also a place for artists. I am quite thankful because I only recently joined the arts community and already two people have asked me about Playback. Dawn : Last piece of advice for local Christian artists? Agnes : You really have to do it. Three years ago, if God hadn't called me, I wouldn't do all these things. I started [in the local arts scene] pretty late but it does not make a different for me because it is really about God molding my character. God is willing to help me through as long as I open my heart. It can be a taboo thing to talk about Christianity in the arts scene but I pray that God will open the eyes of the people within that community. Prayer is the best and subtle way of reaching out into the arts community. I want to be quite persistent and focused to use Playback in churches. Having done two performances in two churches, I think my church people need to know it too- there is a difference between hearing and seeing. Playback is extended beyond our arts community to our own families because we are interested in life, not just our form. This could impact the younger people. As Anne said, it opens up lives! -- First published 290503.
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