Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The performance will begin shortly and we would like to remind all audience members to switch off all mobile phones or similar distractions such as stray Facebook or 9GAG tabs. Audience members are also to note that flash photography and awkward screenshots of this page are not allowed. Any resemblance to persons dead or alive is purely coincidental. Presenting, Raffles Players.
Raffles Players is an eclectic group of individuals with a passion for the stage, with a thirst for challenges and a whole lot of energy. We are a random bunch of students who have been thrown together by a similar interest and drive, (and unfortunately a common hatred of sunshine and exercise) and who have taken refuge in the pleasantly air-conditioned Theatre Studies Room.
Sessions are usually held on Wednesdays, with rehearsals increasing in intensity in the lead up to a production. Once it comes to production season, get ready for unimaginable fun (and stress). We have a number of productions at different points in the year. The time leading upto a production is an intense period where Players are given opportunities to try their hand at the different aspects of theatre, aside from acting. These include Sets, Costumes, Lights and Sounds, Publicity, as well as Stage and Production Management. From sourcing for costumes all over Singapore, to designing lights for every new production, be prepared for a fresh and exciting experience no matter which subcommittee you join!
Raffles Players is also proudly involved in organising one of the most anticipated annual IHC events – Dramafeste. This sees non-members engaging with the dramatic arts, proving that theatre is for all as the 5 houses strive to put on a wholly original production in a short period of time. 2014 will be an especially challenging year as Raffles Players will be participating in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation as well. Life in Players varies greatly- it moves from a quiet buzz of activity, with 2-hour long sessions once a week to a frantic blur of marathon rehearsals. No matter the circumstances though, Players strive to deliver the best performance possible.
We’ll be frank with you- Raffles Players is no walk in the park. The pressure to perform and to do well is immense, and coupled with tight deadlines and limited resources, it’s a very challenge-filled two years ahead. Member Jo-Ann Heng commented, “It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. All my batchmates will tell you the same.” At the end of the day, Players always pull through.
The most rewarding part of the Players journey perhaps, is not the successful productions or the positive (if any) Press Reviews, but the people encountered and friendships forged through long days and hard nights. “Through Players, I have met people of uniquely different talents and characters, and created friendships that will outlast the stage”, mused member Ejaz Latiff.
Should you wish to join Players, the audition process is simple. For actors, it involves the delivering of a set monologue and various theatre games, and for set designers, the presentation of a portfolio will suffice. If you have no prior experience in theatre, but are keen to pursue an interest in it, you are very welcome to audition as well. After all, Chairpersons Eugenia Tang and Natalie Ng jointly ruminate that “The two years will be crazy and jam-packed with things to get done, but it’s really the random pockets of time you get to spend knowing your batch mates better that make all the difference – and that’s where you’ll find your most lasting memories.”
E.A. Bucchianeri wrote that theatres are “Curious places, magician’s trick-boxes where the golden memories of dramatic triumphs linger like nostalgic ghosts, and where the unexplainable, the fantastic, the tragic, the comic and the absurd are routine occurrences on and off the stage”. Hopefully, your journey will be as magical (yes, we mean this non-ironically) as ours has been so far and we look forward to seeing you soon!
