Issues of social perception, when tackled correctly in drama, can provide an eye-opening glimpse into someone else’s world, through providing multiples sides of the matter in a sympathetic and balanced way. They can show the human side of the stereotypes and explain things we hear about, but don’t really know about. It’s a delicate task, but can be revelatory, touching and entertaining.
Teatr-ejn plans on doing exactly this, but doubling it up… performing two plays, back to back, with the same cast. “In Teatr-ejn, the audiences will be able to appreciate the work being done by the actors since they will see the same actors immersing themselves in two characters, not one. It will provide a unique experience in that they will see the unfolding of two human stories and possibly evoke more awareness on the social themes we will be exploring,” says Andrè Mangion.
Andrè is the writer of one of the plays, It-Tfajjel ta’ Fuq il-Bandla (The Young Boy on the Swing), and will be acting in both plays, the other being Inverżjoni (Inversion), written by Stefan Magri.
Andrè and Stefan entered their plays for the Social Theatre Contest, organised by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and Malta Drama Centre, a few years back and have recently teamed up to stage their plays together. “Both plays had won the Social Theatre Festival in 2012 and 2013 respectively,” says Stefan.
“Back in the day, the positive feedback that we got was so astounding that many people were constantly calling us up, asking us if we were going to ever stage them again. Due to popular demand, Andrè and I decided to merge these two performances into one show given that they are both award-winning plays with a strong social pulse which are still highly relevant today.”
Inverżjoni, directed by Tyrone Grima, will explore sexual norms, discrimination and conversion therapy. “Rather than sending out a message, the aim of the story is to make people question things. It is very important to question what you read and what you’re taught, as opposed to blindly accepting everything as the truth. Too many institutions such as the media, politics and education are sending out way too many messages, expecting people to bow their heads and accept their words as facts. We need to question everything.”
“For instance, when it comes to sexuality and sexual orientation, we are constantly being told what is acceptable and what is not, what is a sin and what is not, what to tell children, how to behave in public and much much more. In Inverżjoni, I challenge people’s perceptions of what is normal. I do not want to impart my own beliefs on the audience, I simply want to make them question the above mentioned messages, so they can reach their own conclusion,” says Stefan.
The audience will be witnessing two very different plays... offering different dynamics
The cast, also featuring Clive Piscopo, Naomi Said, Marceline Galea, Marisa Aquilina and Mariano Said, will be taking on two roles throughout the night, having to navigate sensitive territory not once but twice, in an effort to bring awareness to the audience.
“The actors have a great challenge ahead: they are going to change from playing a character in Inverżjoni to a completely different character for It-Tfajjel Ta’ Fuq Il-Bandla. It is going to be very interesting for our audience to see them change so drastically. From the rehearsals I’ve personally attended, I can proudly say that all cast members are handling this beautifully. It is no easy feat, so it is very satisfying for me to watch them change so seamlessly and convincingly from one part to the next,” says Stefan.
“The producers opted for a double bill, which is not so common on the local stage,” says Josette Ciappara, director of It-Tfajjel ta’ Fuq il-Bandla. “This is a very brave step as it brings a whole new dynamic of versatile acting and writing. The audience will be witnessing two very different plays, and although they are somehow both ‘socially charged’, both plays offer different dynamics, so the audience will enjoy an evening sparked by some fine theatrical moments.”
It-Tfajjel ta’ Fuq il-Bandla, appropriately for Autism Awareness month, is about Terry and the changes and challenges he faces.
“The play revolves around an autistic child but it goes far and beyond, as it is a roller coaster of emotions varying from love, indifference, frustration, abandonment and much more,” says Josette. “The main message of It-Tfajjel ta’ Fuq il-Bandla is perhaps the fact that we tend to underestimate others as well as judge people and never really see through the baggage they carry in life. Directing such a play raises my awareness to situations that would otherwise be foreign to me as well as to the audience in general.”
She is not the only one from the cast who has learnt a lot from this, as Andre’ himself is the first to admit. “It wasn’t a case of me wanting to write a play about autism. Before doing this research I didn’t even know what autism was all about to be frank,” he laughs.
“Back in 2012, before writing the story, I had a bunch of ideas I liked, but they were just ideas. Eventually, I came across a documentary on Kim Peek which was a huge starting point for me to create something out of those ideas. Then I came across a number of autistic savant cases like Stephen Whiltshire, Leslie Lemke, Temple Grandin... I started formulating something more tangible out of those ideas.”
Performances will be held between Thursday and next Sunday as part of Spazju Kreattiv’s programme at St James Cavalier, Valletta. Tickets may be booked from Spazju Kreattiv reception desk, from http://www.kreattivita.org/event/teatr-ejn-4/ or by calling 2122 3200.