LaylaMajnun

Ok, I've been meaning to dedicate a post to theater but I've never really had the time but now since I'm back home (awesome Internet connection), with plenty of time to burn (since I'm in no mood to study), and in need of some kind of distraction (because my heart and my head is currently an awful mess), I'm gonna tell you now;

Even before we took this subject I was worried about it. I interrogated the seniors and they warned me about the things I had to look out for: all the nasty backstabbing and bickering, the sleepless nights, all that money burning, the blood, sweat, tears, and more tears, and what not. Of course I got nervous- as I do with practically every new subject *-_-"*, and equipped myself with courage and strengtt. But I dunno, maybe it was never enough, or maybe courage and strength abandoned me somewhere along the way because I found myself in deep shyt. Lost, and at most times, alone.

I’m not gonna tell you about how I felt when I first got the part. That’s all in the booklet that I myself had to pay 5 bucks for. But all I can say is that I did learn new things, I did discover myself. I discovered the side of me I never knew I could show.

Every evening when there was rehearsal, without failure (okay, only once) I’d show up at the music room at six on the dot. Sometimes I had Nana with me, some days it was Ede or Role, there were times when the whole house managed to make it there on time, and sometimes I came alone. I’m forever grateful for the times I had even one person to teman me. Rehersals could get so boring sometimes, especially when they haven’t gotten to rehearsing Act’s I’m in.

I’d find myself separated from my friends again when Chan, our assistant director, would ‘herd’ us actors and actresses into PG2. I didn’t mind it that much though. My friends were way to busy with their stuff ( protocol, publicity, props) to be with me all the time, and I always had Madil, Jack and Asep to keep me company. They were even nice enough to walk me back home every single time rehearsal ended late and everyone else had gone back early. Big bonus of course, goes to the air-conditioning which makes PG2 wayyy better that hell of a hole, the music room. Sometimes though, I would sneak out to visit my friends in the music room, watch Don order his people about like toy soldiers, run away before he orders me about like a toy soldier, go over to Role and watch him jump as I poke him in the waist, and watch in awe the dancers practice their routines over and over and over again.

But the days when Praveen came, I’d hide quietly behind the door and watch from there to avoid from being called to dance by him. Ever since that fateful day, I’ve been terrified of him. My heart would be beating so fast and I’d get all sweaty when I so much as even heard he was coming. I vaguely remember that one time when I was just about to take a shower, I had turned the knob and water had just soaked one half of my hair when Ede knocked on the door, and said Praveen wants me at the music room A.S.A.P. Well of course you can only imagine the vulgar words that echoed in the bathroom as I cursed though gritted teeth. But truth be told, he wasn't that bad. The dancers did extremely well with him, and they’d even gotten so close that they called him ane, meaning brother in Tamil. It was awesome how he choreographed certain scenes and made sure that I didn’t have to dance.

So, after nearly three whole months of intensive training at the music room, we had to practice at the Panggung Bandaraya in KL. That was even much more of a hell for me. For nearly a week, I had to get up at 6am to get on the bus to the panggung at 7.30am. I’d be siting in the bus with Epi (a dancer), munching on my pau kari ayam as Yuva shakes her head and ‘tut’-tut-’tut’s’ me and says, Syaf.. syaf.. hari-hari comot makan pau, hari-hari sepahkan bas... ape nak jadi? And I’d just give her a big cheesy grin and finish whatevers left of my pau that’s not on the floor and turn to wave goodbye to the dude outside as he pretends to cry. Then I’d slip on his sweater and snuggle down to sleep before I get rudely awakened by the dah sampai! Of my ever excited comrades. Entering the panggung has always given me chills. The first night after returning for a rehersal there I had a nightmare that forced me to wake Ede up in the middle of the night and ask her to shuffle over so I could sleep beside her. The rest of the nights I collapsed in my own bed. I had gotten too exhausted to be scared by then.

Role sent me this the first they they went to check out the Panggung bandaraya

Rehearsing in the panggung did have its advantages though. When you’re rehearsing on stage, it really feels like the real thing. You cry a little sadder, laugh a little louder, scream a little gedik-er, slap a little brutal-er, fall a little harder, and die a little... -er... (can’t find a word).

The bruise from falling countless times on the same knee.

The only thing that pissed me off was that I couldn’t see backstage. Ok, forget about me being afraid of the dark, every time I had to change sides (go to the other side of the stage), I had to grope around in the dark, bumping into other actors and actresses, tripping over the props and dancers, falling down flights of stairs, and walking into God knows what I don’t want to know. Scarier was when I had to run backstage past the empty, not to mention eery, dressing rooms ALONE many many times and because I was too scared, I ran like the wind- with my eyes closed every single time. Pretty stupid of me, I know, but heck, a few cuts and bruises all over the body are more worth it than seeing something that would prolly scar me for life, no?

So anyway, it all came down the big day. Surprisingly, because I was too tired and sleepy and hungry and irritated with the amount of gunk on my face that I had managed to keep my nervousness and stage fright at bay until 8pm that night. After they sang the national anthem, I had started pacing up and down saying to myself, ‘robbi yassir, wala tu a’ sir’ to calm myself down. We were all wishing each other good luck and then countering that bad luck with a break your leg. -_-"

If you were to scrutinize every scene I acted in, you’d prolly find mistakes I had made in each and every one of those scenes. Those jumbled up lines... saying lines that never existed in the script, the time when I let down the cloth tangled in my tandu, or , and when my skirt fell down and was so draby that I kept tripping over it , and when I pulled my headpiece off cz I got so annoyed with it, and when my veil fell and I had to hold it like an idiot while I read my poem. There were more, and after the show ended I really felt scared to face Varan and Praveen cz I though they were gonna scold me for messing up. But when I met Praveen, he actually congratulated me and said I was great. I told him I was sorry for the screw-up’s but he actually said he was proud of me. My heart swelled up with happiness and I smiled all the way home.

Mayon and Ayie both came to see the show. Mayon said he was so shocked to see me act cz he’s always known me to be shy (shy lah sangat!). I have’t seen him in a pretty long while Im glad he made time to come see me. He got front row seats! Thank God I didn’t see him in the crowd, else I'd forget my lines on the spot! Haha... But he went to eat with his friend after that and someone broke into his car and nicked his iPhone. Poor guy. He called me a few days later and told me that the last photo he took with his phone was of me reading my poem, which he actually managed to upload and tag on Facebook. Ayie of course gave me a big hug and said well done. I told him I could’t have done it without him.

It’s been almost a week now since the play. Everyone is still all hyped about it. I tease Ika for listening to O re piya every night before she goes to bed. Psst! I do too! Hehe... last night, Ika, Ede and me took a walk around campus. We stopped at our favourite spot, played the songs from LaylaMaynun, and danced in the moonlight... (It was awesome therapy). people still call me and Yat Layla sometimes. I've gotten use to calling dan Granpa! Me and my friends, we can’t stop going over the lines again and again with the same tone, same movements, and same gestures as it was! When ever we talk about theater, we really can’t stop! It’s so funny sometimes but the laughter, the tears, the pain, and joy we shared during the whole production, it’s something you can never replace. Ever. I’ve never been so proud of my classmates and semmates and friends as I am today. We pulled it off. We actually pulled it off! Starting from the tedious script writing till late night-all that editing! Oh gawd!, and the escaping to the bilik simpan daging with the putera lilin to write love poems with him, and being hearded like the cows in our campus to PG2 to rehearse our acts, the dancing till 12.00am sharp, to the doing the props, and then doing the props over.. and over.. and over.. and to all the little things done behind the scenes that no one really sees or appreciates but plays just an important as- if not more than important- role than acting on stage (you wouldn’t have gotten your food, or the awesome posters that you stole around campus and KL if it wern’t for them.)

we were all hungry as hell by lunch time so we had to try to eat with makeup and in our costumes and trying not to get caught by Kak Shida and sent to the Costume room to change-_-"

People are asking each other when this LaylaMajnun fever will ever end. Secretly, I hope it never ends :)

thank you everyone for making this theater a success :)

P/S: my only one regret is that I didn't get to take pictures with my friends on the day. Ede, Vinn, Ika, and Nana especially :( and sorry I can't post that much pictures here, the post would be too heavy. Feel free to check out our pictures here, at Shawn's Portfolio. We're still waiting for the CD, so we call all watch it together agian! :D


When I was talking to the moon, I was looking right at you. In hopes you’re in that lighting room, looking at me too.