PATTERNS OF VISUALISATION IN CONTEMPORARY MALAYSIAN DRAMA

Abstract

Nowadays, Malaysian drama displays a range of different approaches, chosen by the playwrights in their effort to visualise their message on stage. To reach this goal, they have to create a balance between the written text and visually perceived elements. In this respect, the work of two national laureates, A. Samad Said and Noordin Hassan, appears to be rather illustrative.

Making successful contributions to virtually all literary genres, A. Samad Said is particularly known as a novelist who takes great care to depict a certain epoch as realistically and precisely as possible. This realism is achieved through elaborate descriptions and carefully chosen details aimed at typification, combined in his dramatic writings with lengthy author's remarks and stage directions. For Samad, it is the text that functions as the main means of making his plot and images literally be seen by readers, producers and spectators.

Noordin Hassan's main creative realm is drama, and he adheres to the concept of the ‘theatre of faith’, interpreting the process of creation, staging and performance of a play as a religious act. Due to the intuitive nature of religious experience, Noordin's oeuvre lays considerable stress upon abstract, symbolic, and inexplicit components of presentation, incorporating a great deal of extra-textual devices that are perceived mostly or solely visually. Here he fruitfully exploits the treasury of traditional theatrical forms, especially bangsawan.

It appears that both literati pursue one and the same goal of visualisation, doing it in accordance with the artistic methods they adhere to: profoundly realistic in the case of A. Samad Said and highly symbolic in the case of Noordin Hassan.

Notes

1 This paper makes use of English renderings of Samad's Wira bukit and Noordin's 1400 by Solehah Ishak, published as parallel texts to the Malay originals in Malay literature magazine. Samad and Noordin's speeches upon receiving the National Literary Award are given in translations by Solehah Ishak and Hawa Abdullah respectively (Noordin Hassan 1995a; A. Samad Said 1993b). Other original texts are translated from Malay by the author of the article.

2 Its initial title was Gerhana [Eclipse] (Baharuddin Zainal et al. 1985: 32).

3 After the first production in Singapore (June 1996), the play was staged in Malaysia (1997 and 2006), and then broadcast nationwide by RTM1 (Utusan Malaysia, 14 April 2006).

4 Rumah-rumah kandang kambing ini semuanya tidak sempurna. Dindingnya terbuat dari papan-papan peti susu yang buruk dan berbulu-bulu, kulit-kulit kayu balak yang tebal-tebal dan bercendawan, zink-zink tong minyak berkarat yang sudah dileperkan (tapi masih kemik di sana sini) dan kadbod-kadbod yang sudah berbulu-bulu dan berbelang-belang oleh resapan air hujan. Atapnya pula terbuat dari zink-zink tong minyak juga, daun-daun rumbia, kulit-kulit kayu balak dengan di atasnya dilapiskan tikar-tikar biasa ataupun tikar-tikar getah yang sudah buruk dan berlubang-lubang. Di setengah-setengah rumah, di atapnya itu, menjalar daun-daun pokok labu yang sengaja dibiarkan meliar. Dan hamper tiap rumah itu berlantaikan tanah, kecuali amben-amben yang tinggi rendah susunan papannya, papan yang berbulu (A. Samad Said 1995: 2–3).

5 ‘…Angkatan Sasterawan 50 (ASAS 50) most resolutely made a work of literature become an instrument or medium of their social and political protest … Their writing tended towards the characteristics of the literature of protest and the kind of literature that is involved with the conditions and issues of contemporary society’ (Ahmad Kamal Abdullah et al. 1992: 159).

6 In fact, this comment contains a degree of praise, for ‘the difference in style and achievement’ mostly manifested itself in Samad's ability to place ‘great emphasis on themes’ as his own generation did, combining it with ‘a stress on quality’, laid by the later generation (Baharuddin Zainal et al. 1985: 32). While other dramatists of teater moden often created stereotyped characters and situations, turning them into social clichés, A. Samad Said managed to avoid this tendency even in his first play Where the moon is always cracked. The play was found to be ‘quite personal’, with a strikingly different main character (Jit 1981: 63–64).

7 Rahmah Bujang 1975; see also Kamaluddin Abd. Rahman 2007: 18–31; 77–93.

8 On sandiwara see Kamaluddin Abd. Rahman 2007: 32–41; 93–121.

9 Samad's obsession with the problem is reflected in the title of the English version of his major collection of essays, Between Art and Reality (1994), originally published in Malaysian periodicals over more than three decades. The Malay edition was Antara Bulan dan Wira, referring to the passage of time between the appearance of his first and second plays.

10 Samad remained faithful to his principles in his latest play T.Pinkie's floor. The comments in the press were very favorable, giving him a ‘warm reception’ (Khadijah Ibrahim 2006). However, the informality of the Internet opened up some space for some characteristic criticisms. To quote just an example: ‘The script, adapted by director Rosminah Tahir from Pak Samad's play … was also overlong. Several scenes and monologues could have been cut down to a quarter of their original length, or thrown out altogether, and the story would have flowed better’ (Shahnon Shah 2006). But there are a couple of even more notable points: this time the play was staged as a musical (!) and the author himself admitted that ‘without the firm guidance from Rosminah Tahir that script of his was not likely to present any attraction’, adding that ‘the original version is very dependant upon the script and dialogue’, while ‘a musical speaks its own tongue and has its own attractions’ (Khadijah Ibrahim 2006).

11

 ADNAN: (Still angry) Bang Din, do you know, what his coming back here means?

BANDIN: Okay! What does it mean? What does it really mean? (Looks at Adnan, begins to move about again.) He does not bother me. He did not bother me then, he is not doing it now, and he will never do it in future.

ADNAN: (Sits down on a nearby chair) Bang Din, do you really know what his coming back signifies?

(A. Samad Said 1993b: 123)

Actually, the quoted translation even partially conceals the abounding repetitions in the text. In the original it goes as follows:

ADNAN: (Masih hangat) Bang Din … Bang Din tahu apa erti kedatangannya itu?

BANDIN: Apa ertinya? Apa ertinya? (Memandang Adnan dia bergerak semula) Dia tak ganggu aku. Dulu dia tak ganggu aku, sekarang dia tak ganggu aku, akan datang pun dia tak akan mengganggu aku.

ADNAN: (Mula duduk di kerusi berhampiran) Bang Din tahu apa erti sebenarnya?

(A. Samad Said 1993b: 122)

12 However, we have to keep in mind that Noordin very often directs his own plays, ‘noted for their huge casts, amounting to over a hundred actors, not including the musicians’, thus presenting rehearsal problems that discourage others from trying to direct them (Solehah Ishak 1995b: 239).

13 A comprehensive bibliography is found in the research of Solehah Ishak, who always intently followed Noordin's career as a playwright and has contributed a lot to the studies of his oeuvre (see, e.g. 1989; 1995b).

14 Noordin refers to Surah Al-A'raaf relating the Primordial Covenant that preceded creation, when yet-to-be-created humanity was called to testify before God that He is their Lord and Creator (Noordin Hassan 1995c: 6).

15 For a detailed survey of Malay Sufi symbolism, see Braginsky 2004: 599–762 which uses original texts by Hamzah Fansuri contained in Syed Naguib Al-Attas' The mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri. Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Malaya, 1970.

16 Segala-galanya digubah dalam satu komposisi yang membayangi iklim surealisme. Pelaku-pelaku haruslah digubah supaya menjadi sebahagian dari komposisi ini, selesa dari segi visual atau pandangan. Oleh itu, soal bentuk, ruang, imbangan dan lain-lain haruslah ditimbangkan. Warna dan bayang perlu. Sebelum lakonan bermula, pentas terdedah samar, penuh soalan (Kamaluddin Abd. Rahman 2007: 153).

17 ‘As a Muslim, my opinion is that the only things which are everlasting and which can be used as guidance forever are the Al-Quran and Hadis, not the philosophy of “Existentialism” which is the soul of the “absurd” theatre, for example; or the “Existentialism” which believes [in] the existence of God and yet stresses individual primacy and suffering as the main emotion in life, as was opined by Kierkegaard, or the “Existentialism” that does not believe in the existence of God as was posited by Nietzsche …' (Noordin Hassan 1995c: 6).

18 See: Noordin Hassan 1997: 1–34.

19 ‘The king of genies needs a costume and make-up that can show his cruel nature to the audience. Along with requiring a tall shape and a coarse voice he is to wear black or dark clothes and must have thick eyebrows … Big shining eyes would frighten those watching, also needed are a thick black beard and moustache. His hair must be also thick … His appearance on the stage is always made sudden, accompanied by hoarse laugh. His costume is long-sleeved and reminiscent of Roman's clothes, without any cap. And everything, starting from his laughter, costume and make-up has to appear unnatural, so that his satanic nature would be evident’ (Rahmah Bujang 1975: 114). More details on costumes and make-up of bangsawan characters can be found in Rahmah Bujang 1975: 111–15.

20 As for Noordin Hassan, May 13 encouraged him to come up with It is not the grass blown by the wind, so rich in allegory and symbolism, aimed at ensuring that the play would not be banned by the censors (Solehah Ishak 1995a: 262).

21 For the account of racial conflict of 13 May, 1969 see, e.g. Andaya and Andaya 2001: 297–300.

22 Ungku Maimunah Mohd. Tahir (1987) gives a clear-cut outline of the literary development in Malaya and then Malaysia since the beginning of modern belles-lettres, paying special attention to social and political causes that prevented the active westernisation of Malay authors.

23 Noordin Hassan expressed his disappointment as follows: ‘After studying some “ism” philosophies, all of which came from Western secularistic thinking, I find that the theories which are the result of man's thinking could not be embraced because they are not permanent and are always replaced or swept aside by other new theories’ (Noordin Hassan 1995c: 6).

24 Thus, It is not the grass blown by the wind presents a reaction to racial clashes of 13 May 1969; Anak tanjung (Children of this cape), to political developments of the 1970s; Malam ini penyu menangis (Tonight the turtle is crying) is a play based on the biography of a crippled poet, J.M. Aziz (Solehah Ishak 1995a: 262, 266, 268).

25 See: A. Samad Said 1992.

26 PAK DOGOL: I heard that Dolah has married again?

WAK LONG: They call her Intan Siti Rahimah.

PAK DOGOL: Where's she from?

WAK LONG: Pusat Tasik Pauh Janggi.

PAK DOGOL: Wow!

WAK LONG: The young Doli is now the old wife [i.e. the first wife].

PAK DOGOL: Wow!

WAK LONG: Lame Dolah is not Dolah the lame anymore (Noordin Hassan 1995a: 181).

27 Still, to be precise, we have to keep in mind that though a few years Samad Said's senior, Noordin Hassan had his works widely published and became well-known some 20 years later. It is also true that the realistic plays of teater moden started to be written in the late 1950s to the 1960s, while teater kontemporari emerged as a distinctive development approximately a decade later (Kamaluddin Abd. Rahman 2007; Ahmad Kamal Abdullah and Ahmad Razali Haji Yusof 1990: 297–394). But considering that ever since the two varieties have been successfully developing side by side, the term ‘trend’ appears more accurate.

28 However, A. Samad Said has long shown a vivid interest in the issue of sastera Islam and came up with a number of essays on the subject (see some examples in his collection Between art and reality).

29 This definition was given by Samad (A. Samad Said 1994b: 40).