The new young & W!LD cohort will be staging its first public performance in February this year. The world premiere of Crossings, a brand-new double-bill of original plays about the choices that make or break our lives, will be staged for seven performances only at Centre 42’s Black Box from 15 to 19 February 2017.
Bold, dark and funny, the two plays in Crossings follow characters who have arrived at a critical crossroads in their lives. The choices they make will change their journeys forever: setting them on the road to self-discovery – or self-destruction.
The eight members of young & W!LD, from the ages of 19 to 24, came up with the stories, characters and themes that will feature in Crossings via improvisations and devising workshops. With their help, Rodney Oliveiro, their programme co-director, put together the final scripts of both plays.
“Just like these troubled characters, we all have to live with the decisions we make and their consequences,” explains Oliveiro. “I chose the main title of Crossings because it speaks to me of human wills and desires and ambitions – how we always bravely chug along, how we’re always busy with a new endeavour, even as we occasionally miss the subtle signs pointing towards our doom.”
The current cohort of young & W!LD embarked on their 18-month training programme in February last year. Since then, they have gained valuable experience in devising and performing their own original work. Following months of intensive workshops, they presented When S#!T Hits The Fam, an experimental piece that explored the trials and tribulations of family life, in May 2016.
“Over the past year, I’ve been most impressed by their openness, their willingness to try new things and their support for one another,” says Serena Ho, co-director of young & W!LD and Crossings. “I hope they will trust their voices and never stop surprising themselves.”
“It’s wonderful to be a part of young & W!LD,” adds Jasmine Blundell, 24. “There’s never a dull day because everyone brings their own brand of energy and ideas, and the perspectives are always so varied.”
The young & W!LD programme reflects W!LD RICE’s commitment to developing and nurturing the next generation of Singapore’s theatre-makers.
It’s been so rewarding to watch these young theatre-makers grow in confidence and ambition over the past few months,” says Ivan Heng, Artistic Director of W!LD RICE. “To see them challenging themselves and tackling difficult questions with Crossings reminds us of the power of theatre to educate, engage and empower our youth.”
Crossings runs from 15 to 19 February 2017 at Centre 42’s Black Box (42 Waterloo Street, S187951).
Tickets go on sale from 11 January 2017 on Peatix.
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