Statement Piece
Checkpoint Theatre, Drama Center Black Box, 4 to 13 April 2025
Direction: Claire Wong. Playwright: Myle Yan Tay.
Set & Lighting: Elizabeth Mak. Costumes: Sheryl Teo.
Sound: Jackson Tobin. Photography: Joseph Nair.
Two weeks after a loss that reverberates through the nation, a young gallerist prepares for her first exhibition. Lily has endured constant pressure from her formidable boss, spent countless hours on research, revved up the public for a buzzworthy show – everything for the perfect opening that will cement her name in the art world. The months of suffering are about to pay off at last. But when the final painting arrives, hand-delivered by the reclusive Gopal Rangaraj himself, she is horrified. With the entire exhibition – and her fledgling career – on the line, even the surprise visit from her artist girlfriend Marjia can’t cushion the gravity of the situation. As three different worldviews collide, how much should be sacrificed in the name of Art?
After spending 5 months in an art gallery, it was fun to be able to design one on my own, inspired by the layout of the old Private Museum. Also a treat to be able to do as a canvas for Huzir, with his return to the stage for the first time in decades. The script dictated that the room had to be bare of all paintings except the one that Rangaraj brings, so part of my work was to make sure that the architecture was interesting enough to look at from every angle despite the bare walls. We fell in love with this burgundy red that was inspired by the walls at National Gallery Singapore’s room with Raden Saleh’s Forest Fire. We also had to pull off a little bit of theatrical magic with the painting that I will not spoil here. That was a fun and stressful challenge for both the design team and the stage management team!
