Experiencing poetry in action

CLOUD MESSENGER

IN Kalidasa's original lyric poem Meghaduta, a yaksa (nature spirit) pining for his wife persuades a passing cloud to help him send her a love message. The cloud agrees to do so, only after the yaksa describes in detail all the astonishing sights and wonders the cloud would see on its way to his wife's home.

This 1,500-year-old story has, in the hands of Haresh Sharma and Alvin Tan, transformed into a contemporary play about the experiences of seven graduating students of the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI).

Most of them are foreigners who've spent three years away from home to pursue the ITI theatre course, so the ancient tale resonates with them.

Called Cloud Messenger, the play has three concurrent storylines: the first involves the students talking about their experiences of being in Singapore and how they stay in touch with their loved ones; the second has the students playing foreign workers (a maid, a security guard and a cleaner) who also experience estrangement coming here for work; and the third is a fable about young clouds who have to come to the cloud academy to train to become cloud messengers - just like the one in Kalidasa's story.

Sharma and Tan were invited by the school to work with the graduating class, and the play was created after numerous workshops with them.

Tan raves: "The students are so disciplined and committed. We'd tell them what we're trying to achieve in a scene, and they'd discuss among themselves and come up with ideas. It's a joy working with them."

'Cloud Messenger' is playing at Drama Centre Black Box on Aug 8 and 9. Tickets at S$25 from www.ticketmash.sg/cloudm