To 21-year-old Singaporean student Jasmine Yap Aik ha, university life is not just about business classes. It’s also about expressing her creativity on the stage.
Last summer, the Nanyang Technological University sophomore was chosen for the female lead of an annual campus drama performance. Ha said her six years in a middle school choir helped her win role.
Written by her fellow students, the play tells the story of a girl whose relationship with her brother had begun to sour since the death of their parents. The two siblings take a journey of self-exploration, eventually realizing that they care for each other.
“The challenging part was to get myself immersed in the character without adding my own shadow to her identity,” said Ha.
“I imagined the character’s life experiences and tried to feel them the way the character might feel them.”
Ha’s effort paid off. After five months of preparation, her performance was hailed as a success.
“I even heard that some people in the audience had cried, especially during the part when the siblings confess their concern for each other. I did not expect the audience to relate so closely to our performance. It was a pleasant surprise,” said Ha.
She explained that drama means more to her than mere extracurricular pleasure. She sees it as an opportunity to experience other’s lives in order to enrich her own.
Close –knit family
“performing in a drama is just like experiencing another person’s life. You speak like you are the character in the drama and not yourself. That’s the most fun and fulfilling part of acting.”
Ha says the experience changed her view of family. “It surprised me that any pair of siblings could be so distant, so unaware of each other even though they live under one roof,” she said. “But in the end, they cared deeply for each other, and it touched me. It left me appreciating my closely-knit family even more.”
Life is busy on her Singapore campus, but Ha said she hopes to take more chances to perform in dramas in the future. “I think campus life can be fulfilling and exciting,” she said. “As for me, I’m really thankful to be at a school that gave me the knowledge and opportunity to achieve this goal.”
译文:
憧憬其它生活方式
对于21岁新加坡学生Jasmine Yap Aik ha来说，大学生活不仅是商务课程也是表现出她活跃一面的时候。
去年夏天，作为南洋理工大学2年级学生被选为年度校园戏剧表演女一号。她说她在中学6年唱诗班的经历帮助了她赢得了这个角色。
由她的同学创作，这个戏诉说了一个女生与他兄弟的关系在他们的父母过世后开始变得疏远。这两个兄妹参加了一个自助探险旅程，最终出现了他们相互照顾对方的情景。
Ha说：“具有挑战的部分是让自己沉浸在没有自我阴影的性格身份上。”
“我憧憬有个性的生活经历及试图用这种可能方式去感知他们。
Ha无报酬，经过5个月的准备，她的表演异常成功。
Ha 说：“我甚至听到一些观众的哭声，特别是在这两个兄妹都互相关心对方时。我并没有期待观众会对我们的表演喜爱。这简直是一个令人喜悦的惊喜。”
她解释道戏剧能给带她更多课外愉悦。她明白它是一种以其他人的 生活的丰富自己经历的机会。
亲人相聚
“戏剧表演是体验其它人的生活方式。你可以在戏剧中表演你喜欢的性格但不是你自己。这就是演戏最大的快乐和让人满意的地方。
Ha说这样的经历改变她对家庭的看法。“令我吃惊的是那对一对兄妹如此疏远，甚至生活在共同的屋檐下也变得不关心对方。”她说：“但在结局，他们深深的关心对方。也触动了我，让我对亲人的相聚产生了更多的感激。
她的新加坡校园生活虽然忙碌，但ha说她想在将将来有更多机会表演戏剧。“我想校园生活能是令人高兴和兴奋地，”她也说道：“对我来说，我真的感谢学校给我知识和机会让我拿到这个奖。