In most dramas, audiences see nothing more than the action on stage. With Backstage — Say No to Tomatoes, Lowkey Drama Group intends to give its audience a glimpse into the insider’s world — and show them what happens after the curtains are drawn.
“This show may appear to be an impromptu creation,” said Inn Wu (吳小穎), stage director for Lowkey, a group of amateur thespians founded 16 years ago. “You won’t know what the next act will be like until it starts. At times you’ll wonder if the actors are ready for it.”
The aim of Backstage is to illustrate how dramas are produced and what happens offstage. Lowkey maintains two official blogs, which document the progress of the production.
Tomatoes feature heavily. The subtitle, Say No to Tomatoes, originally referenced the fact that screenwriter Huang Saomin (黃少民) hates the fruit, which later became a major source of inspiration for the production.
“We have certain perceptions and interpretations of drama, which all depend on personal experiences,” said producer Chen Joshan (陳煢珊) of the use of tomatoes as a metaphor. “Some people treat the tomato as a veggie, others, as a fruit. Some people like ripe ones, whereas others like them unripe. People can relate to it easily, which makes it a good vehicle for our messages.”
Exactly what those messages are — much less what audiences will see during the play — is being kept a secret for now. “Put simply, it is about how love affects arts creation,” said director Kyle Huang (黃晟凱), somewhat cryptically, when asked to describe the production.
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