blackbird the play
Went to watch the play Blackbird by Singapore Repertory Theatre. It's a story about forbidden love. a past love between a 55 year old man and 27 year old woman, but 15 years earlier - when the male was 40 and the girl, 12.
Highly controversial scenario to set a play to. Given the age difference, can we say that the two were truly in love? Or was the male simply a monstrous pedophile?
The play is set in the present time, when the man and woman meet again after 15 yrs.. They tell each other the side of their story... and piece together questions tt went unanswered in a decade n a half - the court trial, how they got so messed up and how they moved on. in the end, it's a sad and shocking outcome for the female. tho both characters suffer.
This one was a serious drama compared to boeing boeing. hehe. the theatre is a good place to see raw human emotions where we would not dare show in everyday life. It allows u to witness the kind of anger/frustration, where u empty the dustbin of its trash in a swift throw, kick it to the corner of the stage, as well as overturn tables; Struggle till you end up in a heap on the floor.. or start making out on the floor of the office pantry.
Good that it's all on stage so u know things won't get out of hand. It's still within a controlled space. Phew.
As the play was going on and i was trying to listen to the dialogue and understand, i wondered how others in the audience were identifying with the femal and male lead. could it be true that such complications do occur in real life?
Theatre often portrays messy circumstances, predicaments we would never wish to find ourselves in. we don't want to be caught in a complicated love triangle, forbidden love or messy family fued etc.. Unfortunately, these undeniably surface regardless of our preference.
So my mind wandered.. and two thoughts that might be influenced by all my holy moley bible reading and workbook study of late popped up =p
let me give my two cents worth on the scenario.
Biblically speaking...
The man got to know the female because he lived next door. one day, her parents invited him over to a bbq party and tt's how he started to talk to the girl. he felt tt there was sth deep about her.. as if she was mature beyond her years. and he was attracted to her.
She being young and often neglected by her parents, enjoyed the attention she was getting from him. so over time, she developed feelings for him as well.
To make a drama interesting... of course as their relationship ensued.. they had sex.
So.. who was wrong?
my ans: the man.
Because in the 10th commandment, exodus 20:17
"“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (or your neighbour's daughter)
HAha.. too bad they had to be neighbours. so this verse applies =p
And next:
Who's fault was it that they fell in love?
my ans: neither.
i do not doubt the reality of how feelings of affection and attachment can grow between two individuals.
The bible does have a verse in song of solomon 2:7 that says:
" Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires."
Which leads me to conclude:
It is thus no surprise that parents will advice their young teenage sons and daughters not to get involved romantically whilst they are still adapting to changes physical and emotional during puberty and adolescence.
From this verse, it holds the wisdom that tells us of love's strong power. if it is sparked off before the time is right.. the dangers of the overwhelming grip love ( more fittingly, infatuation) has, exposes us to risks that can become costly and messy, Or simply.. heart breaking.
perhaps, this love emotion is not limited by age groups:
Get hooked by love at age 10,11,12 right up to 20s/30s/40s to old age and it'll be a memory edged in your mind's space for a lifetime (depending how significant).
Sadly, we often learn things the hard way.
Preach this rationale to any young excited person swooning over their first crush and they will cast doubt on your words. Their amazing head-numbing, heart-thumping feelings will run ahead of them and nothing will feel more right than mr/ms targeted crush.
Only when they've grown up and experienced the triumphs and troughs of love, will they look back and say
"Now do I understand. Young romance, albeit exhilarating and fun, can leave scars that linger on as bittersweet memories; memories we can do without."
I'll end with a repeat portion of the verse that struck me after the play: Do not awaken love until it so desires.
Another lesson from a dancer's testimony at ballet magnificat to sum up my thoughts:
'Any over abundance of affection given away to anyone of the opposite gender apart from family is wasted affection.
Instead, save up the alluring affection for someone who truly matters; The one who is worth a relationship more lasting (ie marriage).
Unless you are sure of marriage/ possibility of it, don't waste your affections on him/her. Your heart is much too precious to take the unnecessary stress.
Most importantly, your heart and affections matter more to God who loves you more abundantly than any boy/girl/man/woman can ever love.'
:)
cheers and blessings
Highly controversial scenario to set a play to. Given the age difference, can we say that the two were truly in love? Or was the male simply a monstrous pedophile?
The play is set in the present time, when the man and woman meet again after 15 yrs.. They tell each other the side of their story... and piece together questions tt went unanswered in a decade n a half - the court trial, how they got so messed up and how they moved on. in the end, it's a sad and shocking outcome for the female. tho both characters suffer.
This one was a serious drama compared to boeing boeing. hehe. the theatre is a good place to see raw human emotions where we would not dare show in everyday life. It allows u to witness the kind of anger/frustration, where u empty the dustbin of its trash in a swift throw, kick it to the corner of the stage, as well as overturn tables; Struggle till you end up in a heap on the floor.. or start making out on the floor of the office pantry.
Good that it's all on stage so u know things won't get out of hand. It's still within a controlled space. Phew.
As the play was going on and i was trying to listen to the dialogue and understand, i wondered how others in the audience were identifying with the femal and male lead. could it be true that such complications do occur in real life?
Theatre often portrays messy circumstances, predicaments we would never wish to find ourselves in. we don't want to be caught in a complicated love triangle, forbidden love or messy family fued etc.. Unfortunately, these undeniably surface regardless of our preference.
So my mind wandered.. and two thoughts that might be influenced by all my holy moley bible reading and workbook study of late popped up =p
let me give my two cents worth on the scenario.
Biblically speaking...
The man got to know the female because he lived next door. one day, her parents invited him over to a bbq party and tt's how he started to talk to the girl. he felt tt there was sth deep about her.. as if she was mature beyond her years. and he was attracted to her.
She being young and often neglected by her parents, enjoyed the attention she was getting from him. so over time, she developed feelings for him as well.
To make a drama interesting... of course as their relationship ensued.. they had sex.
So.. who was wrong?
my ans: the man.
Because in the 10th commandment, exodus 20:17
"“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (or your neighbour's daughter)
HAha.. too bad they had to be neighbours. so this verse applies =p
And next:
Who's fault was it that they fell in love?
my ans: neither.
i do not doubt the reality of how feelings of affection and attachment can grow between two individuals.
The bible does have a verse in song of solomon 2:7 that says:
" Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires."
Which leads me to conclude:
It is thus no surprise that parents will advice their young teenage sons and daughters not to get involved romantically whilst they are still adapting to changes physical and emotional during puberty and adolescence.
From this verse, it holds the wisdom that tells us of love's strong power. if it is sparked off before the time is right.. the dangers of the overwhelming grip love ( more fittingly, infatuation) has, exposes us to risks that can become costly and messy, Or simply.. heart breaking.
perhaps, this love emotion is not limited by age groups:
Get hooked by love at age 10,11,12 right up to 20s/30s/40s to old age and it'll be a memory edged in your mind's space for a lifetime (depending how significant).
Sadly, we often learn things the hard way.
Preach this rationale to any young excited person swooning over their first crush and they will cast doubt on your words. Their amazing head-numbing, heart-thumping feelings will run ahead of them and nothing will feel more right than mr/ms targeted crush.
Only when they've grown up and experienced the triumphs and troughs of love, will they look back and say
"Now do I understand. Young romance, albeit exhilarating and fun, can leave scars that linger on as bittersweet memories; memories we can do without."
I'll end with a repeat portion of the verse that struck me after the play: Do not awaken love until it so desires.
Another lesson from a dancer's testimony at ballet magnificat to sum up my thoughts:
'Any over abundance of affection given away to anyone of the opposite gender apart from family is wasted affection.
Instead, save up the alluring affection for someone who truly matters; The one who is worth a relationship more lasting (ie marriage).
Unless you are sure of marriage/ possibility of it, don't waste your affections on him/her. Your heart is much too precious to take the unnecessary stress.
Most importantly, your heart and affections matter more to God who loves you more abundantly than any boy/girl/man/woman can ever love.'
:)
cheers and blessings