Almost Left Behind: A StAJeworks Production

Written for StAJeworks, Anderson Junior College (AJC). Published in the AJC school yearbook, 2014.

Anderson Junior College’s STAJEworks member, Paul Yee Han Yuen from 34/13, describes the latest journey their CCA has undertaken as being “a story of passion in a world gone mad”. Indeed, for Lezanne, Almost Left Behind’s protagonist, life was never the same after a whirlwind of unfortunate events swept through her world.

In 2013, STAJEworks embarked on a project never before undertaken in Singapore; a meshing of two performance genres to create one overarching storyline. Almost Left Behind followed the ties between twin sisters Leanne and Lezanne as well as their relationship with their mother. For Lezanne, who has never been the popular twin, getting dumped by her boyfriend and written out of her father’s will catalyses her downward spiral. Through events in the play and accompanying film, we explore the extent one girl can reach in her desperation and desire to escape from her sister’s shadow.

The play provided ample opportunities for student expression, be it through the acting exercises devised by our director, Helmi Fita, or through writing assignments tasked to each student before rehearsals kicked off. Under the guidance of Director Helmi, the performance, from the playscript to the costumes to the props, was put together by the STAJEworks members.

For the actors, producing the film was a refreshing change from usual stage performances. For the sake of their art, the performers were unafraid to venture into strange environments, clambering over railings and getting into position on unstable ground for filming to commence. Their dedication to seeing the project through was evident through the weekends sacrificed and late nights burnt to put together a memorable experience for both the audience and the members alike.

Collaborating with CCAs such as Dance Society and Chinese Language Debate and Drama Society (CLDDS) provided another perspective to the play. It also allowed us to implement their experience and suggestions into providing opportunities for the audience to glean insights into the inner struggles of characters from all walks of life.

Behind every successful performance, there is a supportive backstage team. Needless to say, the efforts of the stage crew did not go unnoticed. Without the help of these unsung heroes, rehearsals would not have run as smoothly. While the actors were hard at work memorizing lines and going through pacing, our backstage crew were busily repainting stage sets, sourcing for costumes, fiddling with lights and speakers, and pouring blood, sweat and tears into publicity efforts. Watching my teammates at work truly made me realize that everyone is important in the grand scheme of things.

Through this public performance, we grew closer as a team as we strove towards a common goal. In keeping with our college values of Commitment and Synergy, I am sure that the insights we gained from this experience will prove useful to all of us as we go on to future endeavours in life.