The Learning Teacher

I am again thinking of what texts to teach my undergrads for the survey drama course I teach at UPM. Over the years I have started with either Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex or Antigone and then gone on to do a Shakespearean text - either King Lear or Antony and Cleopatra. Then I would teach a play  by Shaw - Pygmalion and an American text, Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire. And then choose one final play, usually a recently published play. Over the years I have used Mahesh Dattani’s Thirty Days in September and Wong Phui Nam’s Anike. 

I like teaching living writers as students can actually meet them or contact them. Wong Phui Nam has spoken to my students and through a blog, my students actually chatted with Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani.

In fact, one of the most exciting things we did when reading Dattani’s play was to create a blog where students connected with each other and the playwright.  Do see this link:

http://dattani30daysinseptember.blogspot.com

You can also read Dattani’s blog to the students through this link: 

http://dattani30daysinseptember.blogspot.com/2004_07_01_archive.html

They also were quite fortunate to watch the play being performed by an Indian troupe at the Actor’s Studio. In fact, we booked the whole theatre for UPM students. After the play, the students had an interview session with the cast and the Director. I believe this was a rather educational and entertaining experience for most students. I found the whole experience very rewarding as part of my teaching experience.

I have had various levels of success teaching the plays I have selected for my students and feedback from the students confirms this. The responses have been so varied from the different groups of students that I have never thought of dropping any of these plays permanently from my pool of teaching texts.

Over the years, sad to say, my students are not quite what I would like them to be. It is both their lack of exposure to the world of theatre and also the level of language proficiency. The lack of exposure is easier to deal with. Often one of the course requirement is going to watch a play and there are other activities to familiarise them to the world of theatre. The latter is more challenging. That’s where the choice of texts become crucial.

So before the second semester begins, I will make my choices. One text that I have decided to include is Kee Thuan Chye’s recently performed new play entitled The Swordfish, Then the Concubine . I also hope to get him to meet my students.

If anyone reading this blog posting happens to be my student or were my student,  I welcome your response. Others are welcome to respond too.

Cheers

Edwin

This posting is possible because one of my students found the declaration and sent it to me. Thanks, Elisha Nurusus.

IN the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe and may the blessings and peace of God be upon His Messengers.

WHEREAS the time has now arrived when the people of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu will assume the status of a free independent and sovereign nation among nations of the World

AND WHEREAS by an agreement styled the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1957, between Her Majesty the Queen and Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Malay States it was agreed that the Malay States of Johore, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Trengganu and Perak and the former Settlements of Malacca and Penang should as from the 31st day of August, 1957, be formed into a new Federation of States by the name of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu

AND WHEREAS it was further agreed between the parties to the said agreement that the Settlements of Malacca and Penang aforesaid should as from the said date cease to form part of Her Majesty’s dominions and that Her Majesty should cease to exercise any sovereignty over them

AND WHEREAS it was further agreed by the parties aforesaid that the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1948, and all other agreements subsisting between Her Majesty the Queen and Their Highnesses the Rulers or any one of them immediately before the said date should be revoked as from the date and that all powers and jurisdiction of Her Majesty or of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in or in respect of the Settlements aforesaid or the Malay States or the Federation as a whole should come to an end

AND WHEREAS effect has been given to the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1957, by Her Majesty the Queen, Their Highnesses the Rulers, the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Legislatures of the Federation and of the Malay States

AND WHEREAS a constitution for the Government of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu has been established as the supreme law thereof.

AND WHEREAS by the Federal Constitution aforesaid provision is made to safeguard the rights and prerogatives of Their Highnesses the Rulers and the fundamental rights and liberties of the people and to provide for the peaceful and orderly advancement of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu as a constitutional monarchy based on Parliamentary democracy

AND WHEREAS the Federal Constitution aforesaid having been approved by an Ordinance of the Federal Legislatures, by the Enactments of the Malay States and by resolutions of the Legislatures of Malacca and Penang has come into force on the 31st day of August 1957, aforesaid

NOW In the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful, I TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PUTRA ibni AL-MARHUM SULTAN ABDUL HAMID HALIMSHAH, PRIME MINISTER OF THE PERSEKUTUAN TANAH MELAYU, with the concurrence and approval of Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Malay States do hereby proclaim and declare on behalf of the people of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu that as from the thirty first day of August, nineteen hundred and fifty seven, the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu comprising the States of Johore, Pahang, Negri Semblian, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Trengganu, Perak, Malacca and Penang is and with God’s blessing shall be for ever a sovereign democratic and independent State founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people and the maintenance of a just peace among all nations.

Prime Minister

Kuala Lumpur, 31st Day of August 1957