Interview with Chan Yu Kit, Hallplay producer part 2/3

Writer: Nicholas Ng
Editor: Jonathan Chan

I thought you were going to say nobody’s said they loved you yet.

Haha that’s okay la I think nobody ever told Zichun they loved him either.

Zichun! Fight back!!

I could tell you about the other incident that happened last year. During the first show last year, I was watching the performance, and ‘cos all the members had to go on stage, we had to exit the theatre and go backstage just before the last scene. It was dark, quiet, and just in between the scene change.

The steps were uneven, so I kind of lost my footing, so, suddenly,

KABLAM.

Everybody inside heard it. How did I know?  ‘cos somebody in the audience asked me later, “Was there something wrong with the sets? There was a very loud sound leh!” My friend walking beside me didn’t even realise…and when she did we both started laughing… I sprained my toe because of that! It turned purple later… I was very sad…

Which one is it?

Can you tell? It’s not very obvious though…

This one?

No.

This one?

No, that one was injured playing netball. It’s this one (points to second toe)

The distal phalange?

Yes and it looks a little crooked to me, though people can’t really tell.

Your first and second phalanges look quite far apart.

Yeah it’s a sign of Down’s syndrome.

Only from medical students. You heard it here first. =.=”

Then I was commenting to Zichun that in the play’s video recording, we can add the *BOOM* sound subtitles! A BOOM! :)

*awkward silence*

Right, I was going to say that it was pretty unfortunate, but you seem pretty amused about that.

It’s quite funny wad!!

Why not do it again this year? And make it a tradition.

No! It should be the AP who falls, and I will push the AP myself

The freshie who’s being approached for the job, please beware…

Haha. Don’t worry freshies, just joking.

Jokes aside, how’s your work coming along now?

Mainly I just make sure people do their jobs, so I ask for their timelines, and make sure they meet their deadlines. I also handle stuff like copyrights.

How is that?

Well, I called this Government Agency X (name of this Intellectual Property Office has been changed to protect privacy) to help me clarify copyrights, and I had to call a few times, because I kept getting put on hold.

Eventually, I got through, and this lady said that yes, I needed a copyright.

And I asked her, “Isn’t it in public domain?”

And she said, “Government Agency X is an institution to educate of the public on copyrights, but this is not the agency to be approached for copyright law”

In other words, it was useless. A typical government agency…

Do you want this on the record?

You could put it as Government Agency X…

Yes that would be quite funny…

Don’t put IP–! (OOPS!)

Anything else you’d like to grouse about?

Yes! Then they directed me to Organisation Y (name of this non-profit society which deals with copyrights has been changed to protect privacy), and I was like “Isn’t Organisation Y a body for music copyright?”

She replied, “Yeah they also settle public performances.” And I was like okay, so I called them, and I asked,

“Do you settle copyright for plays?”

“No no music only music only.”

“But IP-(err, I mean, Government Agency X) told me to call you”

“No music only music only.”

“So who should I contact?”

“No idea”

So how’s it now?

I contacted OSA, and they contacted Government Agency X for me and they went through the laws of copyright, so apparently it makes a difference whether you’re a student or staff representing NUS.

More to come…

Interview with Chan Yu Kit, Hallplay Producer Part 1/3

Writer: Nicholas Ng
Editor: Jonathan Chan

Chan Yu Kit

We all know that Hall Play is traditionally a huge, HUGE activity, so when the chance came to interview the producer, Ms Chan Yu Kit, KE Press couldn’t resist squeezing every single detail out of her! Right down to the bureaucratic merry-go-rounds and the broken (alright, sprained) toes…

Nicholas Ng was at Meeting Room 1, to catch a few words with this busy lady.

Good evening, Yu Kit, and thank you for joining us today. Before we say anything else, let’s ask, firstly, why Hall Play?

It’s quite a long story. It actually started last year when I signed up for Hall Play during CCA Recruitment. I signed up for a few departments and randomly signed up for the post of Assistant Producer (AP) simply because the post was available. So, that’s how I ended up in Hall Play to begin with.

In fact, I think my producer then (Zichun) was initially hesitant about taking me in because I was a medicine student and medicine students are probably notorious for generally being ‘commitment-phobic’.

So, why Hall Play again? Well I have to admit that I actually didn’t have much of a choice because I applied to stay in hall this year through Master’s List hahaha! Okay, but that’s really beside the point. I wanted to join the Steering Committee, though not for anything specific.

Hong Ju (then the producer) even asked me to be costumes head, his reason being I had good dress sense!

That is a compliment, isn’t it?

He was just teasing me I guess (haha).

Then, Yi Fong (the director) asked me if I wanted to try being assistant director, and I considered it, but I was apprehensive because I have no idea how to direct, but I decided to give it a try. So I became assistant director. Then Hong Ju’s dad passed away, sadly, and he had no choice but to take leave Hall to take care of things at home, and then, Hall Play was thus without a producer. Since I was AP last year, I took up the job in his place.

How come there wasn’t an AP this year?

We didn’t look for one during the recruitment drive, and nobody applied for the post. And since I don’t know many freshies, besides the medics, I haven’t found one.

And well, it’s just one of the things you think about doing but never get down to doing. It’s meant to be a freshie’s job, by the way, to prepare for whoever’s going to succeed next year.

It’d be nice to have an assistant though ;)

Please don’t prey on innocent freshies.

Like you? Okay. Point taken.

So that’s why I don’t have one yet.

‘Cos you don’t need one?

Not so much for helping me, not yet anyway, but more for succession. So yep I took over, even though I wasn’t sure if I could cope, because firstly, this is Hall Play, one of the biggest CCAs! And I’m in M2; I have 8 subjects, double the number  last year!!

For the record, can you name them?

Huh? Okay…Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology…what else ah?

COFM.

Ah yes, COFM.

Pharmacology.

That’s right, Pharmacology!

Neuroscience.

Oh! Neuroscience. How come you know but I don’t know?

*doesn’t have an answer for that*

Does PBL (Problem-Based Learning) count?

Before we have a chance to find out the answer, in walks Li Heng, one of our actors. Short dialogue, regarding this interview, takes place.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, the producer’s job…

Yeah so I was quite apprehensive. And, people working under the producer must really want to work with the producer. But, so far nobody’s said they hate me (yet), so it’s okay!

More to come on this topic…