Drama acts out audience's story
Theatre dramas are usually based on someone else's story. With the VR Theatre project, however, what took place on stage was inspired entirely by experiences and stories from the audience.
The project, organised by the youth group Breakthrough, was based on a 'playback theatre' format which involves a lot of interaction with the audience.
According to Dorothy Wong Ching-hang, senior Web producer and person-in-charge of the project, the unique format tests actors' ability to improvise on the spot.
'In VR Theatre, V stands for 'virtual community' and R for 'real world',' Ms Wong said.
'The project was recorded on the Web. We didn't stage our drama at grand, splendid halls, but in a community centre for minority groups. They should get a chance to see dramas.'
More than 30 young participants were recruited to join the year-long project, staged at schools and community centres and focusing on poverty in Hong Kong.
Yan Leung Hiu-ying, 17, said playback theatre had given her a chance to hear others' stories.
The sixth former, who has taken part in drama productions before, said she could be even more imaginative with the interactive format.
'A member of the audience told us once that he ordered fried rice for one month when he first arrived in Hong Kong, because he couldn't order anything else in Cantonese. It was a real story, not a made-up script,' she said.
The Hong Kong Buddhist College student also took part in the final performance in which she played the role of a rebel girl who wanted to commit suicide because no one understood her.
'I think many youngsters pretend to be strong while in fact they're afraid of being left alone. To us, the most important thing is not material things, but concern from parents and friends,' Hiu-ying said.
Another actress, Muse Chan Tak-wai, 15, also learned a lot by taking part in the performance.
She said: 'When we started playback theatre, members of the audience were willing to tell us their real experiences and feelings which made the atmosphere so intimate and touching.
'We may have, for a long time, forgotten about sincerity.'
After the completion of the project, the 30 participants have decided to continue playback theatre on the street and at schools. They believe it will help them to understand more about society and develop their own potential.
