Reliving the memories and events leading up to the closure of the Performing Arts Centre of Penang in January.
By Rachel Yeoh
With death, pain is relinquished. But memories of the struggle and joy attained from that life produces a deep indentation that can be revisited by testimonies by those who were part of it. No, it is not the death of a loved one, but of a beloved space—a space that used to be filled with vivacious and creative spirits.
Today, it is akin to an empty tomb.
This tomb, located on the fourth floor of the Straits Quay Retail Marina, is the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (penangpac).
Datuk Faridah Merican during Short+Sweet KL in 2021. Image courtesy of penangpac.
Birthed on November 11, 2011 by Datuk Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham, penangpac has always relied on the generosity of its space provider, Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O), ticket sales and space rentals. During the decade when they were active, penangpac showcased a myriad of shows by both local and international artistes. Many classes ranging from drama, choir, martial arts, and dance classes for the young and old were also held in its three studios.
However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and a nationwide lockdown was called, order turned to chaos. With several shows in the line-up, last-minute arrangements and rescheduling of rehearsals and shows had to be done.
Penang Players held auditions in December 2019. After two years, the show has yet to be staged. Image courtesy of penangpac.
Among them was A Couple of Secrets set to be staged by Penang Players, one of the oldest music and drama clubs in the state. It was originally set to stage in May 2020 but was postponed to October that year. However, another Movement Control Order (MCO) was called and it was moved to March 2021 before it was rescheduled for the third time to May 2022.
Unfortunately, on November 5, 2021, penangpac founders posted a heartfelt Facebook post stating: “Our 10-year partnership between The Actors Studio and E&O Bhd will come to a premature end.”
It did not come as a shock to those involved with penangpac—there had been whispers of the possibility of it ceasing to exist when 2021 closed.
President of Penang Players, Joëlle Saint-Arnoult, hopes that penangpac can reenter the Penang art scene once again as its model appealed to a lot of performing arts groups.
“Penangpac had all the facilities, equipment, and in-house personnel we needed to help us stage our shows in a professional manner. From the moment we bumped-in to prepare for a show, we knew we had a ‘family’ to rely on and to get the best conditions to put on the best show,” she said.
Having been in the performing arts scene for 30 years, Saint-Arnoult did not immediately work with penangpac when it opened to the public as they were used to staging their shows at other venues like the P Ramlee theatre, Dewan Sri Pinang, Dewan Budaya at University Sains Malaysia, and various hotels in Penang. However, it started becoming ‘home’ to them in recent years, especially during show dates where the teams would come in early and leave late after the show.
Once Upon A Time, directed by Fa Abdul was performed and recorded in penangpac. The show is now available on CloudTheatre until June 26, 2022. Image courtesy of penangpac.
penangpac also became ‘home’ to writer, columnist, and playwright, Fa Abdul. She first started collaborating with penangpac in 2014 when she was still working from Kuala Lumpur as she was eager to bring more shows to her hometown in Penang. In 2017, she relocated to Penang, closely working with the establishment for all her shows.
At the beginning of 2020, just before Covid-19 hit, penangpac was looking to hire a Marketing/Publicity Manager. Coincidentally, Fa was also considering bringing some changes to her life. “I had been a freelance writer for a very long time,” she said, “and thought adding some structure to my life would bring value.”
She jumped on the bandwagon as a full-time employee, holding the Marketing/Publicity portfolio in early 2020. A year later, she was promoted to General Manager. However, it was then that the management decided on salary cuts to survive the pandemic. As a General Manager, she was earning RM1,800. Six months down the road, she was struggling to pay bills and was forced to let go of her condo unit to move in with her parents. With two children who were in their final year in university, things were in bad shape.
Pre-Covid-19, penangpac’s stage two could accommodate 120 seats, but under the MCO, it could only fit 50 people. Image courtesy of the author.
Her situation was a reflection of what was happening to the establishment as well. No shows meant that there was no income to sustain it. When shows were allowed, many seats needed to be vacant to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent the spread Covid-19. Calls for donations went up and the public, private companies, and even the state government poured in cash with the hope of keeping penangpac running.
Even after the November 2021 announcement was made, the state government tried to look for ways to keep it from closing.
Unfortunately, it was not enough.
On January 15, 2022, the staff, along with several old-time performers gathered for the last time at the penangpac vicinity to reminisce about the good times over the past decade. One of them was company manager Alexander Ooi, whose vision was to bring English, Malay, and Chinese theatre groups under one roof. Shows like crowd favourite Story of Tolol, an adaptation to English from a Malay script by local playwright Rusaidi Ramli, was a window for others to understand how the Malay society thinks and their points of view regarding certain issues.
His best-loved shows include John Shebat’s Syiok Sendiri series and Fa Abdul’s Tales series.
“Both series revealed the problems we have swept under the carpet for years. They won’t just make you laugh, but make you think about the current issues and how you respond to them. We need more of this in theatre to impact and create a more open and rational society,” he said.
Boria, a Malay dance and sketch art form exclusive to Penang, performed during A Decade with penangpac on November 11, 2011— during the tenth and final anniversary of the establishment. Image courtesy of penangpac.
Another favourite, according to Alexander, was Short+Sweet Penang. There were dance and theatre categories in Penang and it was a platform for performing arts groups from different groups to meet each other; from rookies to old-timers, from different races using different languages to perform. Coincidentally, it was also the last show produced by penangpac in December 2021 before its closure.
Ooi Kee How, penangpac’s former theatre manager who left in mid-2016 to pursue his dreams in Seoul, South Korea, also has a special place in his heart for the establishment. He was there since the beginning, going through the entire process from the groundbreaking, building, and installing the whole centre since its inception. He saw how the entire theatre was put together from a dusty construction site to a shining concert house. To see it take their last curtain call 10 years later is no less heart-breaking.
“I think penangpac should continue to exist as the arts is not an ‘atas’ (high class) thing but for ALL. Different art forms serve to educate, connect, and inspire creativity while fostering community building and well-being. I hope it’s only taking a break and it will come back to Penang in a better venue, with better prospects, and better support by the locals, the government and especially the corporates.
“A proper performing arts centre is an exhibition of the beauty and richness of our culture,” he said.
Though there seems to be no hope for its revival, many are looking, hoping, and yearning that penangpac—or an establishment of this sort—will rise like a phoenix from the ashes to bring together performing arts groups again.
A concoction of oxymoronic attributes, Rachel Yeoh is a lazy overachiever. She writes for a living and runs a homemade granola company. Always planning for something to do while procrastinating on her bed, she sometimes finds herself performing a little something-something in front of an audience.