Dulu. Saat Itu.’s stage setup, sound and lighting also deserve praise, as the combination of these elements created a visually stunning show. Nevertheless, although the aesthetic of the performance was impressive and the main subject of memories was an interesting area to explore, the concept seemed to fall short.
In simpler terms, the performance felt like a “donut”, in which the story seemed to come off as a complete “whole”. However, it becomes quite evident that there is a “hole” in the middle, that it is missing a piece in the centre, which are the nuances that would have made it an even more compelling show.
Yes, there are profound moments in the performance, but after much contemplation, it was perhaps only moving because of the visual aesthetic of each scene, not because of the script and story. Truthfully, the story itself seemed disjointed. It is understood that the scenes performed by Dexter and Aisha are meant to showcase fragments of their characters’ memories separately and it is probably intentional for the play to showcase the character’s OWN experiences, rather than linking them together.
However, this is perhaps the factor that made the story seem hollow in the first place. The fact that there was nothing that seemed to tie these memories together seemed to create the lack of cohesiveness, which made the concept hard to grasp for the audience. Personally, I felt that if the memories of the characters had a connection or linkage, it probably would have strengthened the overall concept and provided more clarity in the storyline. In effect, it would bring the story to an equally great footing as the performance’s visuals.
Despite the criticism,
Seni Tiga #11: Dulu. Saat Itu. was an enjoyable and thought-provoking show with its stunning imagery and emotive acting from both Dexter and Aisha. I look forward to the next collaborative project in the
Seni Tiga series.
Seni Tiga #11: Dulu. Saat Itu. was streamed on CloudTheatre for three nights, from Dec 18 until Dec 20 2020.