Public (Image) Enemy
“Truth must not be the servant to money.” To those who believe in this notion, you may be a public enemy.
Public Enemy, W!LD RICE’s first production in its imagiNATION season, is a powerful and thought-provoking play which discusses a few sociopolitical issues from herd mentality to unthinking submission to authority . It also confronts issues of legacy and the next generation and contains a strong critique of the media.
Gone are the colorful and elaborate set and costumes characteristic of W!LD RICE’s productions. Yet, the monochromic designs were not any less attention-grabbing. We are constantly reminded of the existence of the grey area between black and white.
The transitions between sets are well-orchestrated, well-timed and they effectively mark the different locations. Due to the fast-paced nature of the production, the loud and intense music during transitions did not seem wise. The music became more disruptive than ‘alienating’ in the Brechtian sense. There wasn’t sufficient space in between scenes to collect our thoughts or reflect.
By placing the ensemble or chorus members on the second floor and bringing up the house lights, Director Goei creates an immersive experience during the speech scene. This simple strategy directly implicates the Victoria Theatre audience as the “majority-is-always-right” crowd that Dr Chee berates.
I think it is unfortunate that the supporting female characters, performed by two very competent actors, are side-lined in favour of a male-led discussion. Harrower’s translation present the Chee family women as underdeveloped and lacking internal depths. Catherine Chee’s (played by Serene Chen) abrupt switch from being overly protective of her family’s material well-being to unwavering supporter of Dr. Chee remains puzzling.
Overall, Public Enemy is a bold production and is worth watching. For a start, it offers a platform for us to rethink the values of various long withstanding ideas said to uphold the ‘common good’. It would be better if the directions were less confrontational and allowed room for subtlety; room for us to exercise our imagiNATION.