Where Are You? (Singapore)
Created & Directed by Sim Yan Ying "YY"
Devised with & Performed by Aiswarya Nair, Al Hafiz Sanusi, Deborah Hoon, Hafeez Hassan, Rachel Nip, Shanice Nicole Stanislaus & Zora Smith
February 2021 at Wild Rice, Singapore
It’s been said that grief changes us irrevocably – that the death of a loved one shakes us up in unexpected and unimaginable ways. Some of us cling to rituals and superstitions. Others replay memories. Still others laugh in the face of its absurdity.
Weaving together personal stories and cultural perspectives, Where Are You? attempts to excavate the universal experience of grief through its unique manifestations. How do we talk openly and honestly about death? How can we be fearless about grieving deeply? And how will we reckon with where we go after death?
Production History
Where Are You? was first conceived and staged at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in May 2019. It subsequently had a digital production in October 2020 under the Mabou Mines SUITE/Space program, followed by a Singapore production in February 2021 as part of the Wild Rice Directing Residency. Where Are You? is presently continuing its development under the Mabou Mines SUITE/Space program and will be performed in December 2022.
Collaborators
Creator & Director: Sim Yan Ying "YY"
Devisers & Performers: Aiswarya Nair, Al Hafiz Sanusi, Deborah Hoon, Hafeez Hassan, Rachel Nip, Shanice Nicole Stanislaus & Zora Smith
Dramaturgs: Cheng Nien Yuan, Nabilah Said & Nicholas Chan
Scenic & Costume Designer: Johanna Pan
Lighting Designer: Irfan Kasban
Sound Designer: Jay Ong
Artistic Mentor: Ivan Heng
Producer: Koh Bee Bee
Production Manager: Melissa Teoh
Technical Manager: David Sagaya
Production Coordinator: Phua Yun Yun
Production Assistant: Angela Ee
Stage Manager: Nurliana Haron
Assistant Stage Manager: Nazirah Hazwani Binte Samad
Scenic & Costume Assistant: Caitlyn Lim
Surtitlist & Surtitle Operator: Christer Jon Aplin
Technicians: Ahmad Hafriz Bin Berkath & Muhammad Azhar Bin Azman
Photos by Ruey Loon
Press
“Where Are You? is a thoughtful look at grief after death. […] Far from sentimental, Where Are You? takes a clear-eyed look at grief that is still being excavated, examined and processed. Deepest feelings, after all, often show in the form of restraint.”
Interview
“Where Are You? was born out of confusion and chaos during a time of immense personal grief. I realised that my way of grieving was to cling to every ritual and every superstition, which had previously made little sense to me. I later became curious to find out how people across cultures come to the grieving experience, which is both so universal and specific, and then what would happen if we put these stories which are often social taboos on stage to share with an audience.”