On the 13 of June 2013, the District Level Drama Competition was held at our very own school, SMK

Taman Melawati. Participants from the competing schools arrive in the wee hours of the morning at SMK Taman Melawati, filling the school grounds with colours from their flamboyant costumes. Sweaty palms and nervous faces everywhere, the atmosphere was filled with the clanging of various props being set up and vocal warm up exercises performed by young actors and actresses. A palpable tension was in the air as the participants were fired with a burning competitive spirit. 20 schools took part in this years drama competition and the panel consisted of five judges in total, the chief judge being none other than Puan Zarina Bibi from SMK Seri Keramat. An ex-teacher from our school, Puan Seyamala Surramanyam was also one of the judges, followed by Puan Michelle Geraldine, Puan Zalinah Osman and Encik Zaharuddin Yaacob. The event was emceed by Sin Jen Lyn and Alya Rosli, both eloquent speakers with great chemistry. The competition started at 8 o clock in the morning. Our very own school representatives were the first ones up, performing their rendition of Romeo and Juliet with a twist and added humour. Romeo was played by none other than Deepan, our schools drama star whom have once participated in the National Level Drama Competition back in 2011 while Juliets role was beautifully delivered by the stunning Alwani Aishah Qistina dressed in a long, flowing white dress tailored to perfection. Sharukh Singh induced a few goosebumps with his performance, playing the role of Harry. His chemistry with Juliet (Alwani Aishah Qistina) grabbed everyones attention and earned a round of applause after one of their scenes. It was a brilliant performance, closed with an enthusiastic bow. The second group performed a play titled Invisible, portraying a typical students life who is constantly compared and judged by others. One of the performances that stood out was Cappu and Cinno by Group 8, taking the concept of Hansel and Gretel and making it their own. The witchs theatrical character was flawlessly delivered by a students impeccable acting on stage, making her scenes the obvious highlights of the play. The previous winners of the drama competition also performed the classic play written by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. Unlike our schools drama team, they retained the original elements of the story. Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, a popular traditional Malay folklore was translated into Group 13s entertaining performance which threw the audience into fits of laughter with their theatrics. Group 9 delivered a memorable play called Lifes Crossroads, its message stressing on filial piety and the appreciation of ones mother. Most of them were great actors, making their emotions contagious and felt by many in the hall. Overall, it was a well executed play as it had the excitement and emotional appeal of melodrama. At three o clock in the afternoon, the teams were called back into t he hall and the results were announced. Group 4, SMK Taman Melawatis Romeo and Juliet acquired third place, and although they were slightly disappointed, they were still grateful and content with the results. Group 8 from SMK Hulu Kelang attained a solid, second place with their performance of Cappu and Cinno. Lastly, Group 9 from SMK Seri Garing won the hearts of the judging panel with their play, Lifes Crossroads. The young actress who played the witch in Cappu and Cinno grabbed Best Actress, and the event was dismissed with pictures taken and friendly congratulatory handshakes between the participants. Although the schools drama team did not attain first place, it was a memorable journey throughout and the experience has brought them closer to each other. I hope that more people will be encouraged to participate in the schools drama team and work towards recreating our schools drama success in the previous years. Written by, Loh Ann Yie Andrea

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