Mental health and self-care in the Esplanade's The Studios

SINGAPORE - Women take centre stage in four of the five works that make up The Studios 2022. The season, now into its 20th year, returns from July 28 to Sept 24 with a mix of new works and restagings commissioned by the Esplanade.

The overarching theme of Nervous System embodies the focus on self-care. Programmer Vanessa Loh, 33, says: "When we think about the biological nervous system and how the different organs work together to ensure the smooth running of our bodies and minds, we thought this was a fitting metaphor for society.

"By way of analogy, we as individuals and groups, we parallel this way of communicating with each other to ensure the smooth running of the system that we coexist in."

The pandemic has prompted questions about how individuals can care better for themselves and one another, and this year's programme looks at these issues.

The season kicks off with Inconsequential Goddess, veteran theatre-maker Edith Podesta's follow-up to 2018's Leda And The Rage, which won a Straits Times Life Theatre Award for Production of the Year.

In the same vein, this show uses Greek mythology to tell the story of a woman who wants to be a goddess of no consequence. Ms Loh says: "It is very relevant today as it explores the cyclical nature of trauma, and the ways in which trauma is perpetuated over generations. It also explores how these cycles of trauma are broken to open a process of healing."

The Necessary Stage's Acting Mad tackles the topic of mental health in a new iteration of a work in progress that was first presented in 2019. The script is devised by playwright Haresh Sharma, who will also be directing the play, based on verbatim interviews with actors who have experienced mental health issues.

Teater Ekamatra's Berak was cancelled in 2020 as the pandemic hit, but will finally debut on stage in this Esplanade commission. An adaptation of Chong Tze Chien's Poop, which debuted in The Studios in 2009, Berak tells the tale of a grandmother, a wife and a daughter dealing with grief after a suicide.

The final theatre offering is Checkpoint Theatre's Recalling Mother: Her Lines, My Lines, which was first presented at The Studios in 2016. This play by Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed about mother-daughter relationships has gone through multiple iterations over the years, changing each time it is staged.

Ms Loh says: "It's a very deeply personal and authentic biographical work. The two women examine a new chapter of their maternal relationships in relation to their own age, so we can expect a more wistful tone of understanding."

Rounding off the programme is artist Alecia Neo's Recipes For Wayfinding, comprising a fabric installation on the Esplanade's rooftop which visitors can amble through and explore, as well as a workshop which will encourage participants to experiment with movement and share stories.

A new strand to this year's season is a more focused series of talks and workshops which accompany each production. A weaving workshop will accompany Inconsequential Goddess, while Sharma will be giving a lecture about verbatim writing.

There will be a panel discussion for Berak, featuring playwrights Mohd Fared Jainal and Chong, and Recalling Mother will be followed by an open sharing session.

This companion programming will carry over to next year's season, says producer Lynn Yang, 35. "The conversations that are started in the theatre cannot just stay there. How can these conversations continue? This is our humble contribution to the global discourse."

Where: Esplanade Theatre Studio, 1 Esplanade Drive

When: July 28 to Sept 24

Admission: $38 for theatre