I really cannot feel my head.
Hi everyone I'm Xenia! Welcome back to another episode of Hired or Fired and today I'm gonna be a Wayang performer for a day.
I don't know much about Chinese Opera.
All I know is they were the original storytellers back in the days when there were no movies, TV's or videos.
I consider them to be very essential artists because they can act, sing and dance all in one take.
I don't think I've ever watched a Chinese Opera live before.
Sometimes it's on TV but I wouldn't stay for it because it's in a dialect that I don't really understand.
That's why I'm very happy to see that there are more modern drams coming up showcasing the wayang culture like "TiTouDao".
So today I'm just coming in with an open mind to learn and meet Nick Shen. Wow it rhymes.
Let's go!
Hi my name is Nick Shen. I'm the founder of "Tok Tok Chiang".
and also the opera troupe leader for the oldest opera troupe in Singapore, "Lao Sai Tao Yuan Teochew Opera Troupe".
Chinese Opera is not just the performance, it's also very rich in history, culture, education and good morals values.
People have this misconception that Chinese Opera is very old-fashioned.
But I think the younger generation can appreciate this wonderful art form as well.
My mentor actually encouraged me to set up a company to encourage the youth to have a better understanding of this traditional art form.
So with this encouragement, I took a leap of faith and set up my events company, "Tok Tok Chiang".
All these years I've been an actor, I don't know anything about business.
So for me this is the most difficult part. But there were many fulfilling moments as well.
For example, I went to Africa, Malawi and Switzerland. I actually performed with the children there.
And I think the most meaningful part is that they also came over to Singapore
and we raised funds for the orphanage in Africa through Chinese Opera.
And that was the first time in history that there were African kids performing TeoChew Opera.
Hi I'm Xenia.
Hi Xenia! I'm Nick Shen. I'm the founder of "Tok Tok Chiang" events company.
Wow. So your going to be my Shi Fu (master) for today.
Sure.
Nice! What will I be learning today?
Wow! You'll be learning Cantonese opera, TeoChew Opera, the movements, the singing,
how to paint the opera face and I'll transform you to an opera star.
Okay that sounds like a lot,
but it's okay I'm gonna keep and open mind and try to learn. Do you any faith in me Shi Fu (master)?
Sure! 100 percent faith.
Oh my god.
-Okay let's go! - Let's go!
Alright Xenia before we begin, can you guess how many different types of Chinese Opera we have?
Mmmm, 9.
More than 9.
TeoChew. Hokkien.
- Hakka. - Chicken Rice.
- Do you like Chicken Rice? - Hainanese.
Hainanese is correct.
Still got more?
Yah.
-Huh? -Fishball?
- Inside there's meat? - Fuzhou.
Fuzhou. Correct!
- Still have? - Still have.
Wanton noodles?
Pontian!
Okay the answer is around 300 plus to 400 plus.
- Okay. Wah that's crazy. - So many different genres.
Today I'm gonna transform you into a beautiful princess and this is the princess head gear.
For Chinese Opera we have 4 main roles, sheng, dan, jing, chou.
For Sheng is for the male role. For the female role, which you'll be playing today, it's called Hua Dan or Gui Men Dan.
Jing is like uh...
Justice Bao.
The official!
Yeah you see all these are Jing characters and different colors have different characteristics as well.
For example, red means loyal and white represents cunning and sly. Usually deities will put on gold colour.
Like Sun Wukong is like...
- gold colour. - Ahhhh right!
We have string puppets that we call ti xian mu ou. We call hand puppets zhang zhong ou.
And metal puppets, tie zhi mu ou.
So these are string puppets.
These are puppets?
- Yes these are puppets! - They look like statues.
You can try this.
Puppet.
So usually we,
- place this finger...uh center finger. - Sorry.
This is the female one. Usually we hold the metal here.
Oh its quite heavy. OH!
Yeah it's quite heavy. You just have to...
Sorry sorry.
Wow! So cool!
There should be 2 metal parts here.
- Oh so you can move the hands. - Can move the hands.
So Xenia do you know what is this?
The bian lian da shi.
Yes! Mask changing!
If you don't know what is bian lian, it means they just like that.
-Mask changing. -Yah then they just keep doing this and they just keep changing.
Oh my god!
Wipe! Wipe! Wipe it down! Wipe! Wipe!
So for Chinese Opera artists, position is very important. The posture.
Stand straight and your eyes must be big and wide.
We always say. Shou, yan, shen, fa, bu.
Shou meaning our hands.
Shou Yan. Yan meaning our eyes.
Shen is our body.
Fa is method or different ways to walk or fight or different ways to use...
- Sorry I think it's because of the feathers . - It's alright!
Shou, yan, shen, fa, bu. Bu is bu fa. Meaning our legs.
Different ways to walk. So Xenia, we try another type of movement which is like this.
Likewise you have to stand straight and then your eyes maybe just look in front.
Ouch.
So you do this. Like an 8. Then gradually you faster.
- Wait ah. - No you're doing it wrong.
If you want to put your hand on your waist to balance, you can.
Next we're gonna try the water sleeve movement.
Okay.
This is the beautiful costume for Hua Dan.
Wah.
Before we enter the stage, we would try to make this very neat this way.
So you immerse yourself in the character. Imagine yourself as a young, beautiful Hua Dan.
-Okay. -You walk,
Gracefully, 3 steps then you face the audience.
Imagine we're in a garden.
- Okay. - And we're gonna walk 3 steps to the left to look at the scenery.
1...2...3.
Female roles usually walk like this.
Ahhh.
Wow the sun is shining so brightly.
Ahhh.
And you see. "Beautiful trees, birds right there."
We walk from the garden and we're finally back home - just imagine that.
So we knock the door.
(Translation) Mother, I am home. Please open the door.
- Wow well done. Awesome. - Really?
I never knew that just saying lines could be so difficult.
Exactly. Takes years of training.
For your next task I'm gonna teach you how to put on Chinese Opera make up.
The first step is the foundation.
Wow the consistency is really thick. I'm honestly very impressed. The make-up itself is an art you know.
Your building the character from this stage. You're not even on stage yet but you're slowly immersing in the character.
Chio or not?
Okay next would be the red colours. Contour the nose area...
You contour you nose with red?
With red yeah. Chinese Opera is red.
Okay.
So let me show you alright.
Wah your hand must be very steady.
You try the first step first.
- Draw one line. - Wait wait wait.
If I draw wrongly then do I have to do this step again?
Don't worry because I invited a professional make up artist here.
You have a pencil I can try first.
Let me see.
Is this okay?
No?
It's not straight enough.
I demonstrate one time. You balance the brush then you slowly pull down. Then it'll be straight.
Okay. I try again ah.
Yeah this is better.
-This is better? -Yeah this is better.
Okay next step is the black color. This hat the influencer usually do right?
HAHAHA Yes oh my god!
This part here. You just try to draw a straight line.
Can I see?
Not bad lah.
Not exactly straight but at least the shape is there.
Never mind. She will do the touch up for you.
So for Hua Dan, the next step would be your hair. This is very tricky. It takes experience, especially using real hair
to form the shape so we need to get professional hairstylists to do it for you.
Yes okay. Transformation!
Now that we changed to our costume, do you like your entire look?
Yes. I feel like I'm getting married.
Today, we are very happy to invite my two teachers here!
She played the female role so she'll guide you step by step for the female role.
So the pronunciation is very important because I might sound like I'm saying a vulgarity.
I am not getting it. Let me learn it step by step.
(PD) Is this headpiece heavy?
Super. My back is aching.
And this costume also weighs quite a bit you know.
(PD) Okay let's do the second excerpt.
Let's go!
Ah I got it! It's here! It's here! That's her pitch. I got it.
For a lot of episodes, I may have a lot of fun.
Maybe because the job scopes are more straight forward but for this the learning curve is very steep.
For season 2, this is definitely the most stressful episode yet.
I actually felt it already.
The third sentence it was sliding I was like, "No No No!"
Nice! Yes! Well done! Heroine!
No it's the mirror! There's a mirror in front of us that's the cheat code.
Xenia. Right now we're going to perform the most popular excerpt from Cantonese Opera.
Almost every Cantonese person will know how to sing this.
Awww he cried. He's making me wanna cry.
You're crying also.
I know, but because you cried.
Nearer. Nearer.
Most importantly, it must come from the heart. You must touch the audience. That's the most important thing.
Hope you enjoyed yourself.
I did. I did.
So we finally pang kang (end work) already. It's been a long day. I think this is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Even though it was painful and tiring, it was worth it.
It is really an eye opening experience for me to understand the culture beyond just a performance you see live or on TV.
The intention and meaning behind the traditions that even my parents practice today.
I learned a lot as an actor from Nick. We are literally in an empty space. You have to make something out of nothing.
The way you look, they way you walk even the way you stand can tell the audience so much about your character.
Be it social class, the emotions you feel at that point in time, your relationship with your co actor.
This is truly the best training I could ever ask for. To be very honest with you, chasing your dream and going through this journey on my own,
It hasn't been the easiest and at times I also wanna give up you know. But today just seeing how he's a living example of
putting years of hard work, passion and determination to make it work, I hope one day I'll be where he is today.
Okay so Nick without sugarcoating, how do you think I did today?
Okay seriously we started at 8 o'clock in the morning and it's almost 8 o'clock at night.
It's very difficult to sing in dialect. Even my teachers and make up artist think your a very fast learner.
Xenia crybaby every scene also cry!
I feel like he complimented me a lot. We also want to compliment you. You don't see behind the screen okay.
It's luggage after luggage of costumes and puppets. That you have to carry up to...
Which floor is this?
4th storey.
Now I'm going to ask you the most important question for every single episode.
Okay. Ready!
1...2. 1, 2, 3 go!
Will you hire or fire me?!
- Tok Tok Chiang Chiang Chiang. - Awwww.
I have to see I rarely so buey ba (thick skin) to put hired.
Okay. I'm normally not so confident.
Singing is one of the things that I just cannot. For me to sing in front of a camera,
It was actually a very difficult thing but I think it's because of the confidence you gave me.
And I said 100 percent.
Haiyooo.
You need to have a certain kind of look for Hua Dan and you definitely must have the voice.
And I think you have a good voice so you're a natural born talent. I'm serious.
But most importantly you have a good attitude.
Thank you.
So Nick I'm going to share with you one of the most important reasons I started Hired or Fired.
To cover hyper local super Singaporean occupations that are fading.
I am honestly super happy that we did this cause I think more people should know.
The reason why I have this motivation to carry on is because street opera is definitely a dying art in Singapore.
The first step is just to be open. Just coming in with no expectation but just be open about it.
Thank you for watching yet another episode of Hired or Fired!
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Chiang Chiang Chiang! Chiang Chiang Chiang!
- Bye! -Thank you Xenia!
-Thank you! - Bye!