Of Gods, Mythical Creatures and Mynahs
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About this ebook
Sandy is interested in heritage matters and is an animal lover. Uresh and Ted are enthusiasts of science fiction, mythology and alternate history. The trio hopes all those who read the plays will discover something between the old and contemporary, the mythical and factual as well as what is usually understood as the norm versus the peculiar.
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Of Gods, Mythical Creatures and Mynahs - Uresh
PREFACE
Sandy wrote the plays on the Chinese deities (first play) and the mynahs (third play). As a Chinese, she has known these deities for a long time. Research and the first attempt to ‘humanize’ the gods (as opposed to deitify) took place when she was volunteering at the museum. She had hoped to assist the non-Chinese audience to understand the complex world and identities of the gods. As for the piece on the mynahs, Sandy has always had a keen interest of the animal world. As a non-science student, she has attempted to understand the most common specie of bird in Singapore and their not so readily understood behavior.
Uresh and Ted have always had a keen interest in science fiction, mythology and alternate history. They had initially attempted to write a novel based on an alien invasion series screened in the mid-1980s. The writing of this play came about after they received encouragement from Mr Kenneth Johnson, an eminent writer-producer in the USA. Their common interest and spillover from their profession as history and social studies educators has helped them to sustain the lengthy process of research, writing and repeated editing. They have not given up their hopes of writing a sci-fi story set in the context of Malaysia and Singapore, where they respectively reside.
The trio hopes all those who read the plays will discover something between the old and contemporary, the mythical and factual as well as what is usually understood as the norm versus the peculiar.
Uresh, Sandy and Ted would like to thank Mr Mohd Zaki bin Ragman for the wonderful illustrations drawn for their plays.
Uresh, Sandy and Ted
12 October 2013
New Year’s Day Fireworks
A Play written by Sandy J.C. Liu
New Year’s Day Fireworks
Written by Sandy Liu
Preamble / Abstract
The play features a gathering of Chinese deities at the court of the Heavenly Jade Emperor on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The play aims to bring about an awareness to Chinese and non-Chinese readers the supposed roles and responsibilities of the various deities. These roles were formed from a mixture of religions, folklores and famous historical novels. In modern times, people from different industries start to adopt some of the deities for their blessings. New Year Day always ushers in a volley of fireworks. On this occasion, before the fireworks could be launched, a deity interrupted to ask for it to be substituted by a more natural form of celebrative display (i.e., lightning display), citing environmental reasons for the change. This launches the gods in an audience session looking for solutions to the environmental problem. The problem, it seems, is not any easier to disentangle in its explanations on earth or the role delegation in celestial heaven. Readers are advised to browse through the ‘occupations list of the deities’ before reading the play so that they will have some idea of their roles and generic affiliations.
Cast / Characters
JADE EMPEROR (OR HEAVENLY EMPEROR)
GOD OF FIRE (OR KITCHEN GOD)
GOD OF LIGHTNING
SEA DRAGON
SEA GODDESS
MONKEY GOD
GOD OF PROSPERITY
EARTH GOD
GOD OF JUSTICE
GODDESS OF MERCY
GOD OF UNDERWORLD
THE THIRD PRINCE (OR THE MARSHAL)
BUDDHA
THREE-STAR DEITIES (FU-LU-SHOU)
CONFUCIUS
GOD OF ALCHEMY
Sets / Props
A court where an audience session is held by the Heavenly Emperor needs to be ‘set up’. A throne is located on an elevated platform at one end of the court (very much like an audience session held by an earthly emperor in Chinese historical serials) with the official-deities lined-up (standing) on both sides of the court.
The individual characters may dress up according to the characteristics described in the ‘Deities’ occupation list’ as well as illustrated in an accompanying picture in the play. For instance, the Jade Emperor can wear an emperor headgear