The idea of putting up a stage performance was never an impossible feat but itself had

me doubting my own capabilities as I knew from the beginning, the process of completing it was
not going to be a walk in the park. Hard work was very much needed to show cohesiveness of
the overall performance, sound interpretation of the characters, fluent and accurate delivery and
good stagecraft elements and management. Personally, I took the task as a massive challenge
because I was yet to be familiarise with any play production myself. Based on my experience of
being a part of the staging performance my class did, entitled “The Price You Pay” adapted from
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, I have learned from the many challenges that I have faced throughout
the preparation and practice process. This has led to my own personal and professional growth
where I believe the dramatic techniques, stagecraft and stage performance play their specific
roles in shaping me to become a holistic and an all-rounded teacher.

Most people would think that when working on a project which involves quite a number of
people which in my case was 20, each individual are to be assigned with specific roles based on
their qualities and in terms of what they can bring to the table. I was given the role and
responsibility of being the sound designer for the play and the only thing that I could think of at
the time was the fear of not doing a good job and being a disappointment to others as I couldn’t
help but felt like I was most likely going to screw up. Not only was I lacking experience, I didn’t
even know nor have the basics of being a sound designer. Nevertheless, I accepted it with high
hopes and had the confidence of effectuating the play well enough to at least give the audience
something to reminisce about. Putting in extra effort was one of the hardest parts of being the
sound designer as I figured that the only way I could actually live up to the reputation of being a
good one was to do my own research about dramas and stage performances while asking for tips
from the more experienced. Sound is a segment of non-verbal dramatic techniques. Sound is
what truly convinces the mind is in a place (Wessels, 1987). This quote perfectly demonstrates
the importance of sounds in a stage performance. Without the sounds the dialogue, synchronous
sound effects, and asynchronous sound effects, the play would be much less convincing. This
disables the audience to visualise the message that was meant to be conveyed to them, or rather,
they will be confused with one scene to another. This has guided me to use the skills learned from
my role and contributions in my future as a teacher. According to Fatemah and Nasrin (2017), a
teacher should be able to possess appropriate non-verbal communication skills in the teaching
and learning process. This is because this communication skill will further give meaning and
enhance a pupil’s learning. Hence, it is highly important for me as a future teacher to acquire such
a skill in order to make my teaching and learning process an effective one.
 Apart from being the sound designer, I played a small part in the preparation of props I
was not an artsy person myself. Juggling the roles and coping with the workload was harder than
I imagined. I can’t say that I have done the best of jobs at the end of the day but I believe that I
have done just enough to make the team effort a fruitful one and completing the play successfully.
It is almost impossible to deny the possibilities of encountering problems and conflicts in a group
work and in this one, there were a few, some tolerable and some just a bit too ridiculous to even
consider. The ability to work in a group of people can never be easy and having members that do
not cooperate well only make things worse. Attitude can be a perpetual problem especially when
it involves those who don’t understand the importance of instructions. Throughout the whole
process of the dramatisation which includes the preparation, we had issues of commitment and
lack of effort. I had a personal and serious complication with those who dilly-dally a bit too much
which slowed down the pace of the team and it was excruciatingly annoying. Never wanting to
resort to violence and hurtful confrontations, I had my own ways of resolving these difficulties.
Despite the unnecessary drama, I had learnt a few things from each of the controversial
encounters. I found out that things that are negative can actually be something positive if seen
from a different perspective like how a smile can be formed from a frown turned upside down.
Instead of changing others and their ways of doing things, one should try finding a better way to
deal with them such as discussing and offering help or advice. One of the most crucial lessons
learnt is that when it comes to a team or group, it can never always be about one individual alone
and leaving out the others. Each and every member of the team is to be counted as one and there
can only be progress when they move and work together as one. The work in working together is
never as important as being and staying together.

Upon finishing the stage performance, I realised some things which could have been done
in another way or changed to make them better. For instance, I personally feel that it would have
been better if we had more time in preparation for the stage performance. It sure is possible for a
group like us to stage a wonderful play. However, due to poor time management, we slacked a
little in doing our best. We could have made the play production more significant by adding more
dramatic elements which we have yet to exploit. Some small tasks should have been taken care
of faster if we had organised our time better and indirectly, we failed to plan things out in a better
manner. Ugwulashi (2013) states that time management is an essential tool for teaching and
learning and it is a skill every teacher should master. Through this, it is important for me as a
future teacher to have good time management in handling tasks assigned to me. This will help
me to plan a lesson well for my pupils to ensure that my delivery is effective and functional.
Nonetheless, the stage performance was a success and I never thought that we were ever
capable to pull off a good show.

To conclude, I would say that I have realised some things and changed myself in some
ways through the things I gained. The experience gained is unquestionably something to treasure
and it has taught me to be a much more open person and to face things in life with alacrity
whatever the things may be. Living is to learn from the past not merely to remember, be grateful
for the present and be ready and enthusiastic for the future. I have gained knowledge and skills
such as the basics of designing sounds, soft and social skills and the ability to handle technical
equipment which can be applied in my future teaching and learning process as well as my daily
life. Also, I can now understand and appreciate the dramatic techniques more. I find it easier to
face others and settle differences without having to engage in verbal fights. Besides, I believe I
have developed my qualities in becoming a teacher. A teacher requires more than just the ability
to lead and guide their pupils. Leading, as well as guiding others must be done with responsibility,
maturity and not forgetting tender, love and care. As tough as it can be, I must always be
accountable for the tasks that I am assigned to. This group work has also brought me closer to
my classmates and strengthened our bond of friendship. Putting aside all the controversies we
faced and keeping things professional when necessary, we managed to start the stage
performance together and finish it together as well. I learnt to cherish my friendship more and to
never let silly things come in between and ruin things.
References

Fatemah, B. & Nasrin, B. (2017). The impact of the teachers’ non-verbal communication on
success in teaching. The national center for biotechnology information (NCBI). 5(2). 51-
59.

Ugwulashi, C. S. (2013). Time management: essential tool for teaching and learning
improvement in challenging resource period in Nigeria. Educational research
international. 1(2).

Wessels, C. (1987) Drama. New York: Oxford University Press.