‘Transvestite’ on Stage

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dos pondanMONDAY, 02 JUNE – The transvestite character staged at a theatre would surely invite controversies by certain quarters as some had a negative impression towards the character who would be asking why such character must exist in the theatre.

Yet such perception did not prevent a group of undergrads from the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage to successfully stage a play titled ‘Jazzy Paper Dolls’ that was performed at UMS Recital Hall recently.

Dialogue Anak Seni (DOS) had invited two panel members, Professor Dr. Zainal Latiff and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Baharuddin Muhammad Arus to discuss issues on ‘Transvestites on Theatre Stage’ before the screening of the theatre recently.

According to Dr. Zainal, characterising of the said character in theatre was not meant to lure one to be a transvestite, but as a platform in arts to exhibit this scenario that existed among us nowadays.

“This goes to show how art can penetrate human life through theatre, because theatre humanise humans.

“It can help those of such character to turn back after watching the said character on stage, which is filled with sarcasm and at the same time educational,” he said during the dialogue.

Dr. Baharuddin felt that the staging of Jazzy Paper Dolls should be made into a source of knowledge for the community to know and understand more closely this situation and why it happened, not to blindly insult or ridicule them.

“The situation that is happening nowadays, they did not ask for it, it was nurtured since childhood.

“This said group is actually always trying to find a way to get out of their predicament, but the attitude of some people who always insult and berate them causing them to give up in getting back to the right path,” he added.

Therefore, he said it was the responsibility of the art fraternity in raising awareness and teaching the community of the responsibility through arts, because theatre not only displayed its beauty from the aesthetics and artistic value but also a real-life re-enactments and the best way to give awareness to people to be better. – (fl)


Source: Jasman Bandar, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage UMS


Media and Citra Division
Chancellery Department