Arts guide: March 8 to 16

TODAY’S PICK: THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA. W!ld Rice takes on Frederico Garcia Lorca’s final play about a tyrannical mother who seals off her family from the world. Adapted by Chay Yew and transplanted into the world of the Peranakans, it stars Singapore’s top female actors and is directed by Glen Goei. March 12 to 29, 8pm, Drama Centre Theatre. With weekend matinees. Tickets from S$45 to S$75 at Sistic.

I LIGHT MARINA BAY 2014. A showcase of light and colour along the waterfront, this year’s theme is Light+HeART and will feature some 25 large-scale outdoor installations by artists from 11 countries including Singapore. March 7 to 30 at Marina Bay Waterfront. Free admission.

A SINGAPOREAN IN PARIS. Sing’theatre brings back its 2010 hit musical about a Singaporean artist who explores the City of Love. Created by Nathalie Ribette and directed by Hossan Leong, it stars Linden Furnell, Mina Kaye, Peter Ong, Vicky Williamson and Hossan himself. March 11 to 23, 8pm, SOTA Drama Theatre. With weekend matinees. Tickets from S$40 to S$69 at Sistic.

MARCO POLO. TheatreWorks tours the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition 2013 (Youth Category) winning piece by Jovi Tan Yit Long in various South East District Venues. Directed by Sean Tobin and performed by Bright Ong and Ebi Shankara, it’s about the friendship of two friends who stick together through tough times. March 8, 3pm, Mountbatten Community Club; March 9, 1pm, Gardens By The Bay, Mediterranean Garden (Flower Dome); March 14 to 16, 8pm/3pm, Braddell Heights Community Club. Free admission (except for Flower Dome’s admission charges). Register at 6737 7213 or email tworks [at] singnet.com.sg.

WHAT IS PUBLIC ART? NAFA will hold a dialogue on this topic to coincide with the launch of two books focusing on renowned sculptors Ng Eng Teng and Han Sai Por. Han will be present to share her thoughts and artist Yeo Chee Kiong will also be present. March 14, 2.30pm, NAFA Library, NAFA Campus 1. Free admission. To register, call 6512 6504 or email spng [at] nafa.edu.sg.

THE SCHOOL NEVER ASKED. A “comic book” that illustrates the stories of three young ladies who are heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual. It’s the final product of artist Felicia Low’s two-year artist residency at The Substation and her research on how Singaporean teenagers understand sexuality. Limited copies of the book will be on sale. Until March 17, noon to 9pm, The Substation Random Room. Free.

SINGAPORE SIU DAI: THE SG CONVERSATION IN A CUP. Author Felix Cheong will be doing a dramatised reading from his latest book with a little help from storyteller Kamini Ramachandran. Published by Ethos Books, it contains 50 short pieces which are a humourous look at life in Singapore. March 8 and 15, 3pm to 5pm, Toast Box (Westgate and United Square, respectively). Free admission.

ROMEO AND JULIET. Singapore Dance Theatre opens its season with this classical ballet piece inspired the Shakespeare classic. It features the choreography of Goh Choo San set to the score by Prokofiev. March 13 to 16, 8pm, Esplanade Theatre. With weekend matinees. Tickets from S$30 to S$70 at Sistic.

NUS ARTS FESTIVAL 2014. This year’s edition looks at the theme of consumption. Opening the festival is the triple-bill Overdrive, featuring works by Idan Cohen, Akiko Kitamura and HORSE Dance Theatre, while its closing show is ConSumed, by Edith Podesta, Adrian Tan and Brian Gothong Tan, all of which are done in collaboration with students. Aside from stage performances, expect free music and film showcases as well. March 14 to 29 with various times and venues. For more information, visit http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/NAF_2014/. Tickets from Sistic.

RE:PLAY. Inspired by the sounds, rhythms and structures of traditional Indian games, this immersive, interactive performance explores the relevance of games like Kabaddi and Tigers & Goats that takes audiences on a journey through Indian history, mythology and contemporary events. March 14 to 16, 7.30pm, Goodman Arts Centre Black Box Theatre. With weekend matinees. Tickets at S$40 from Sistic.

THINKING OF LANDSCAPE. An exhibition of paintings related to landscape from Singapore private collector Yeap Lam Yang’s collection. Built over 25 years, it encompasses Chinese ink as well as paintings on canvas and paper. March 8 to April 16 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, Gallery 1 and 2, LASALLE College Of The Arts. Free admission.

HO HO YING — PRESENT. The seventh solo show by the Cultural Medallion recipient and Singapore’s pioneering modern artist and art critic. It features 80 works that track the 78-year-old artist’s artistic journey from the `50s to 2011. Until March 30, 11am to 7pm, NAFA Galleries 1 & 2, NAFA Campus 1. Free admission. Closed on Mondays.

JOIE DE VIVRE: CHEN CHENG MEI. An exhibition by the second generation artist also known as Tan Seah Boey, who was one of the founding members of the Ten-Men Art Group. Featured are more than 40 oil paintings and sketches from 1954 to 2005. Until March 23, 11am to 7pm, Lim Hak Tai Gallery, NAFA Campus 1. Free admission. Closed on Mondays.

THE MAGIC OF LIGHT. The first solo show by watercolourist Lok Kerk Hwang. Incidentally, one of the artist’s works was chosen for the 147th Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolour Society, only the third Singaporean artist to be admitted after Ong Kim Seng and Ng Woon Lam. Until March 16, noon to 8pm, Utterly Art, 20B Mosque Street, Level 3. By appointment at 6226 2605 or 9487 2006. Free admission.

THE REVOLUTION LIES IN THE HANDS OF ITS PEOPLE. The Proletariat Poetry Factory will be making an appearance at a factory in Geylang—give them a word and they’ll write a poem on their typewriters and you pay anything you want for it. The poets will also be joined by illustrators, musician and dancers who will adopt the same transactional live art creation process. March 15, 8pm to 11pm, Mettlework, Lian Hup Metalworks Factory, 50 Geylang Lorong 17.

AND THE DARKEST HOUR IS JUST BEFORE DAWN. Singapore artist Melissa Tan’s latest work comprise intricate paper cut-outs that echo topological maps with cryptic information, works that simultaneously allude to alien tectonic plates and precious stones. March 14 to April 4, 11.30am to 7pm, Richard Koh Fine Art, Artspace@Helutrans, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Free admission. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. Mondays by appointment.

HAFIZ OSMAN: MAPS AND MEETINGS. An exhibition of a series of white clothes imprinted with hand-drawn maps that are suspended from the ceiling, it was created during the artist’s residency in Paris where he invited strangers to draw maps of their home neighbourhood. March 8 to April 6, Institute Of Contemporary Arts Singapore, TriSpace, LASALLE College Of The Arts. Free admission.

DUKKHA: THE IMAGERY OF SUFFERING. Thai artist Uttaporn Nimmalaikaew’s first solo show in Singapore features his unique process of combining techniques, resulting works that comprise layers of canvas, sheet fabric and netting, on which he paints or screenprints his figures to create three-dimensional scenes. March 8 to April 6, 11am to 7pm, Yavuz Fine Art, 51 Waterloo Street, #03-01. Free admission. Mondays and public holidays by appointment.

NAMES, TEXT & TROUBLE. A joint exhibition by Substation associate artists Loo Zihan and Tania De Rozario. The former will present Artists’ General Assembly, the second phase of a project about the arts event that took place in 1993, while the latter presents Making Trouble, which looks at the relationship between visual art and civil society in post-2000 Singapore via practitioners who occupy both spheres. Until March 17, noon to 9pm, The Substation Gallery. Free.

RAINBOW VOICES: AN EXHIBITION. An exhibition of writings by beneficiaries of the Singapore Association of Mental Health after a series of workshops conducted by poet Cyril Wong last year. It is held in conjuction with the launch of the Rainbow Voices anthology. Until March 14, 10am to 10pm, The Arts House, Print Gallery. Free.

OF INDETERMINATE TIME OR OCCURRENCE. The latest solo exhibition by Singapore artist Heman Chong will showcase four different bodies of works: Never (Again), After Bolaño (After Duchamp), Cover (Versions) and The Forer Effect, all of which highlight the main objective in his practice dealing with fictional narratives and the relationship between image and text. Until May 4, 11am to 7pm, FOST Gallery, Gillman Barracks, 1 Lock Road. Free. Mondays and public holidays by appointment.