Journey & Sitayana

Experience with Sitayana –

I was a part of the wardrobe crew for Sitayana.  Now, it was my first time working backstage for a production.  Through my experience I learned how different this play was compared to the others I have seen.  Professor Aguas would always say “ Up to youuu”  to any question that would arise.  There was a legitimate effort on the part of the students to develop a connection with their characters.  The first rehearsal I went to lasted around 4 hours and I was wondering how I would survive the rest of the week.  But then, one of my friends said that they had been doing this for the past 5 weeks.  I only got to participate in the last week but what I got out of this experience is truly amazing.  Being able to share an epic without talking is quite a feat in itself.  The way the actors took on their roles and performed with passion was astonishing to me.  Even with a small role, the actor put their best forward.  It was as if that they were living as the character for the moment all working towards sharing the story of Sita and promoting peace.  

As I observed backstage, a lot of the actors seemed to be fully comfortable out of their comfort zones, all together they produced a beautiful production.  The universal power of body language and emotion shined throughout the play.  Everyone’s hard work and effort showed through each act.  What was saddening though was the fact that William and Mary would not be able to see a play like this for another 7 years.  I then thought about how lucky and thankful we should have been to be able to participate in such a rare show at the college. I only hope that in 7 years, there will be an even bigger audience to reach out to. 

On the first day of class, I was wondering how on earth I would be able to survive through the discussion based course. As each day of class passed though, I felt less and less intimidated.  As my definition of a community developed, so did my paradigm on generalizations and preconceived notions.  There is a saying that says your hometown is defined by the people you were with, not the place you were at.  This brings us to the question that brought us together in the beginning of the course, “Where are you from from?”  

We are all from the same earth, brought together to occupy the world at this specific time, made up of different passions and aspirations, that ultimately lead to one same goal of reaching happiness.  Of all the things I have learned in this class, I believe that our community has had the crucial opportunity to step back, and reflect on our lives.  Something that is otherwise overlooked in our busy lives.  So, one thing I ask of my community is to never forget the moments of reflection we observed together, and to never forget that we are here for you.  

Blessings and Makasih J