La Mariposa Borracha (The Drunken Butterfly)
Gateway Theatre Black Box, Singapore, July 2019
Conception: Shanice Stanislaus
Director: Alvin Chiam
Set Designer: Aaron Yap
Lighting Designer: Liu Yong Huay
Costume Designer: Aaron Yap
Produced by Creatives Inspirit
La Mariposa Borracha is a theatrical production that deals with the theme of terminal illness, albeit in a relative positive way, through physical theatre, clowning, as well as music and dance.
The choice of bright colours and psychedelic tones in the set and costumes became the key visual element on stage, which not only compliments the clowning and to bring out the positive vibes, it also subtlely hints at the side effects of hallucination when using certain treatment drugs.
Several colourful storage stools, which were littered by the sides of the performance space, served not only as seats for ensemble members (some are also sitting within the audience block), but also as additional seats for which audience members are encouraged to also sit if they wish, to promote the sense of inclusivity in the performance. These storage stools, as well as the big, main white box smacked in the center of the performance space, are also like magician’s hats, whereby props can be pulled out “magically” from within, hence creating both the surprise element, as well as the notion of unexpectedness (as in the unexpected turn in patients’ health-being).