>From: kay bai >To: tanyaville@hotmail.com, thecowmooeth@yahoo.com
>Subject: Return of all properties belonging to DT / "DEVDAS" >

Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 08:06:53 -0800 (PST) > >To Tanya Tan, > >Ex- Stage Manager of Dramatec's December production, "DEVDAS". > >

In view of your dismissal from the production, the student organization would appreciate if you would return all properties belonging to it and its members. > >We believe you are now in possession of these items and would appreciate if you return them by the 2nd of December; > >1. The Transcript of "DEVDAS." a soft and hard copy. >2. Hard and Soft copies of documents related to our production. >3. Listing and contact numbers of all members and, >4. Any other organizational materials. > > >We apologize for the events that have occurred, but time has come for us to cut our losses and move on. We understand that you feel everything should be conducted a certain way, and although you have prescribed over and over again what the duties of others are, you have failed to fulfill your own. > >Every organization has its method of operating and if you cannot adhere to it, then something has to be done.Last minute preparations are something that are school-wide. We have tried to help it as much as possible, but it cannot be helped. What this production needs are people who are able to move when asked to. > >Secondly, you have gravely insulted the Members of the Executive Committee, and have been behaving offensively towards them. We do not appreciate such insults, and advise that you do something about your attitude. Not everything can sway according to an individual's wishes. You are lucky that we have chosen to dismiss you rather than to take action against you.And we do not appreciate that you boss everyone around, including the executive committee members. > > >We hope that you will be able to find another CCA in this school, unlikely though it may be. > >Nevertheless, thank you for your commitment however insincere it may have been. > > >DT president. >Kabetha



Tanya Tan wrote:

Wah so chim...I've never been the one doin the bossing...when have you last spoken to the cast?Sometimes you have to learn from others...something that you have not been able to do...Sharing wot little i have of the theatre industry was all i could do.Insults...hmmm...who has been more insulted throughout these few months of workin with DT peeps?And this email...which of us would be more insulted?I knew you never liked me to begin with.You were biased...with your casting, selective with your listening and unprofessional with your judgements.Wouldn't you just like to know who said all these things about you kay...??Your script is horrendous...your timing is bad...you've no disciline with yourself either...so after a while, i just decided that it was not worth the waste of my time either...so did the others or so i've heard..Ask them! No wait...no point askin them...their love for theatre allows them to ignore the fact that they are being headed by someone like you, keep mum and be bossed around...need i say more?Oh what ever i the point of this email?I don learn anythin from this play...other than the fact that i'm not the only one who thinks lowly of your abilities...And that poorly organized plays are the cause of directors who wanna assume positions of the whole production team!I had nothin to lose...just more experience with somethin i've never experienced in theatre before...A disorganized director!!!My scripts are in the studio...remmeber the rule? In case the SM dies...she cannot take the script back with her...???Prolly not...in your life, the only rule is to suck up to the superiors to get where you want.What pride is there in that?Learn from Naz a little...she's humble...even though she probably doesnt like me very much due to your accusations...She's one of those who made quite alot of effort in gettin into character...and from wot i hear, she's pretty darn good rite now...i'm happy for her!Halimah is seriously pretty darn good...she's very into wot she does...it's obvious if u dont see it!Shah Don is really workin on his stuff...keeps people smiling, that dude...puts his soul into this...GOOD!Manda, needless to say...my manda...she is wot u call a natural...not melvyn...he has improved...but was casted on all the wrong grounds.For you on the other hand......ISH!!!Don think too highly of yourself...i've said this before and i'll say it again...i'm small in the theatre industry...I was 'hired' by you to share woteva i have with the members, professionally...but you rejected all that i had to say; which are important aspects in the REAL theatre line...Do some reading if u cant experience it first hand...I had the priviledge of being involved and studyin it...Being firm in theatre... isn't called bossing around...It is called directing.I am not questioning your knowledge...rather, your receptiveness to facts.i never said i was the best...if ur memory serves u well, you'd remmeber my telling you that i will be here to help as much as i can from all that i've learnt.but i guess your only need here is to please the people high up there...so you can keep your post as president...Someone else will take over one day u know...nothing is yours forever...the more you hold on to it, the quicker you will lose it.This is your calling...i can do nothing about it but thank you.-Tanya-








OH LORD HAVE MERCY ON YOU.

My dearest Tanya,

WAH CHEEM AH? REALLY AH?
Obviously you did not understand much of what was said in the mail.Speaks much of your intellect and your capacity to comprehend basic english. Never once did i mention anybody bossing anybody else around, all i asked was why you were ever so rude to my secretary and me. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING AGAINST YOU, i could take that ,mail two ways, you retaliating in anger and shock or you wanting to make an enemy.I choose the latter.After all, why not let me have my fun huh? AS A LAW STUDENT< IT IS IN OUR LAW CULTURE TO RETORT WHEN GIVEN THE CHANCE. OPEN GOAL.
Where do i begin? Oh YES, by giving you the news that the cast celebrates that you are gone. All the people you have named and more, are rejoicing that you have been kicked out. And they have told me so.
I CANNOT be bothered to explain my actions, biased or not, it was a GROUP decision. And YOU DO NOT BELONG TO THIS GROUP.
HOW i got here to where i am, probably a position you have been coveting and now will never be able to get to? Yes, i have been speaking to people who find you to be a very interesting dinner topic, and i have heard how you just "know" you're the next director. WHATEVER.
I was chosen, from being just a welfare organiser to being a director/ president. I never wanted the role. In fact the day i got this position, i was about to quit the team. And i stayed on because of all the passion i saw in the very people you have mentioned here.I didn have to do a single thing to keep my position, i just do what i do, and that is enough to keep me there.AND BY THE WAY I WAS CHOSEN BY PPL WHO WERE BELOW ME AND MY PEERS. I may not be the most responsible person either, but art can never come together with rules. A creative person is bound by nothing but ethics and morals. BOTH of which YOU don't have. And in case you are fooling yourself into thinking that any one of us were threatened by you. THINK AGAIN.
I LOVE DRAMATEC. I DO. WITH ALL MY SOUL AND ALL MY HEART AND THAT IS WHY I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR IT.. And i don't need to tell you this, I don't think you will understand what i'm saying. You think Everyone who comes into position of power does it by sucking up, and acting authoritative? THATs YOU, YOU crave power, and therefore think that any one who has power got there through sucking up and ass-kissing. I don't think you would do half the things my comm members and i have done if you were in our shoes, you've proven it by just being in the SM's role.
yes, i am running a one man show, but what can one do, when there aren't even enough ppl to act?
There isn't enough people to be in a production team. And therefore, whoever is wiling to help will help. Obviously you did not want to help me, and therefore, asked and demanded for this and that, when there was no way for me to provide except to to do it by myself, since you refused to do it. So whats the point of having you around? YOU ADDED TO MY WORKLOAD, disorganized i may have been but thats because i had a LAZY SM, who's key job is to help organize things up for me, and come to think of it since i fired you even the atmosphere around the studio is better.
Unworthy i am you say?
UNPROFESSIONAl???
A professional person would never yell at her superiors just because she is in a bad mood.
Humble?
I admit i don't know everything. And please, none of MY actors need you to be HAPPY for them. And don't criticise what you don't know, MELVYN HAS MADE GREAT PROGRESS WITHIN THE PAST FEW REHEARSALS, AND HE IS BETTER THAN YOU COULD EVER BELIEVE. I challenge you, he is going to be the highlight of the entire show, and people are going to be gushing about him on opening night. Go ahead, get a ticket. COME AND WATCH. If they don't, i'll reimburse your ticket money and let YOU TAKE OVER AS THE NEXT DIRECTOR. And don't try to suck up about Shahdon, Halimah, and Naz, THEY WERE MY FRIENDS WAY BEFORE THEY WERE YOURS. AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY.
And by the way. let me refresh your memory, you were the one who asked for the job.
I never would have given it to you other wise.Selective listening, of course, who the hell do you think YOU are to have me listening to everything you say? I have seen the smses you have sent your asms, and good god it is rude. YOu don't even have the basic courtesy to treat them nicely, but you are soooooo sweet to me, WHO IS SUCKING UP??
The script is horrendous? Tell it to Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Sanjay Leela Bansali.If you even know who they are, and have done your home work like you claim you have.
Ask My cast about them putting up with me?
They are my friends, and i am theirs, i won't bother asking them because i know what you said IS A LIE. YOU ARE A LIAR.Which is probably why you don't want me to ask them. I love them and i know they respect me. Can you say the same for yourself? Don't try to spread discord and chaos where it can't stay rooted. Good luck finding people who will stick by you.
My casting is bad? You Obviously don't know much. Mr. Ferlin Jayatissa, MY MENTOR, Had commented that we had excellent casting, and considering what we had to work with, this is truly the cream of the crop. I KNOW THAT THEY"RE THE BEST.AND I WILL PUSH THEM TO BECOME THAT.
I KNOW WHAT REAL THEATRE IS LIKE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN IN THEATRE FOR YEARS WHO LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND SCOFF AT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK. And by the way they are part of the cast.Go figure. They just never revealed it because they cannot be bothered to compare themselves to you.
And next time, please learn how to type, and use better paragraphing, key rules for communicative writting, since you are so keen on rules and discipline.What a laugh.
GOODBYE. PLease DO NOT REPLY to this, i don't even know why I AM replying to THIS, oh wait i do.. its so that i can break you away from you sad, pathetic delusion that you are walking away from this with the upper hand.At least i am kind enough to this for you. If i ever do see you in school again, just turn around and walk away. I Don't ever want to see your face.I hoped we could break off amicably, but all you seem to want to do is pick a bone. I never hated you, i am simply indifferent towards you, i reserve hate for people who i deem worthy of it, not only are you unworthy,You don't even belong to the classification that reads "person" in MY dictionary, the same way you don't have "secretary" in yours. Score, oh a few million for this law student and more importantly, DRAMATEC.

Have a GREAT life.
Kay.

Taffy at 1:56:00 AM

Melvyn's blog.


"And then it was time for more mahjong. Time: 2330. Told my parents I would stay overnight. ......................................................................................................Come 1000am, we sorta wanted to play on, but then, we had our own things to do...so we left. For a Macdonald breakfast. Turned out that was a bad choice.Went straight to rehearsals, with Flu in full swing. Also, I believe the long bus ride to school left me in dire need of regurgitation. Kay had to cancel rehearsals. Sorry Kay."


From Amanda's blog:

I'm/worried/I'm/starting/to/get/less/and/less/commited/to/devdas/(am/honestly/quite/tired/and/sick/of/the/entire/thing..its/makin/me/a/person/wif/no/life)





Oh really?

I'm sorry, but it wasn't me who begged for the play to continue. And therefore,


To all Devdas Cast, Crew and Dancers.

This is a letter from your director proclaiming that she, Ramkumar Kabetha Bai, hereby steps down from all directorial duties. However, she will retain her responsibility towards the production in ensuring that all props and music will be ready for the play.
She resigns from all duties binding her to having to come to school EVERYDAY, having to attend myriads of meetings in the early morning to keep the play going, and having to plan schedule after schedule for actors who cannot be bothered to adhere to it, as they have greater things to take care of.
She resigns from having to travel across the country on rainy mornings when sane individuals are still in bed, to collect costumes for her actors to wear, to look good in.
She resigns from having to battle with her parents just to come to school to direct an unyielding bunch. Yes, she does have parents. Just like you. And just like you, she is also a regular teenager who has similar problems and concerns. But unlike you, she has to manage a production filled with unhappy, ungrateful, and unobliging cast.
She resigns from being bound to turn up on mornings when she feels like dying, only to receive messages from cast who have gone to the doctor for ailments that cease to exist the next day at rehearsals when they're busy having fun, or sitting around chatting while a scene is going on.
She resigns from having to speak at the top of her voice, on an inflamed throat and continually demonstrating, only to have the actor to revert to type immediately after having done so.
She also resigns from having to experience trauma of witnessing her actors do a scene so well only to come back to it days later to find that all that practice has had no effect.
She resigns from having had members from other Art Groups disrespect her
and her production and having caused great delay in dance rehearsals. She feels that as a fellow performer they owe at least a shred of commitment and respect to other artists.
She resigns from having to hold rehearsals for actors who cannot be bothered to be on time, and saunter in one after the other. They seem obliged to attend and only come for the sake of coming. Monday, 29/11/04 proves this assumption to be a fact.
She resigns because the stress is posing as a health hazard to her, and she would like to live past her 18th birthday. Yes, she is ILL if any one of you cares.
She resigns, because she feels as if her ideals and hopes have been belittled, and feels gravely insulted that none of her passion has been reciprocated. She has cultivated the impression that the actors had fought so passionately for the play not because they received great joy in acting and being in the play, but because they did not want to be deprived of their applause and recognition on opening night.
She resigns, because although a minority cares for the play, in theatre, a minority does not a play make.
She resigns because she as director has to be 21 characters at one go, and amazingly has no multiple personality disorder, whereas one actor has a minimum of 2 characters to play, and yet has so much trouble even spending minimal time on their characters.
She resigns because the art of acting has had its honour ruined by amateur actors who think acting is as easy as snapping their fingers, and put no or minimal effort into roles even Bollywood stars have had trouble playing. Such arrogance and attitude has shocked her into silence and therefore she writes this letter.
She resigns because, after having complied to all that has been asked of her, to smile although angry, to not be quite so sarcastic, to smile during bad takes, and not give harsh comments, etc. None of what she has requested has been done. Some have tried their best to do so, but unfortunately, as she's said before, Some does not equate to all.
And as far as she can remember there has never been a day where ALL of the cast has been there on time from start till end of the rehearsal.

She resigns because she has had to put up with people who have joined the production to simply boss people around, and demand things of her. And also diss her committee members, members who have devoted themselves religiously to the club, and without whom she would have surely languished.
She resigns because, she is simply tired and finally devoid of all emotion. Do not worry about her being angry, because believe it or not, this shrew has finally been tamed. No longer does she explode. In fact, she had imploded to the point that even the twin towers after the terrorist attack would look pathetic next to her internal Ground Zero. This volcano can be declared dormant amigos.
She resigns, she resigns, she resigns.
My heartfelt apologies for not having been an unrelenting tyrant, an unforgiving maniac and a not very understanding disciplinarian that could have possibly made things better, and the play a hit. My apologies for being nice and compromising and putting up with everything one after the other. My APOLOGIES.
The play is now in your hands, do not worry, it will not be cancelled, pray forbid it deprives you of your glory and approval from others. Your play will go on, after all, the budget has been approved, we have received the cash advance, and most of the costumes have been bought.
It would simply be impractical to stop all "progress". In case you didn't know a director is quite unnecessary.
However, if you do feel the need for one to be present, do call. I will try my best to render my humble services to YOUR play. Yes, this is now YOUR play, it has always been. and if you didn't know that, well, frankly, you're stupid.
I resign NOT because I cannot, but because YOU will not, and therefore, I will not go on enduring this.
Stupidity is in banging your head against a wall. I have chosen to walk around and away from it. I wish you all good luck, and i hope you do well on opening night. I, however have a other productions and other club responsibilities to look after. Cheers.

Your Ex- Director & current President,
Kay.

P.s.: Stupidity also produces antibodies, and i think some of you are very healthy.

P.P.S: To those of you who don't understand a single word that has been read out, KAO BEH LA! I QUIT ah!





This is not easy for me to do. But really, do you take me to be a bloody fool to do all of this for nothing? i don't need to do this production. After working on this thing since June, you would think that i would be sick and tired? But you know what, i kept going. No matter what. Why is it that everything I do has to fail?

Murder Game.

And now this.

No really, before i have to sit down and watch what could have been, and still can be, a success go down the drain, i would rather quit. I am not a Fucking idiot to sit around and be treated this way.

My ideals have been destroyed. My faith in this production now stands at 0. I will abandon anything that does not abide by my objectives.

Sadly it has cost my CCA all of its money. Sad but not enough to make me want to go on. GOODBYE.

Taffy at 1:12:00 AM